Regulatory Advocates Push To Expand Access To Environmental Data

摘要

OMB Watch, a watchdog group that tracks regulatory developments, is leading efforts by a coalition of labor and environmental groups to craft a series of recommendations for EPA and other agencies to broaden access to health and environmental data, including expanding EPA's Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and strengthening emergency response plans, both measures that the groups says could eventually help cut pollution. The coalition is revising a draft report for release in early 2011, "Environmental Information Initiative Draft Policy Recommendations," that details dozens of ways for the Obama administration to potentially expand environmental data reporting and disclosure requirements. Relevant documents are available at InsideEPA.com. Seepage 2 for details. The document, which is still in a very preliminary form, according to an OMB Watch source, lays out potential improvements for access to information and existing data sources, areas for data expansion and opportunities for citizen empowerment and environmental justice.