Publication Items

Federal Law Fails To Protect Health and Safety Whistleblowers [1]

One example is Walt Tamosaitis, who works for an Energy Department subcontractor. He told a Senate panel on December 6, 2011, that when he raised technical issues about whether nuclear waste cleanup was being done right at the Hanford Site in Washington, he was taken off the project and exiled to the basement.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [3]
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Federal Law Fails To Protect Health and Safety Whistleblowers [1]
Sunlight Foundation FOIA Seeks To Learn Who Visited Abramoff in Prison [6]

Jack Abramoff, a former lobbyist convicted of mail fraud, is now on a book tour. At least one member of Congress visited him in prison. The federal Bureau of Prisons so far has not released any other names in response to Sunlight's FOIA request.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Sunlight Foundation FOIA Seeks To Learn Who Visited Abramoff in Prison [6]
States Partly Fill Federal Vacuum on Fracking Fluid Disclosure Law [7]

Colorado, which adopted its disclosure rules December 13, 2011, joins Texas, Pennsylvania, and several other states in requiring some disclosure by drillers of the chemicals they pump into shale formations under high pressures to release natural gas. Scores of chemicals, some very toxic, may be involved.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [8]
Pollution [9]
Laws & Regulations [10]
Energy & Fuel [11]
Chemicals [12]
Region:
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [13]
Mountain West (CO ID MT NV UT WY) [14]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about States Partly Fill Federal Vacuum on Fracking Fluid Disclosure Law [7]
Oregon Court Rules That Not All Bloggers Are Journalists [15]

The Portland judge ruled that blogger Crystal Cox, who published allegations against businessman Kevin Padrick and was subsequently sued by Padrick for defamation, was not a journalist as she lacked any conventional journalistic credentials or affiliations, and therefore was not entitled to the protections of the state's shield law.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [10]
Journalism & Media [16]
Region:
Northwest (OR WA) [17]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Oregon Court Rules That Not All Bloggers Are Journalists [15]
Refrigerant Chemicals Can Be Good for Ozone Layer, Bad for Climate [18]

A new United Nations Environment Programme report offers recommendations to help make refrigerants less of a greenhouse gas problem, while still addressing ozone concerns. Get tips here on how your reporting on this issue can range from the local to the global scale.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Planning & Growth [20]
Climate Change [21]
Chemicals [12]
Air [22]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Refrigerant Chemicals Can Be Good for Ozone Layer, Bad for Climate [18]
EPA To Release Data on Major Greenhouse Gas Sources [23]

The agency plans to publish by the end of 2011 the first round of annual data reported, for 2010, on emissions from about 7,000 large stationary sources in 28 industry sectors. This data should provide a useful tool for media coverage on sources, impacts, and mitigation efforts, if any.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [9]
Climate Change [21]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA To Release Data on Major Greenhouse Gas Sources [23]
Long-Delayed Power Plant Toxics Regulations Due by Dec. 16 [24]

The EPA says the proposed rule would prevent about 17,000 premature deaths each year and hundreds of thousands of illnesses, and avoid substantial environmental damage. The agency estimates that for every $1 spent preventing the targeted pollution there would be health benefits ranging from $5 to $13, and additional environmental benefits.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [11]
Chemicals [12]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Long-Delayed Power Plant Toxics Regulations Due by Dec. 16 [24]
Feds Release Report on Links Between Breast Cancer and Environment [25]

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 [19]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [3]
Chemicals [12]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Feds Release Report on Links Between Breast Cancer and Environment [25]
EPA Releases 100s of Chemical Health Studies Claimed As Trade Secrets [26]

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 [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Health [27]
Chemicals [12]
Health [3]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Releases 100s of Chemical Health Studies Claimed As Trade Secrets [26]
Industry Lobby Opposes Disclosure of Fragrance Ingredients [28]

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 [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Chemicals [12]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Industry Lobby Opposes Disclosure of Fragrance Ingredients [28]

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