Publication Items

Enviros Challenge Transparency of Virginia Uranium Mining Deliberations [1]

A company wants to mine Virginia's major uranium deposit so the state formed a multi-agency panel to study ending the three-decade ban on uranium mining. That panel hired a consulting firm that critics say was stacked with experts affiliated with the nuclear industry.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Nuclear Power & Radiation [3]
Natural Resources [4]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Environmental Politics [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [8]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Enviros Challenge Transparency of Virginia Uranium Mining Deliberations [1]
Justice Department Says Citizens Can Record Police Activity [10]

The JD said that individuals have a First Amendment right to record police officers in the public performance of their duties. It also said police can not seize or destroy such recordings without a warrant and due process.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [5]
Journalism & Media [11]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Justice Department Says Citizens Can Record Police Activity [10]
Clear Channel Mounts FBI Billboards Promoting Trade Secrecy [12]

Claims of trade secrecy — often unsubstantiated — are a huge barrier to environmental reporters and others trying to find the truth about chemicals that may harm human health and the environment. But the FBI's billboards urge Americans to be vigilant against corporate insiders who may appear suspicious, and presumably to turn them in.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [5]
Health [13]
Environmental Health [14]
Economy & Business [15]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Clear Channel Mounts FBI Billboards Promoting Trade Secrecy [12]
Data.gov Keeps on Giving Gifts to Gumshoe Reporters [17]

The federal Data.gov, while not perfect, has grown over three years especially strong in datasets from federal agencies that deal with the environment, energy, natural resources, health, and science. Many of them are downloadable, so that you can crunch them on your own computer. Several are map layers or geo-tagged in some way. See a few randomly chosen examples here.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Wildlife [18]
Water & Oceans [19]
Science [20]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [3]
Natural Resources [4]
Health [13]
Government [21]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Disasters [22]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Data.gov Keeps on Giving Gifts to Gumshoe Reporters [17]
New Ohio Law Limits Disclosure of Fracking Fluid Ingredients [23]

The Ohio legislature cleared a fracking bill May 24, 2012 that increases inspections of wells and requires drillers to hold liability insurance. But Reuters reports: "Many Democrats said the bill paves the way for the industry to hide information about toxic chemicals that could contaminate groundwater."
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [19]
Pollution [24]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Economy & Business [15]
Chemicals [16]
Region:
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [25]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about New Ohio Law Limits Disclosure of Fracking Fluid Ingredients [23]
How Muzzling Scientists Helps the Chemical Industry [26]

A Chicago Tribune investigative series on flame retardant chemicals helps illustrate how federal agency control of what scientists say to reporters can help the chemical and tobacco industries. By reporter Michael Hawthorne.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Wildlife [18]
Science [20]
Pollution [24]
People & Population [27]
Health [13]
Environmental Politics [6]
Environmental Health [14]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about How Muzzling Scientists Helps the Chemical Industry [26]
TOOLBOX: Data Journalism Handbook Released [28]

Environmental reporters with ambitions to do investigative projects using databases will find an enormously rich collection of ideas, tips, examples, and tools in the new book released by the Open Knowledge Foundation and the European Journalism Centre.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [29]
Journalism & Media [11]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about TOOLBOX: Data Journalism Handbook Released [28]
Trans-Pacific Partnership Secrecy: Is US Negotiating Sell-Out on Environmental Issues? [30]

Various citizen groups have protested the lack of transparency as negotiators meet for the 12th time in Dallas May 15-18. The 26-chapter draft treaty includes provisions on the environment. But nobody on the outside knows what they are.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [6]
Economy & Business [15]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Trans-Pacific Partnership Secrecy: Is US Negotiating Sell-Out on Environmental Issues? [30]
Fracking Disclosure: Is the Data Half-Disclosed or Half-Hidden? [31]

After backroom lobbying by gas and oil industry groups, the Obama White House watered down the promised fracking-fluid disclosure requirement promised earlier this year — imposing it only after completion of the fracking operation, when the information may have little effect (such as public pressure on BLM to deny a drilling permit).
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [19]
Pollution [24]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Chemicals [16]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about Fracking Disclosure: Is the Data Half-Disclosed or Half-Hidden? [31]
CRS Reports: You Paid for Them — You May As Well Read Them [32]

Here are some recent reports by the Congressional Research Service related to the environment/energy beat. Congress does not release them to the public. We again thank the Federation of American Scientists' Government Secrecy Project for doing so.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Natural Resources [4]
Government [21]
Food [33]
Environmental Politics [6]
Energy & Fuel [7]
Climate Change [34]
Agriculture [35]
Visibility:
Public [9]
- Read more about CRS Reports: You Paid for Them — You May As Well Read Them [32]

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