Tuesday, June 15, 2004

DHS Proposes Making Environmental Impact Statements Secret   The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed on June 14, 2004, making secret part or all of some Environmental Impact Statements on its actions. The proposed directive, published in the Federal Register, would carve a major loophole in the 34-year-old National Environmental Policy Act -- which requires that the federal government publicly disclose the environmental impacts of major federal actions before they are taken.   The directive applies only to DHS actions, but these actually cover a broad array of topics that environmental reporters might cover. DHS jurisdiction includes things ranging from oil spills (Coast Guard); hazmat and hazardous transportation; flood plain designation (FEMA); and chemical plant security; to standards for cleanup after a nuclear accident. It would restrict access to part or all of some Environmental Impact Statements (and Assessments). It includes provisions for segregating the portions DHS does not want to publish and publishing the rest. It also allows DHS to black out the whole document if it chooses. Full story .... 2:10:45 PM

USDA to Release More Info on "Biopharming"   Later this month, USDA is expected to announce new policies aimed at making available to the public more information about plants that are genetically engineered to produce drugs or industrial chemicals. This action was spurred by a June 2, 2004, report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest which indicated that applications to USDA for planting biotech crops that produce drugs and industrial chemicals are on the rise.   The CSPI report noted, "USDA has received 16 new applications for biopharming permits in the past 12 months. About two-thirds of those applications involved a food crop such as corn, rice, or barley, but virtually every other salient detail about the application, sometimes even the name of the drug or chemical being produced, is shielded from public view." Release.  Report. Author: Greg Jaffe, 202-332-9110.   A June 2, 2004, USA Today article on this controversy reported that Cindy Smith (USDA deputy administrator for biotechnology regulatory services) said that new procedures are needed because larger field studies of such crops are planned in the next five years. USDA press: Jerry Redding, 202-720-4623. USDA Biotechnology Regulatory Services: Website. 12:20:15 PM