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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Proposed ExxonMobil Plant to Test New Restrictions on Information

Mobile, Ala., appears to be the testing ground for new restrictions on energy information. Inquiries into a proposed natural gas plant will test if policies meant to increase security will actually compromise the public’s safety.

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A Larger Sunset Proposed for Patriot Act

Several Senators troubled with the shroud of secrecy the government has put around its use of expanded surveillance powers granted under the US Patriot Act have proposed expanding the number of Patriot Act provisions that will automatically expire. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Larry Craig (R-ID), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Sununu (R-NH), and Harry Reid (D-NV) recently introduced the Patriot Oversight Restoration Act of 2003 (S. 1695) to the Senate. The bill would expand the US Patriot Act’s “sunset” provision.

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Ohio Bill Prohibits Access to Health Information

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.

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Supreme Court Is Asked to Hear a Case on Government Secrecy

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.

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State Tour Scheduled for EPA's Draft Report on the Environment

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.

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Texas Attorney General's Ruling Undermines Public Access

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.

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Whistleblower Says OSHA Blocked Testing of Inspectors Exposed to Toxic Metal

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has refused to provide blood tests to 500 current and former inspectors who may have been exposed to beryllium, a highly toxic metal, despite recommendations from scientific and medical staff, according to an agency regional administrator.

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Committee Report Finds No EPA Fault After 9/11

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).

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Ashcroft Declassifies Use of a Patriot Act Power

In recognition of growing public distrust of the government's expanded powers under the Patriot Act, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the Justice Department has not used Section 215 of the Patriot Act.

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Journalists Decry Ashcroft's Closed Door Speeches

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has limited his exposure to journalists' questions during his around-the-country speaking tour to respond to growing public concerns about the Patriot Act. While the American Civil Liberties Union and American Library Association have been singled out by Mr. Ashcroft and the Justice Department for criticizing the excessive secrecy and overly broad powers of the Patriot Act (see related story, "Ashcroft declassifies use of a Patriot Act power"), journalists also are expressing increased concerns about government powers expanded under the Patriot Act.

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