The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has denied OMB Watch’s request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for Executive Summaries of the Risk Management Plans (RMPs). This marks the first instance, of which OMB Watch is aware, that EPA has denied a request for information specifically collected to inform the public about homeland security risks they face.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in the Federal Register that the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) will hold a public meeting on the security of information systems for critical infrastructure on Tuesday, July 22, 2002. The Council advises the President on issues around security of information systems relating to the critical infrastructure supporting sectors of the economy including banking, finance, transportation, energy, manufacturing, and emergency government services.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced its intent to relax restrictions on food manufacturers for making claims about the health benefits of products. FDA will allow companies to petition the agency for review of claims about the healthfulness of their products based on preliminary scientific information—a departure from its current practice of approving only those claims supported by conclusive scientific evidence.

The Bush administration, through the use of waivers, has given states flexibility in administering Medicaid, but has failed to adequately oversee these programs, according to a recent report by the Government Accounting Office (GAO). The use of Medicaid waivers, which exempt states from federal regulations and potentially enable them to tailor programs to meet state-specific needs, has grown significantly over the past decade. In particular, states have increasingly sought home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers in order to provide non-institutional long-term care for the elderly.