Freedom of Information

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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Patriot Act II Also Limits the Public's Right-to-Know

(Revised February 13, 2003) The U.S. Department of Justice appears ready to ask Congress to allow broader surveillance of citizens and aliens and to grant wide new avenues for government censorship. A "confidential" draft of an 86-page bill called the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003 would help transform the government into the big brother you never had and would greatly constrain the free flow of information.

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OMB Watch Submits Comments on FERC's Proposed Rulemaking

OMB Watch recently submitted public comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on its recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The comments raised strong objections to the information restriction measures being proposed by FERC and urged the agency to transfer this issue to Congress where it would be more appropriate to address this issue. The full comments submitted to FERC are below or can be downloaded as a pdf file here. October 14, 2002 Office of the Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE. Washington, DC 20426

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Comments Due this Week on FERC Rule Limiting Public Access

Public comments on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's proposal to limit public access to "critical energy infrastructure information" are due this Thursday, Nov. 14. FERC granted an extension to the original deadline, as reported in a previous issue of the Watcher, in response to a request filed by American Rivers and members of the Hydropower Reform Coalition (HRC). FERC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was issued on Sept. 5, 2002, and published in the Federal Register on Sept. 13 in Docket Nos. RM02-4-000 and PL02-1-000.

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Funding Fate of CTC and TOP Still Uncertain

The fate of both the federal Community Technology Centers and Technology Opportunities remains uncertain as Congress wrapped up business to focus on the last days of the midterm elections. The Hous eand Senate did pass acontinuing resolutions continuing the current level of funding for both programs. FY 2003 spending bills will be the focus of a November 12 "lame duck" session.

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PowerUP Centers Program Comes to an End

John Schwartz, writing in the 10/30/02 New York Times discusses the shutting down of the PowerUP initiative, launched in late 1999 to combat the digital divide in underserved communities. Launched in late 1999, PowerUP (http://powerup.org) was an effort to provide capital and technological expertise to youth-serving entities within underserved communities across America. Over 950 technology centers were developed or enhanced through the project, and each will now be supported through other organizations, local financing, or other means.

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Ideology Trumps Science at HHS, Letter Charges

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is suppressing scientific information on contraception and abortion, and apparently increasing audits of nonprofit grantees that disagree with the administration’s “abstinence-only” program, according to a recent letter from Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and a group of House Democrats to Tommy Thompson, secretary of HHS. “A growing number of cases provide evidence that actions directly affecting the public health are being driven by ideology rather than science,” the letter charges, referencing

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Comment Deadline Extended on FERC Rule Limiting Public Access

On October 9, 2002, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced it was granting a 30-day extension for public comments on the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued September 5, 2002, and published in the Federal Register on September 13, 2002 in Docket Nos. RM02-4-000 and PL02-1-000.

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FY 02 Technology Opportunities Program Grantees Announced

On September 27, 2002, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the awarding of $12.4 million in Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) grants to 25 collaborative projects involving nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, in 19 states and the District of Columbia. TOP received 741 applications for FY2002 funds.

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Compromise on Chemical Security

There have been plans to offer Sen. Jon Corzine’s (D-NJ) Chemical Security Act as an amendment to the Senate’s bill to establish a new department of Homeland Security. However, since the homeland bill has been taking so long in the Senate there is a strong probability that no controversial amendments are going to be allowed. Facing such a situation, there is tremendous pressure to water down Sen. Corzine’s bill to make it palatable for everyone. Sen. James Inhofe (R- OK) appears to be the lead for negotiating a compromise with Corzine.

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Administration Mixes Politics with Science

The Bush administration is overhauling scientific advisory committees that were reaching conclusions contrary to its political objectives, according to a recent article in the Washington Post. Findings by these committees, which are made up by private experts and are found at virtually every agency, frequently form the foundation for regulatory action, which the administration seems determined to avoid at all costs. Not surprisingly, the administration is moving to stack the deck in favor of its predetermined views. Specifically:

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