Creating a 21st Century Environmental Right-to-Know Agenda

Political developments in recent years forced environmental right-to-know advocates into a constant state of defense. Despite these challenges, citizens have repeatedly exercised their right to know and achieved numerous successes, proving that access to environmental information and public engagement are vital democratic tools.

OMB Watch is currently leading an effort to identify and prioritize key environmental right-to-know issues and to create a plan for addressing them. The project, Creating a 21st Century Environmental Right-to-Know Agenda, will lay out clear steps for the Obama administration and Congress to take in order to break down information barriers and infuse openness in our environmental policies.

The work began in mid-January, at a kick-off retreat in Tarrytown, NY. At the retreat, a diverse group of 29 advocates representing public health groups; labor organizations; local, state, and national environmental groups; and academic researchers came together to share their policy goals and concerns. The participants all came to one final conclusion – now is the time to create a proactive environmental right-to-know agenda.

OMB Watch is one of the nation's leading experts on environmental right-to-know. Our role began in the late 1980s, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was working to provide the public with information on toxic pollution through the new Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Unhappy with EPA's effort, we started RTK NET (www.rtknet.org), a free online service that provides access to environmental data. Our involvement in access-to-information issues has expanded considerably since then, but we still maintain RTK NET.

The creation of the environmental right-to-know agenda will rely on input from a wide range of individuals and organizations with experience using environmental information to protect public health and the environment. Through listening sessions, surveys, meetings, and other outreach, OMB Watch will work with the community to identify the issues and create concrete steps to resolve the problems. Together, we will consider both the immediate needs of communities and the components of a broader, long-term vision for the role of information and accountability in environmental and public health issues.

OMB Watch believes that this project will serve as a vital step toward the creation of environmental policies that will benefit our planet and overall public health. As the project progresses, we will be inviting public comment on our proposed agenda items. We encourage you to check this web page regularly for opportunities to get involved. At OMB Watch, we believe that an engaged public dedicated to advocating on its own behalf is vital to productive public discourse.


UPDATE -- Outcomes from November 2010 Conference: Advocates Meet to Invigorate Environmental Right-to-Know Policies


UPDATE -- May 2011 Report: An Agenda to Strengthen Our Right to Know: Empowering Citizens with Environmental, Health, and Safety Information


If you would like to receive regular updates about the project or information on more ways to get involved, contact Brian Turnbaugh at bturnbaugh@ombwatch.org or (202) 234-8494.

back to Blog