"The Coast Guard has modified a policy on safety zones around boom deployed on oiled coastlines, a policy news organizations had said unnecessarily restricted coverage of the impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and efforts to clean it up.

In a statement Monday night, the government's point man for the spill, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, said new procedures permit credentialed news media free travel within the boom safety zones.

'I have put out a direction that the press are to have clear, unfettered access to this event, with two exceptions: if there is a safety or security concern,' said Allen. 'This boom is critical to the defense of the marshes and the beaches.'"

The Associated Press had the story July 12, 2010. [2]