Freedom of Information
Ohio Bill Prohibits Access to Health Information
Oct 17, 2003 by Guest Blogger
The Ohio Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of a bill that allows the Ohio Department of Health to hide information from the public during health department investigations. The provisions were part of Ohio State Senate’s bioterrorism legislation (S 6) aimed at improving response to public health emergencies in the event of a biological terrorism attack.
read in fullSupreme Court Is Asked to Hear a Case on Government Secrecy
Oct 17, 2003 by Guest Blogger
The Center for National Security Studies has asked the Supreme Court to decide whether the government rightfully kept secret the names of individuals arrested after September 11.
read in fullState Tour Scheduled for EPA's Draft Report on the Environment
Oct 17, 2003 by Guest Blogger
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced it will hold five public meetings across the U.S. to hear comments on the “Draft Report on the Environment” and discuss the future of the project.
read in fullTexas Attorney General's Ruling Undermines Public Access
Oct 17, 2003 by Guest Blogger
On Oct. 6 the Texas Attorney General rejected the Sunshine Project’s request for access to University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) records under the Texas Public Information Act. This decision prohibits the public from accessing information regarding human health and environmental damages that might result from IBC's research on biological weapons agents. The Sunshine Project has been seeking information on the committee’s membership, policies, meetings and decisions for over a year. UTMB contends these documents contain intellectual property and are so sensitive that a judge may not view them.
read in fullCommittee Report Finds No EPA Fault After 9/11
Oct 4, 2003 by Guest Blogger
A Senate Environment and Public Works Committee report released Sept. 23 claims the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House did not act inappropriately in addressing public health concerns in New York City after 9/11. The committee’s report sharply contrasts an Aug. 22 EPA Inspector General’s report that revealed EPA altered press releases to falsely reassure the public because of pressure from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).
read in fullGAO Report Indicates Less FOIA Information Under Ashcroft
Sep 22, 2003 by Sean Moulton
Federal agencies are limiting public access because of a 2001 memo from Attorney General John Ashcroft, according to a congressional watchdog agency.
read in fullAgencies Cite Privacy More Often When Denying FOIA Requests
Sep 4, 2003 by Guest Blogger
Agencies are twice as likely to claim personal privacy in 2002 than in 1998 to justify denials of Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. In 1998, just under 40 percent of FOIA denials were for personal privacy; in 2002, roughly 80 percent of denials were for privacy. Surprisingly, agencies use national security to explain refusals less often than they did several years ago.
read in fullFederal Secrecy Includes State and Local Officials
Aug 25, 2003 by Sean Moulton
A new report from the Democratic staff of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has found that federal secrecy and information restrictions imposed following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are preventing state and local officials from accessing important security information.
read in fullCounterterrorism Database Could Threaten Privacy
Aug 8, 2003 by Guest Blogger
A Florida counterterrorism database is raising questions over the balance between personal privacy and homeland security. The Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX) system is the most recent government tool that pushes the envelope for the amount and type of information on individuals that the government uses.
read in fullEPA Refuses to Release RMP Data
Jul 11, 2003 by Sean Moulton
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied OMB Watch’s request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for Executive Summaries of the Risk Management Plans (RMPs). This marks the first instance, of which OMB Watch is aware, that EPA has denied a request for information specifically collected to inform the public about homeland security risks they face.
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