Public

"Disaster Awaits Cities in Earthquake Zones" [1]

"Istanbul is one of a host of quake-threatened cities in the developing world where populations have swelled far faster than the capacity to house them safely, setting them up for disaster of a scope that could, in some cases, surpass the devastation in Haiti from last month’s earthquake."

Disasters [2]

Public [3]

International [4]

Source: NYTimes [5], 02/25/2010

Read more about "Disaster Awaits Cities in Earthquake Zones" [1]

"Coal-Ash Sites Polluting Water, Report Says" [6]

"At least 31 more coal-ash impoundments across the country -- including two in West Virginia -- have been found to have polluted nearby groundwater, wetlands and streams, according to a report issued Wednesday by two national environmental groups. The report brings to more than 100 the total number of sites where coal-ash disposal has been linked to contamination of water supplies with toxic pollutants including arsenic, cadmium and selenium."

Pollution [7]

Public [3]

National (U.S.) [8]

Source: Charleston Gazette [9], 02/25/2010

Read more about "Coal-Ash Sites Polluting Water, Report Says" [6]

"Plastic Rubbish Blights Atlantic Ocean" [10]

"Scientists have discovered an area of the North Atlantic Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The region is said to compare with the well-documented 'great Pacific garbage patch'."

Water & Oceans [11]

Public [3]

International [4]

Source: BBC News [12], 02/25/2010

Read more about "Plastic Rubbish Blights Atlantic Ocean" [10]

"Vermont Scuttles Plans for Reactor" [13]

"The Vermont Senate blocked efforts by Entergy Corp. to win a 20-year license renewal for its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, an action that could encourage opponents of nuclear energy in other states."

Nuclear Power & Radiation [14]

Public [3]

National (U.S.) [8]

Source: Wall St. Journal [15], 02/25/2010

Read more about "Vermont Scuttles Plans for Reactor" [13]

SEJ Urges White House To Lose the "Minders" [16]

SEJ wrote White House Communication Director Dan Pfeiffer asking for an end to the practice of requiring permission from the press office at federal agencies before reporters can talk to federal employees — and requiring Saddam-style PIO "minders" to sit in on interviews.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [17]

Topics on the Beat:

Journalism & Media [18]

Government [19]

Region:

National (U.S.) [8]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about SEJ Urges White House To Lose the "Minders" [16]

Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse [20]

Jim Morris of the Sunlight Foundation reports on the Project on Government Oversight's (POGO) so-far unsuccessful efforts to FOIA the data.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [17]

Topics on the Beat:

Government [19]

Region:

National (U.S.) [8]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about Secret GSA Contractor Database Could Reveal Waste, Fraud, Abuse [20]

FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov [21]

John Wonderlich of the Sunlight Foundation has been tracking the Federal Communications Commission plan.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [17]

Topics on the Beat:

Government [19]

Technology [22]

Region:

National (U.S.) [8]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about FCC Broadband Plan May Promote Open Gov [21]

Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19 [23]

Various trackers are sorting through and compiling ideas, comments, and agencies' progress towards meeting the deadline.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [17]

Topics on the Beat:

Government [19]

People & Population [24]

Region:

National (U.S.) [8]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about Comments on Fed Agencies' Open Government Plans Due March 19 [23]

OSHA Sampling Data Still Unavailable [25]

A former Occupational Safety and Health Administration official requested the data under the Freedom of Information Act in 2005, but was denied. He sued, won in 2007, and now has the data, but OSHA has still not released the data to the public.

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [17]

Topics on the Beat:

Chemicals [26]

Health [27]

Government [19]

Region:

National (U.S.) [8]

Visibility:

Public [3]

Read more about OSHA Sampling Data Still Unavailable [25]

Forest Service Issues Gag Order to Employees on Talking to Reporters [28]

Monongahela National Forest's public affairs officer recently directed employees there that, if contacted by national reporters on any issue or local reporters regarding national issues, they "cannot talk to the reporter"and suggested that the instructions came from "our Washington office."

SEJ Publication Types:

WatchDog TipSheet [17]

Topics on the Beat:

Forests [29]

Government [19]

Region:

National (U.S.) [8]

Visibility:

Public [3]