The SEJ WatchDog Alert

The WatchDog Alert (formerly WatchDog TipSheet from 2008-2019) was a regular source of story ideas, articles, updates, events and other information with a focus on freedom-of-information issues of concern to environmental journalists in both the United States and Canada.

WatchDog was compiled, edited and written by Joseph A. Davis, who directs the WatchDog Project, an activity of SEJ's Freedom of Information Task Force that reports on secrecy trends and supports reporters' efforts to make better use of FOIA.

Topics on the Beat:

Journalism & Media

Public

Latest WatchDog Alert Items

October 17, 2007

VETERANS' HOSPITALS WON'T SHARE CANCER DATA

Cancer registries, which are part of the public health system help physicians collect statistics on cancer incidence and help pinpoint "cancer clusters" that may be caused by environmental factors. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) runs a surveillance system, which has a registry of cancer cases in almost every state. But the hospitals in the federal Veterans Affairs (VA) system are now saying they will not share cancer data with state registries unless the states sign restrictive agreements.

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TOLEDO BLADE COVERS DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR COVER-UP TRIAL

A federal jury in Toledo may soon be deciding whether some company officials engaged in a cover-up of safety problems at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant. Although the story has gotten little national attention, the Toledo Blade's Tom Henry has covered the trial in detail.

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JUDGE DENIES MEDIA ACCESS TO MSHA PROBE OF CRANDALL CANYON

Federal district judge Dee Benson ruled Oct. 9, 2007, that a group of news media companies could not have access to an investigation by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) into the Crandall Canyon mine collapse in Utah Aug. 6, which killed six miners and three workers trying to rescue them.

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SCIENTIST FINALLY GIVES ATRAZINE TESTIMONY HE WAS FIRED OVER

Paul Wotzka, a hydrologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, who was fired shortly after he asked permission to testify before the Minnesota legislature on Atrazine pollution of water finally had his say.

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EPA Withholds "Deliberative" Docs on Arizona's Rosemont Mine

The public is still in the dark about the environmental impacts of the open-pit Rosemont copper mine proposed near Tucson. The documents are sought by Arizona Daily Star reporter and SEJ member Tony Davis, who has doggedly reported on the impacts, largely utilizing FOIA request results. Image: © Clipart.com

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EPA Allows Drinking Water Reports Online — But Can Consumers Hack It?

EPA bowed to industry, ruling in a January 3, 2013 memo that local drinking water utilities no longer have to notify their customers of contamination in writing. "The memo fails to set clear standards for electronic notification and delivery and makes it likely that segments of the public will have less access to these reports," the Center for Effective Government wrote in response to the EPA memo.

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Transparency Remains an Issue As McCarthy Takes EPA Helm

House and Senate Republicans made a big deal over EPA "transparency" while McCarthy's nomination was being held up in the Senate, for 130 days. Then on July 9, 2013, the Senate Environment Committee's ranking minority member said he would drop his filibuster threat because EPA had agreed to some of his demands on transparency.

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SEJ Objects to EPA's 'Freedom of Information Act Regulations Update'

The Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), in a letter to U.S.

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EPA Head Johnson Won't Disclose White House Contacts

EPA Administrator Steven Johnson steadfastly refused to disclose to the House Oversight Committee this week almost any documents or information about his contacts with the White House. His repeated refusal to do so may set up a legislative-executive confrontation involving subpoenas, claims of executive privilege, and contempt of Congress findings.

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EPA Gag Order Brings Call For Johnson Resignation (Part 1)

Revelation of a document instructing EPA staff not to talk to reporters brings calls for the resignation of Administrator Steve Johnson.

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