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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Journalist Audit Underscores Lack of Transparency

An audit by journalist groups found that public access to Comprehensive Emergency Response Plans (CERP), as required by law, was inconsistent and unreliable around the country. Only 44 percent of the requests for the CERP were granted in full, whereas 20 percent were partially released and 36 percent were completely denied.

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Report Finds Underreporting and Abuse of USA PATRIOT Act Powers

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported on March 9 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been systematically underreporting National Security Letter (NSL) requests and has repeatedly violated federal law and agency policies in collecting personal information. The report unleashed a firestorm on the Hill, with calls for reform of the USA PATRIOT Act.

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Open Government Legislation Focus of Sunshine Week

Sunshine Week (March 11-17) is an effort by the media, civic groups, libraries, universities, legislators and others to highlight the importance of open government. This year, there are many legislative proposals to increase government oversight and transparency moving forward in Congress. The bills address contractor responsibility, environmental information, Freedom of Information Act reform, whistleblower protections and other important aspects of an open and accountable government. Contractor Responsibility

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DHS Receives Mixed Opinions on Proposed Chemical Security Rule

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received 89 comments, dominated by industry, in response to the proposed interim rule on chemical plant security. The rule establishes the first-ever federal chemical security program. Chemical companies and industry associations generally expressed strong support for the rule, whereas most public interest groups and government officials expressed great concern.

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FOIA Reform Kicks Off in the House

The House Subcommittee on Information, Census and National Archives of the Government Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Feb. 14. The hearing served as an update on the implementation of Executive Order 13392, which requires agencies to develop and implement FOIA improvement plans, and as an opportunity to air the virtues and vices of FOIA and possible legislative solutions to improve public access to information.

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OMB Watch Critical of Proposed Chemical Security Rule

In response to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) proposed interim chemical security rule, OMB Watch will submit comments to DHS that argue for increased transparency and stronger protections at thousands of facilities across the country.

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Transparency Makes Early Appearance in the New Congress

In the 110th Congress, transparency provisions have quickly moved into a central role in efforts to bring about greater oversight and accountability. From lobbying reform to national security oversight, the new Congress has made legislative strides toward a more open government.

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NSA Warrantless Spying Program Shut Down, but Questions Remain

President George W. Bush will not reauthorize the National Security Agency's (NSA) Terrorist Surveillance Program (TSP) through secret Executive Order, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced in a Jan. 17 letter to lawmakers that DOJ will instead seek court orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), and that henceforth, the program will operate in compliance with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). While the announcement and the increased accountability are welcomed by many of the program's critics, many questions remain unanswered.

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Chemical Security Program Leaves the Public Vulnerable

On Dec. 28, 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an interim final rule for the creation of a chemical facility security program. However, the program appears to provide little means for increasing security and shrouds important assessments in a veil of secrecy that will prevent any public accountability or oversight.

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Terrorism Information Sharing Initiative Faces Several Hurdles

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) submitted the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) Implementation Plan to Congress in November. Through changes in policy and technology, the plan articulates a multi-year vision for improving terrorism information sharing across the federal government and between foreign, federal, state and local governments, as well as key members of the private sector.

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