Publication Items

1 in 7 Wildlife Refuges Has Genetically Engineered Crops [1]

Three organizations file a lawsuit against the USFWS, a new study finds three strains of GE maize likely damaged organs of rats that ate the foods for just three months, pesticide use associated with GE crops may actually be greater than for traditional crops, and GE seed prices skyrocket.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [3]
Natural Resources [4]
Biodiversity [5]
Policy [6]
Technology [7]
Wildlife [8]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about 1 in 7 Wildlife Refuges Has Genetically Engineered Crops [1]
More Than 550 Utilities Now Using Potentially Safer Chemicals [11]

The plants, ranging from very large to very small, are now using chemicals and processes such as liquid chlorine bleach, calcium hypochlorite, or ultraviolet light — allegedly making ~40 million people living nearby safer.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [12]
Chemicals [13]
Disasters [14]
Laws & Regulations [15]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about More Than 550 Utilities Now Using Potentially Safer Chemicals [11]
White House May Urge Greater NEPA Transparency [16]

New NEPA policies proposed in February by the Council on Environmental Quality cover climate impacts; findings of no impact and requirements for monitoring; categorical exclusions; and better tools for reporting to the public on NEPA activities.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [18]
Laws & Regulations [15]
Government [19]
Policy [6]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about White House May Urge Greater NEPA Transparency [16]
Survey Finds Little Early Improvement in Science-Meddling Under Obama [20]

George Washington University's Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy (SKAPP) followed up with 37 scientists at 13 federal agencies to see if conditions had improved at their agencies post-Bush. Survey says: Not really, or not yet.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [19]
Science [21]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Survey Finds Little Early Improvement in Science-Meddling Under Obama [20]
States Push Congress, EPA To End Toxic Trade Secrets [22]

Do commercial products we have body contact with contain toxic chemicals? In too many cases, states and environmentalists are saying, the federal government forbids consumers from knowing.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [12]
Chemicals [13]
Health [23]
Laws & Regulations [15]
Government [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about States Push Congress, EPA To End Toxic Trade Secrets [22]
10 Key Open-Gov Resources for Environmental Journalists [24]

In honor of Sunshine Week, which began March 14, the WatchDog serves up a meaty list of essential resources for journalists working to expose governmental secrets voters and taxpayers have a right to know about.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [19]
Journalism & Media [25]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about 10 Key Open-Gov Resources for Environmental Journalists [24]
Who's Biking/Walking in Your State and City? [26]

The Alliance for Biking and Walking's second biennial report, while mainly a recitation of statistics, is a highly useful source of leads and context for transit-related stories.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Transportation [27]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about Who's Biking/Walking in Your State and City? [26]
USGS Minerals Report: A Tale of Economy and Environment [28]

Many story leads are tucked away in this 196-page report: recession impacts from drops in extraction and consumption, increases in importation of key materials, insights on stories related to climate change and air pollution, and much more.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [18]
Air [29]
Economy & Business [12]
Energy & Fuel [30]
Natural Resources [4]
Pollution [31]
Government [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about USGS Minerals Report: A Tale of Economy and Environment [28]
EPA Launches New Online Regulatory Gateway [32]

The site offers some improvements over poring through the Federal Register, but it's not comprehensive, topics are too broad, and there's poor differentiation between topics and constituencies. On the plus side, visitors can comment on in-process regulations, get alerts about specific regulations, attend online public meetings, and sort in-process regs.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [15]
Government [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about EPA Launches New Online Regulatory Gateway [32]
New Fed Climate Change Site Consolidates Information [33]

The site includes news, studies, reports, fact sheets, data, predictions, educational tools, an events calendar, and images. The agency says it will adapt the site in response to comments, so feel free to provide feedback.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [18]
Government [19]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [10]
- Read more about New Fed Climate Change Site Consolidates Information [33]

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