In the face of public outrage (and press coverage), the legislature partially backed down — but kept a requirement that the law clinic report to the legislature on whom it represented.
A bill to protect journalists and citizens against "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" suits has been introduced in Congress but is unlikely to go far unless more members get behind it.
A proposed bill would give the public better access to information about members' personal financial information, travel and gift reports, funding earmarks, committee work and reports, recorded floor votes, lobbyist registration and disclosure, and political contributions.
As this issue of the
WatchDogwent to press, major environmental agencies had not yet posted their plans online. Find links to look for them here.
The Health and Environmental Research Online database compiles references to scientific studies that EPA uses in making regulatory decisions.
But the list — the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory — is still minus some 17,000 chemicals that manufacturers allege are trade secrets.
A March 23, 2010, Greenwire article reports that the draft Kerry-Lieberman-Graham climate bill may include language to keep potentially toxic ingredients from gas drilling secret from the public whose health may be harmed by them.
SEJ's suggestions included an end to requiring Saddam-style "minders" and press-office permissions before reporters could talk to EPA scientists and staff; prompter PIO callbacks and interviews; an end to automatic "background;" and more.
Bill S 3111, introduced on March 15, 2010, by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy and cosponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), would create a panel to study ways to reduce FOIA delays.
New NEPA policies proposed in February by the Council on Environmental Quality cover climate impacts; findings of no impact and requirements for monitoring; categorical exclusions; and better tools for reporting to the public on NEPA activities.
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