Public

"Ohio River Panel To Ease Mercury Requirements" [1]

"The eight-state commission that sets water quality standards for the Ohio River has recommended relaxing its rules for mercury and certain other toxic pollutants that concentrate as they move through the food web."

Pollution [2]

Water & Oceans [3]

Public [4]

National (U.S.) [5]

Source: Louisville Courier-Journal [6], 03/12/2015

Read more about "Ohio River Panel To Ease Mercury Requirements" [1]

"Top Polluted Great Lakes Sites Decades From Recovery" [7]

"Despite huge progress made in reducing chemical discharges since the 1960s, many birds nesting across the Great Lakes region still struggle to reproduce or they give birth to chicks with twisted beaks or other deformities — signs that a full recovery is still likely decades away for some of the region’s most historically polluted areas."

Pollution [2]

Water & Oceans [3]

Public [4]

Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [8]

Source: Toledo Blade [9], 03/12/2015

Read more about "Top Polluted Great Lakes Sites Decades From Recovery" [7]

"GOP Highlights State Objections To EPA Climate Rule" [10]

"Senate Republicans used a Wednesday hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) landmark climate rule to highlight the objections from states that oppose the rule."

Climate Change [11]

Environmental Politics [12]

Public [4]

National (U.S.) [5]

Source: The Hill [13], 03/12/2015

Read more about "GOP Highlights State Objections To EPA Climate Rule" [10]

Loose Regs Allowed Calif. Oil Industry To Endanger Protected Aquifers [14]

"SAN FRANCISCO — Lax oversight by the state has allowed the oil and gas industry to contaminate protected water aquifers and endanger the public, California regulators acknowledged Tuesday while pledging to intensify supervision."

Energy & Fuel [15]

Environmental Politics [12]

Laws & Regulations [16]

Pollution [2]

Public [4]

California [17]

Source: AP [18], 03/12/2015

Read more about Loose Regs Allowed Calif. Oil Industry To Endanger Protected Aquifers [14]

"Documents Detail Sugar Industry Efforts To Direct Medical Research" [19]

The sugar industry has been manipulating science about the health consequences of sugar for decades, newly released documents show.

Agriculture [20]

Environmental Health [21]

Environmental Politics [12]

Food [22]

Science [23]

Public [4]

National (U.S.) [5]

Source: NPR [24], 03/12/2015

Read more about "Documents Detail Sugar Industry Efforts To Direct Medical Research" [19]

"Plans To Explore For Oil Offshore Worry East Coast Residents" [25]

"As the Obama administration opens the door to offshore drilling, the oil industry is promising more jobs and less reliance on foreign oil. Some people who live along the Eastern Seaboard are saying, 'no thanks.'"

Energy & Fuel [15]

Pollution [2]

Water & Oceans [3]

Public [4]

National (U.S.) [5]

Source: NPR [26], 03/12/2015

Read more about "Plans To Explore For Oil Offshore Worry East Coast Residents" [25]

Coast Guard Spill Database Rendered Almost Useless for Reporters [27]

There used to be a searchable, online database of oil and chemical spill reports that reporters could turn to in an emergency to get insight into important breaking news. But ham-handed security efforts have sabotaged the public's right to know. Right now, emergency responders are working on a spill of a cancer-causing fuel additive known as MTBE. But news reporters probably couldn't get much if any helpful information from the database today (we checked).

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [28]

Topics on the Beat:

Disasters [29]

Energy & Fuel [15]

Government [30]

Military [31]

Region:

National (U.S.) [5]

Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [8]

Visibility:

Public [4]

Read more about Coast Guard Spill Database Rendered Almost Useless for Reporters [27]

EPA Gets a "D" Grade on Information Access from Watchdog Group [32]

The score came from the Center for Effective Government, which now awards the scores annually. Much of the score is based on the agency's performance under the Freedom of Information Act. EPA was one of the few agencies whose grade actually went down since 2014.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [28]

Topics on the Beat:

Government [30]

Visibility:

Public [4]

Read more about EPA Gets a "D" Grade on Information Access from Watchdog Group [32]

FOIA-Strengthening Bills Come Back to Life in House and Senate [33]

A bill to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act awaits Senate floor action. But the Obama administration, which once pledged to be the most open in history, has so far been strangely silent. Crickets. "Worries from the agencies are whispered into lawmakers' ears," wrote E&E Publishing's Kevin Bogardus.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [28]

Topics on the Beat:

Government [30]

Laws & Regulations [16]

Visibility:

Public [4]

Read more about FOIA-Strengthening Bills Come Back to Life in House and Senate [33]

Media Coalition Wins Overturn of Blankenship Gag Order on Appeal [34]

After opposing gag and sealing orders in the trial of former Massey coal CEO Don Blankenship on charges of conspiracy to violate federal mine safety and health standards — and cover-up — a news media coalition led by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press won access to the trial from a federal appeals court March 5, 2015.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [28]

Topics on the Beat:

Disasters [29]

Laws & Regulations [16]

Natural Resources [35]

Region:

Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [36]

Visibility:

Public [4]

Read more about Media Coalition Wins Overturn of Blankenship Gag Order on Appeal [34]

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