With the release of their Spring 2006 regulatory agendas on Apr. 24, federal agencies once again relegate important health and safety protections to the back burner.

The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) released a new policy statement governing public dissemination of information from the agency. Released on March 30, the policy is an apparent response to allegations that the agency attempted to suppress scientific research on climate change that contradicted Bush administration policy on the issue. While the new policy does begin to clarify and establish official guidelines for release of information, it remains too vague and contains too many loopholes to fully function as a vehicle for public disclosure.

President Bush's proposed budget for 2007 includes deep cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Library Network, which EPA staff and the public rely on for research, policy making and advocacy efforts. According to internal EPA documents, the proposed cuts would force the EPA to close its headquarters library, discontinue its Online Library System electronic catalogue, and shut the doors of many of the libraries operating in EPA's 10 regions.

According to documents released to the Natural Resources Defense Council, all references to the possibility that naval sonar may have caused 37 whales to swim ashore and die in North Carolina last year were deleted from a government report on the incident. The revelation came as the Department of the Navy nears the close of its public comment period on its plans to build an underwater sonar training range in the same North Carolina location.