A number of recent reports and studies have suggested evidence that digital divide skeptics say underscores their contention that technology access gaps are not a policy problem. Is there legitimate cause for celebration, or more evidence suggesting a problem whose actual implications are more difficult to pinpoint than previously thought?

On July 25 the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved S. 1602, a substitute version of the bill originally offered by Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) in October 2001, that would require each chemical plant to address its vulnerability to a terrorist attack. Under the bill, plants must submit plans to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing how they will address their vulnerabilities. As this article points out, chemical plants have many hazards that could be removed to make them safer in the case of an accident or a terrorist attack.

The secrecy proposal began in President Bush’s proposal for the creation of a new Homeland Security Department as a single vague and overly broad sentence describing a new FOIA exemption for information concerning “infrastructure” and “vulnerabilities” that was “voluntarily submitted.” Numerous information provisions which go much further have now been proposed to replace this section of Homeland Security Act.

Official Secrets Act [ OSA Homepage | The Issues | 2001 Attack | Congressional Letter | 2000 Attack | Links ] A Chronology of the 2000 Attack The links below were provided by the Project on Government Secrecy, directed by Steven Aftergood. In response to Section 303 of H.R. 4392, individuals of various organizations generated a sign-on letter in opposition.