Open, Accountable Government

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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Closing the Digital Divide: Community Technology Centers

Although the number of Americans who have access to computers and the Internet has increased greatly in the last year, the "digital divide" between information and communication "haves" and "have-nots" is still growing. The barriers to information and technology access remain high for rural communities. Regardless of income level, Americans living in rural areas are lagging behind in Internet access.

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Community Technology Centers: Bridging the Digital Divide of Race and Income

Although the number of Americans who have access to computers and the Internet has increased greatly in the last year, the "digital divide" between information and communication "haves" and "have-nots" is still growing. Hispanics for example, have witnessed growth rates for computer access of 68% (compared to 43% for the U.S. population as a whole), and 42% of Hispanic households are reported to have computers1.

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Critical Infrastructure Information -- What's the Problem?

According to government officials in both the executive and legislative branches, there is a growing concern among businesses that information businesses want to be able to share with government about vulnerabilities in the nation's critical infrastructure will not be held confidential by the government once it is in the government's hands. "Critical Infrastructure" and Vulnerabilities

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Closing the Digital Divide: Community Technology Centers

Although the number of Americans who have access to computers and the Internet has increased greatly in the last year, the "digital divide" between information and communication "haves" and "have-nots" is still growing.

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Analysis of Cyber Security Information Act

HR 4246, the "Cyber Security Information Act" is the first volley coming from a push by industry over the last year or two to carve out an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act. The bill reflects the concerns of industry to protect information about vulnerabilities from those who would use or exploit that information. What The Bill Does The bill creates five new definitions and a new FOIA exemption. Definitions

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Proposed Rule Blocks Public Right To Know about Chemical Accident Scenarios

A rule proposed jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice today would block the public's right to know about potential chemical accident worst case scenarios in communities across the United States. A public hearing is scheduled for May 9 in Washington, DC and public comments on the proposed rule are due on June 8, 2000. The text of the proposed rule, along with the EPA and Justice Department assessments that formed the basis of this rule (totaling over 200 pages) can be found at: www.epa.gov/ceppo/whatnew.html Background

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Citizen's Platform Lays Out Proactive Right-To-Know Agenda

An OMB Watch report released this week highlights key gaps in government efforts to meet the public's right to know about environmental and human health threats. "A Citizen's Platform for the Environmental Right-To-Know" lays out fundamental right-to-know principles, key issues and a right-to-know action plan for EPA in 2001.

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OMB Watch Testifies on EPA Science Bill

OMB Watch Testimony on EPA Science Bill (3/29/2001):

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Ignorance is Toxic Bliss: The Secret War on Our Right-To-Know

A Report by Clean Water Fund Contact: Lynn Thorp (202) 895-0420 Mineral Policy Center Contact: Alan Septoff (202) 887-1872 OMB Watch Contact: Rick Blum (202) 234-8494 U.S. Public Interest Research Group Contact: Jeremiah Baumann (202) 546-9707 Working Group on Community Right To Know Contact:Paul Orum (202) 544-9586

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Groups Say Toxic Pollution Data Make the Case to Stop Environmental Rollbacks

Report Outlines Attacks on Public Right-To-Know For More Information, Contact: Jeremiah Baumann, U.S. PIRG, 202-546-9707 Alan Septoff, Mineral Policy Center, 202-887-1872 Rick Blum, OMB Watch, 202-234-8494 Paul Orum, Working Group on CRTK, 202-544-9586

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