Publication Items

Enviropork: Reporting on the Secret Santas [1]

The Senate's Nov. 30 vote not to impose a moratorium on "earmarks" practically ensures that pork-barrel spending will live on as a subject for journalists — at least in fiscal 2011.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Enviropork: Reporting on the Secret Santas [1]
Interest in High-Speed Rail Is Widespread [6]

The Department of Transportation awarded $2.4 billion for 54 projects in 23 states. The winners were selected from 132 applicants in 32 states, who had asked for a total of $8.8 billion for planning, construction, equipment purchases, and other closely related efforts.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Transportation [8]
Planning & Growth [9]
People & Population [10]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Interest in High-Speed Rail Is Widespread [6]
Feds Funding Clean Energy Employment Efforts [11]

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal government is shoveling more than $32 billion to the states to develop what it considers less-polluting energy and to train, certify, recruit, and retain workers.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Energy & Fuel [12]
Economy & Business [13]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Feds Funding Clean Energy Employment Efforts [11]
EPA Asks for Comment on School Siting Guidelines [14]

This guidance would provide insights and reduce threats when competing forces — such as land availability, cost, timing, vehicle and utility access, zoning, and developer cooperation — drive decision makers to build a school at a site that may pose a toxic threat to the children and staff.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [15]
People & Population [10]
Health [16]
Air [17]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Asks for Comment on School Siting Guidelines [14]
EPA Releases Reports on Toxics at Selected Schools [18]

Following a December 2008 USA Today report on outdoor air pollution at hundreds of schools, EPA began a monitoring process. Final reports for 21 (of the small number of schools selected) have now been released; the results are mixed.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Pollution [15]
People & Population [10]
Health [16]
Chemicals [19]
Air [17]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about EPA Releases Reports on Toxics at Selected Schools [18]
Private Landowners Increase Protected Wetland Acreage [20]

Land owners signed up to protect 272,762 acres, which in one year adds about 12% of the total acreage covered during the 15-year history of the voluntary Wetlands Reserve Program. Funding for the 1,414 contracts totaled $592,562,106.
SEJ Publication Types:
TipSheet [7]
Topics on the Beat:
Water & Oceans [21]
Biodiversity [22]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Private Landowners Increase Protected Wetland Acreage [20]
Journo Groups File Brief in Corporate Privacy Case [23]

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 22 other news media groups intervened in a case where AT&T had challenged the Federal Communications Commission's ruling that exemption 7c of the Freedom of Information Act did not apply to AT&T.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Journalism & Media [24]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Journo Groups File Brief in Corporate Privacy Case [23]
More Cool Data Tools from EPA [25]

TRI-CHIP assembles a great deal of toxicity and hazard information from many sources and makes it easy to search. TRI.NET allows you to construct complex queries into the Toxics Release Inventory database, and to map the results in ways that can be used for publishable graphics or layered on maps with other environmental and demographic information.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Technology [26]
Government [4]
Chemicals [19]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about More Cool Data Tools from EPA [25]
Cool Tool: Labor Department Database Shows Promise [27]

The website offers access to several kinds of data sometimes sought by reporters doing environmental stories. Searches can be narrowed down by state and by industry.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Cool Tool: Labor Department Database Shows Promise [27]
Obama Announces Revamp of 'Controlled Unclassified' Info Stamp [28]

The order gives agencies 120 days to review their existing secrecy designations and to come up with standardized ones "in a timely manner." When there is doubt, Obama's order states, agencies are to err on the side of disclosure.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Policy [29]
Government [4]
Disasters [30]
Visibility:
Public [5]
- Read more about Obama Announces Revamp of 'Controlled Unclassified' Info Stamp [28]

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