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Monday, November 24, 2003 |
Kansas Open Records Law Faces Review
Kansas' Open Records law will face possible legislative overhaul in the coming session. Its current law expires July 1, 2003. During consideration of the current law in 2000, a coalition of 19 newspapers across the state did an "audit" of how agencies responded to requests for public records in all 105 Kansas counties. Reporters sometimes found themselves facing hostile questions, background checks, or even arrest. Since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, many states have drastically limited access to public records and meetings in the name of fighting terrorism. Topeka Capitol-Journal, Nov. 17, 2003, story by Chris Grenz.
8:22:02 PM
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Tesoro Petroleum Sues Tosco for Hiding Pollution Info
Corporations arguing for "right-to-know"? Perhaps only in California, where Tesoro Petroleum Corp. sued Tosco Corp. Nov. 14, 2003, charging that Tosco hid soil and groundwater pollution at the Martinez, CA, refinery ultimately bought by Tesoro. The story has important implications as one of potentially tens of thousands of cases where undisclosed corporate environmental liability has real-life dollar and legal impacts.
Contra Costa Times story, Nov. 20, 2003, by Mike Taugher. Reuters/Forbes story.
4:54:26 PM
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Journalists May Find HIPAA Restricts Info
A recent law aimed at improving the privacy of health information also has potential for interfering with reporters work, some are finding. The Radio and Television News Directors Association has prepared a handy guide to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which took effect in April 2003. While its restrictions on information may affect other beats more, it also could affect the environment beat. For example, it might be hard to find out how many people had been injured or made sick by a chemical or sewage spill. RTNDA Guide.
4:23:16 PM
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EWG Reveals Chem Industry "Secret Plan" on Toxics
The Environmental Working Group has published a confidential memo from the American Chemistry Council it says recommends a "covert action" PR campaign against the precautionary principle in California and the US. The memo from ACC Sacramento lobbyist Tim Shestek proposes hiring a "crisis communication" firm whose staff includes former FBI and CIA agents to (in EWG's words) to create "phony front groups" and for "spying on activists." Also included is tracking and manipulating media coverage -- and the use of humor. So far, there is no evidence that ACC has implemented the plan. EWG Release and memo text. Oakland Tribune story of Nov. 21, 2003, by Douglas Fischer. ACC.
2:43:11 PM
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Did DHS Secretly Detain EPA's Nuclear Cleanup Standards?
Inside EPA newsletter reports that the Department of Homeland Security has successfully -- and secretly -- pressured EPA to drop its normal standards for cleanup of radioactive contamination in the case of a terrorist incident. It seems to be an exclusive for Inside EPA, which has published the DHS document that spells it out. It is "Protective Action Guides and Operational Guidelines for Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) and Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) Incidents." Neither DHS nor EPA are commenting. Sad to say, you can't read the full story at Inside EPA, unless you have a $1,300 subscription.
2:08:53 PM
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EPA Issues Gag Order to Staff on NSR
Normally, staff at EPA and other agencies are supposed to be tight-lipped about pending enforcement actions. But EPA's enforcement of New Source Review cases has been a red-hot topic since staff leaks contradicted the Air Administrator's testimony that the Bush Administration's "Clear Skies" Policy wouldn't impact enforcement. Little surprise, then, at an Oct. 28, 2003, memo from enforcement head John Suarez, reminding staff to stay mum about all enforcement matters. You can read the story and the memo on the site of OMB Watch as well as Grist, where Amanda Griscom broke it.
1:54:56 PM
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© Copyright 2004 Society of Environmental Journalists.
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