SEJ Objects to EPA's 'Freedom of Information Act Regulations Update' [1]
The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), in a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler, objected to the EPA's June 26 Final Rulemaking entitled "Freedom of Information Act Regulations Update [2]." The letter states that the rule "enables the agency to limit public access to EPA records that are legally public information" and "the highly irregular procedure of issuing a final rule without proposal or public comments is unjustified and unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)."
- Text of SEJ's June 26, 2019 letter [3] to U.S. EPA Administrator Wheeler.
- June 27, 2019 EPA release [4] in response to SEJ's letter.
- June 28, 2019 Politico "Morning Energy" newsletter [5] citing EPA's response to SEJ's letter ("Around the Agencies" section).
- Text of SEJ's July 9, 2019 letter [6] to EPA's Elise Packard, Deputy General Counsel for Operations, and Timothy Epp, Acting Director, National FOIA Office, responding to EPA's June 27 release.
- July 9, 2019 RCFP/News Media Coalition letter [7], which SEJ signed on to along with 37 other news media organizations, to Christopher T. Creech, Office of General Counsel, U.S. EPA.
- July 12, 2019, RCFP release [8].
Coverage of the FOIA rule issue:
- "EPA blames advisory board for controversial changes to FOIA policy [9]," The Hill, October 31, 2019, by Miranda Green.
- "Green groups sue EPA over 'sweeping overhaul' of public records policy [10]," The Hill, July 24, 2019, by Miranda Green.
- "NOTEBOOK: Grassley blasts EPA for new secrecy move [11]," Business Record, July 23, 2019, by Perry Beeman.
- "Bipartisan senators fight 'political considerations' in EPA's new FOIA rule [12]," The Hill, July 22, 2019, by Rebecca Beitsch.
- "More lawyers, politics involved with EPA FOIA requests [13]," Brunswick News, July 16, 2019, by Wes Wolfe.
- "The environment for reporters covering EPA just got a lot more toxic [14]," The Washington Post, July 12, 2019, by Paul Farhi.
- "Press, green groups urge delay for FOIA regs [15]," Greenwire, July 10, 2019, by Kevin Bogardus (subscription required).
- "Pressure mounts against EPA's new FOIA rule [16]," The Hill, July 10, 2019, by Miranda Green.