Blog Posts and Analysis / Open, Accountable Government

Nuclear Insecurity Under DOE

A new Department of Energy (DOE) regulation could threaten safety standards at nuclear weapons facilities nationwide. At the same time, findings by DOE’s watchdog office reveal that nuclear facilities cheated during mock attacks. New Safety Standards

read in full

Avoiding Shame Through Secrecy Puts Lives At Risk

No one wants to be embarrassed, especially the folks working on the taxpayer’s dime under the harsh lights of public scrutiny. But when people in high places in government try to keep embarrassing information out of the public eye, the results can be high-profile scandal. Just ask Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Most government efforts to keep unnecessary secrets, however, never reach the front pages of the New York Times but still put lives in danger and waste taxpayer dollars. Two recent news stories make this point. One deals with the question of whether the Sept.

read in full

Pressure Continues to Mount Against OMB's Peer Review Plan

Many recent news stories and editorial pieces from around the country are critical of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) draft bulletin on peer review, thereby maintaining pressure on the agency to either drastically alter the policy proposal or withdraw it entirely. OMB’s Data Quality Guidelines, the information policies that the peer review bulletin builds upon, received little media criticism or even attention during development. However, the peer review bulletin seems to be garnering much more interest, in part because so many scientists are rejecting this “scientific” policy.

read in full

Time Remains to Comment on EPA's Burden Reduction Plans for TRI

OMB Watch encourages interested individuals to take part in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Stakeholder Dialogue Phase II that focuses on burden reduction options for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. The TRI is a flagship database that contains information about releases and transfers of toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities. Since the establishment of TRI, the simple act of publicizing the amount toxic chemicals that facilities release has pressured companies to reduce these releases by more than half.

read in full

U.N. Report Compares Freedom of Information Laws

A new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) examines freedom of information policies across several governments and non-governmental organizations. Over the past 10 years, the importance of freedom of information has been acknowledged throughout the world, and the report stresses the importance of free flowing information to democratic governments, human rights, and other issues. An overview of the international base for freedom of information is given.

read in full

Comments on Peer Review Bulletin Reveal Strong Opposition

A majority of the near 200 comments received by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on its Draft Peer Review Bulletin opposed the proposal, calling for its complete withdrawal.

read in full

EPA Plans Early Release of Some TRI Data

EPA recently held a meeting with interested stakeholders to explain its intention to release 2002 Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data much earlier than in recent years. Under EPA's current plans the 2002 TRI would be available on the agency's website in February or March, several months ahead of the recent release times of May or June.

read in full

Pages

  • ©2015 Center for Effective Government
  • All Rights Reserved.
  • This an archive site of the materials produced by the Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch) and is maintained by the Project On Government Oversight.