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.

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Latest WatchDog Alert Items

May 18, 2011

Cool But Unsung EPA Databases Can Help Environmental Reporters

There has been a data renaissance going on at EPA for the past two years, and not all reporters have gotten the news that data-driven reporting has become a time-saver instead of a time-suck.

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EPA Releases Coal Ash Pond Survey in Database Form

The spreadsheet covers 676 coal combustion waste impoundments at 240 facilities — making it much easier to cover the issue. After assessing many ponds, EPA rated at least 50 of the ponds as having high hazard potential.

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May 4, 2011

Energy Markets Partly Blinded by EIA Budget Cuts

In response to deep cuts in its budget, EIA announced that it would not be able to compile and publish products like its ongoing estimates of US oil reserves. In fact, EIA will not even be able to continue its investigation of whether speculators are driving up oil prices.

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Obama Mulls Ordering Federal Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions

Contractors are a powerful force in many corners of the environment and energy beat, and their trade associations are often players in the regulatory and legislative dealmaking that can shape US policy.

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Feds Cleanse Web of Fake News on Acai-Berry Diet Scam

Some of the sites used the logos of major news organizations to fool users into thinking they were reading real news reports.

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Court Rejects 'National Security' Claim on Secret Trade Docs

The Trade Representative had denied a Freedom of Information Act request by the Center for International Environmental Law for documents related to the Chile-US Free Trade Agreement. It claimed some documents should remain secret on the grounds of "national security."

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Gumshoes Can Use Bankers' Tool for EPA Info on Properties

The "MyPropertyInfo" online tool will search multiple EPA databases for any information related to a specific street address. Or it will search for all records on a given street in a given ZIP code.

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Try, Try Again: Whistleblower Protection Bill Reintroduced

Last year, legislation to put new teeth in federal whistleblower protections failed when a single senator put a secret hold on it late in the session. The good news is Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) has introduced the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2011 to restart the legislative effort.

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April 20, 2011

Wisconsin: Another Case Pits Freedom of Information Against Academic Freedom

A top Wisconsin Republican party official on March 17 filed a request under the state's freedom-of-information law for emails written by University of Wisconsin's William J. Cronon, after the professor blogged about the American Legislative Exchange Council, an anti-regulatory group that lobbies state legislatures.

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BP Blowout Anniversary: "What's Under Elmer's Island?"

Denial of news media access to Gulf beaches has been an issue since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. There's tussling over access to (and interpretation of) scientific information on possible impacts of the spill on the Gulf ecosystem. And The Guardian obtained >30,000 pages of BP in-house memos FOIA'd by Greenpeace, which suggest BP was working hard to influence the results of the research it was paying for.

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The SEJ WatchDog Alert

Latest WatchDog Alert Items

May 18, 2011

Cool But Unsung EPA Databases Can Help Environmental Reporters

EPA Releases Coal Ash Pond Survey in Database Form

May 4, 2011

Energy Markets Partly Blinded by EIA Budget Cuts

Obama Mulls Ordering Federal Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions

Feds Cleanse Web of Fake News on Acai-Berry Diet Scam

Court Rejects 'National Security' Claim on Secret Trade Docs

Gumshoes Can Use Bankers' Tool for EPA Info on Properties

Try, Try Again: Whistleblower Protection Bill Reintroduced

April 20, 2011

Wisconsin: Another Case Pits Freedom of Information Against Academic Freedom

BP Blowout Anniversary: "What's Under Elmer's Island?"

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