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

April 8, 2009

Toolbox: Financial Disclosure Info on Obama WH Officials Online

The Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure reports themselves are not online, but you can request them.

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NIH Open-Access Policy Celebrates 1st Birthday — Will It Make 2nd?

A year-old National Institutes of Health policy requiring results of taxpayer-funded research articles to be posted online could be reversed by a bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

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March 25, 2009

Attorney General Sets Openness as Standard for Fed Info

Carrying out a January 21 order by President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder has reversed the so-called "Ashcroft Memo," which had encouraged agencies during the George Bush presidency to err on the side of secrecy.

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Leahy, Cornyn Introduce FOIA Exemption-Flagging Bill

A new bill would require Congress to explicitly declare when it was creating a new exemption to the Freedom of Information Act in any legislation.

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CSB Reschedules W.VA. Meeting After Bayer Secrecy Demands

A public meeting regarding the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's investigation of the August 2008 explosion at Bayer CropScience which killed two workers, originally scheduled for March 19, was postponed to April 23, 2009.

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Blue Sky for TRI?

EPA's public release of the latest Toxics Release Inventory data -- and rollback of Bush-era cutbacks on the amount of information chemical companies must report -- may have marked the beginning of a new era for the embattled program.

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EPA Inspector General Rips Risk Management Plan Follow-Up

A new Office of Inspector General report found many chemical facilities storing large amounts of dangerous chemicals had not filed their required RMPs -- and that EPA was not checking often for compliance.

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March 11, 2009

SEJ Backs Free Publication of Tax-Funded Research

SEJ and science journalism groups expressed opposition to a bill that would reverse current policy of free publication of scientific results coming from federal agencies.

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Commerce Seeks Wildlife Leakers

A Bush-appointed holdover inspector general has teamed up with an ultraconservative Senator in a "plumber" operation aimed at punishing agency employees who revealed attempts to gut the Endangered Species Act via "midnight regulations."

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Ten Good Things on the EPA Web Site

There is a lot of useful government information that is freely available to journalists and the public online. Here are some examples from EPA that can be the building blocks of great stories.

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The SEJ WatchDog Alert

Latest WatchDog Alert Items

April 8, 2009

Toolbox: Financial Disclosure Info on Obama WH Officials Online

NIH Open-Access Policy Celebrates 1st Birthday — Will It Make 2nd?

March 25, 2009

Attorney General Sets Openness as Standard for Fed Info

Leahy, Cornyn Introduce FOIA Exemption-Flagging Bill

CSB Reschedules W.VA. Meeting After Bayer Secrecy Demands

Blue Sky for TRI?

EPA Inspector General Rips Risk Management Plan Follow-Up

March 11, 2009

SEJ Backs Free Publication of Tax-Funded Research

Commerce Seeks Wildlife Leakers

Ten Good Things on the EPA Web Site

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