Fostering Scientific Integrity

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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more news

Ohio EPA Data Quality Challenges

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied the two earliest data quality requests, stating the information did not fall under the scope of the Information Quality Guidelines. An individual with the Ohio EPA submitted both requests. The first request called for corrections in the format of online documents. The second letter asked for technical clarifications of a document related to surface coatings of plastic parts.

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Data Quality Counter-Challenge

Recently, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service received their first challenge under the Data Quality Act. Soon after, they also received a precedent-setting counter-challenge. While several agencies have received a variety of challenges under the Data Quality Act, none have received a counter-petition.

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Data Quality Links

Agency Online Dockets for Data Quality Challenges Department of Agriculture Department of Transportation (DOT) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Forest Service Challengers' Websites American Chemistry Council American Forest & Paper Association Animal Health Institute BMW The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness Chemical Products Corporation Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties College Sports Council Competitive Enterprise Institute Dow Chemical Company Environmental Working Group Fjord Seafood GDT Water Processes Corporation Georgia Pacif

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Data Quality and Peer Review Correspondence

This page has been moved. Click here to redirect. Please change any links to this page.

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Agency Guidelines for Data Quality

Text and Resources Cabinet Departments Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Defense Department of Education Department of Energy Department of Health and Human Services Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of the Interior Department of Justice Department of Labor Department of State Department of Transportation Department of the Treasury Department of Veteran Affairs Other Executive Agencies Agency for International Development Census Bureau Corporation for Na

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Analysis and Background on Data Quality

Analysis of Data Quality Guidelines Analysis of OMB's Report to Congress (07/12/04) Analysis of First Court Ruling on Data Quality Act (06/28/04) Analysis of State Level Data Quality and Access Legislation (03/24/03) Comparison Chart of Agencies' Draft Data Quality Guidelines OMB Watch Sensible Principles on Data Quality Guidelines (05/28/02) Background on Data Quality Guidelines (05/28/02) Analysis of Data Quality Challenges Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Defense Department of Education Department of Health and Human Services

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Data Quality Challenges

OMB Watch's webpage for tracking data quality requests has moved. Please note the new URL at http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/2668/1/231?TopicID=7.

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Model State Bills for Data Quality and Access

Apparently initial efforts have begun to develop data quality and data access legislation at the state level. OMB Watch has obtained model legislation for both bills that was reportedly drafted by the The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE), a strong supporter of both policy efforts at the federal level. Both state level model bills are clearly patterned after federal policies. The state data quality bill borrows heavily from the just recently completed Federal Data Quality Guidelines.

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Analysis of State Level Data Quality and Access Legislation

The Bureau of National Affairs recently reported (“Drive Under Way to Enact Legislation On Data Quality, Access at State Level” February 12, 2003) that the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE), a conservative clearinghouse that focuses on data quality and data access issues, has drafted and is making efforts to promote a state version of the federal Data Quality Act along with a state Data Access Bill. Apparently CRE has submitted the two model bills to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative policy group that advocates specific legislation at the state level.

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Administration Stacks Scientific Advisory Panels

The Bush administration has been screening nominees for federal scientific advisory committees based on their political views rather than their scientific qualifications. Inevitably, as the list below documents, this has meant tilting committees -- whose findings frequently form the basis for regulation -- in favor of corporate interests and conservative ideologues. If you know of any examples we are missing, please e-mail our Regulatory Policy staff CDC Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning

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