As the country continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, one lesson is already clear: government information plays a vital role in Americans' everyday lives whether they realize it or not. Information created, collected, and disseminated by government agencies alerted the nation to the storm, tracked its every move, and helped millions of Americans to prepare.

This December will mark the four-year anniversary of a massive spill in Tennessee that sparked new calls for the regulation of coal ash, a toxic waste produced when coal is burned. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed options for regulating coal ash in 2010, little progress has been made toward issuing comprehensive national standards. Environmental groups have asked the courts to force the agency to act while bills attempting to thwart new standards have been moving through Congress. This impasse may continue until after the upcoming elections. The failure to provide adequate standards for coal ash is increasingly alarming as new studies continue to highlight its dangers.

Oct. 18 marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, a crucial law that protects the nation's water from pollution. Congress passed the landmark legislation at a time when much of our water was so contaminated by industrial waste and other pollutants that it was unfit for public use. By setting ambitious goals for the cleanup of contaminated waters, the Clean Water Act led to dramatic improvements in water quality and serious reductions in industrial pollution. As we celebrate the significant successes of the Clean Water Act, however, we must remain focused on responding to current and future threats to water quality.