Publication Items

Feds Release Report on Links Between Breast Cancer and Environment [1]

The Institute of Medicine released on Dec. 7, 2011, a report on links between breast cancer and the environment. Along with identifying various risk factors, and the strength of the evidence, the report addresses preventive measures and research gaps.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [3]
Chemicals [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Feds Release Report on Links Between Breast Cancer and Environment [1]
EPA Releases 100s of Chemical Health Studies Claimed As Trade Secrets [6]

The studies are submitted by companies who use the chemicals in commerce, under the Toxic Substances Control Act. EPA's online searchable database can help you find information about such health studies, which were previously withheld because of industry trade-secret claims.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [8]
Chemicals [4]
Health [3]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Releases 100s of Chemical Health Studies Claimed As Trade Secrets [6]
Industry Lobby Opposes Disclosure of Fragrance Ingredients [9]

If you are worried that ingredients in cleaning products may aggravate your allergies, mess up your sex hormones, or cause cancer, you may not find out what they are. The International Fragrance Association North America and the American Cleaning Institute are opposing a bill introduced in the House that would require cleaning products to carry ingredients lists on the package label.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Industry Lobby Opposes Disclosure of Fragrance Ingredients [9]
Calif. Law Keeps Public from Knowing About Dangerous Pipelines [10]

The San Francisco Chronicle revealed almost all records of the state's Public Utilities Commission, which regulates pipelines, are secret — and the PUC typically asks permission from the utility companies before releasing any information. In most other states, such information is freely available to the public.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [11]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Region:
California [13]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Calif. Law Keeps Public from Knowing About Dangerous Pipelines [10]
Toolbox: New CPR Database Helps You Track Secret Industry-OMB Meetings [14]

Although details of what is said between lobbyists and the White House officials who rewrite agency rules remain largely secret, the Center for Progressive Reform's searchable database allows you to track whether OMB is meeting its deadlines, whether a meeting is linked to an OIRA regulatory review, and whether OIRA changed the rule.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [15]
Government [16]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Toolbox: New CPR Database Helps You Track Secret Industry-OMB Meetings [14]
"Behind Closed Doors" Reports on Secret Regulatory Process [17]

The Center for Progressive Reform looked at public records on 1,080 meetings held between October 2001 and June 2011 between the White House Office of Management and Budget and lobbyists from various interest groups. Results show the Obama administration is as bad as the Bush administration when it comes to secret meetings with industry to weaken environmental health and safety regulations.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [11]
Government [16]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about "Behind Closed Doors" Reports on Secret Regulatory Process [17]
'Solid Conflict' and Superb Writing — On the Daily Beat and for His New Book [18]

Bill Dawson gets the "Inside Story" from The Seattle Times' Craig Welch about his award-winning work as a reporter on the environment beat in the Pacific Northwest’s largest city and on his book Shell Games.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [19]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about 'Solid Conflict' and Superb Writing — On the Daily Beat and for His New Book [18]
BLM Says 9 Western States Have Worthy Wilderness Areas [20]

Designating lands as wilderness or some other highly protected status always is contentious, but the BLM has identified 24 areas in 9 western states the agency says have significant local support for this idea: CA (9 areas), CO (3), ID (1), MT (1), NM (2), NV (2), OR (2), UT (3), and WA (1).
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Natural Resources [21]
Region:
California [13]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [22]
Northwest (OR WA) [23]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [24]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about BLM Says 9 Western States Have Worthy Wilderness Areas [20]
Airborne Lead Violations Still Occur in 14 States [25]

The culprits often are one or more significant lead emitters such as smelters, iron or steel foundries, waste incinerators, utilities, or lead-acid battery manufacturers. Piston-engine planes using leaded aviation gasoline are another source.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [4]
Air [26]
Pollution [27]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Airborne Lead Violations Still Occur in 14 States [25]
Feds Announce Offshore Oil and Gas Target Areas [28]

Offshore oil and gas drilling from 2012-2017 would be focused in the western and central Gulf of Mexico and off the shores of northern and southern Alaska, if the Dept. of Interior's proposed plan and draft programmatic environmental impact statement, released Nov. 8, 2011, are accepted as is. A 60-day public comment period ends Jan. 9, 2012.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [12]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [24]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [29]
Alaska and Hawaii [30]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Feds Announce Offshore Oil and Gas Target Areas [28]

Pages