[govinfo] GovInfo News 9-18-06

  • From: "Patrice McDermott" <pmcdermott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "govinfo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <govinfo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "FOI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <FOI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 12:57:51 -0400

- Notice of an Open Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information
- Lawyer Says FCC Ordered Study Destroyed
- Public Availability of Government Accountability Office Records
- Secrecy Report Card 2006

Patrice McDermott, Director
OpenTheGovernment.org
202-332-OPEN (6736)
www.openthegovernment.org

***
- NOTICE OF AN OPEN MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WATER INFORMATION 
(ACWI)
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-7680.htm

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
United States Geological Survey

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the ACWI. This meeting is to 
discuss broad policy-related topics relating to national water initiatives, and 
the development and dissemination of water information, through reports from 
ACWI subgroups. The agenda will include status of a proposal for a new ACWI 
subgroup on Ground Water Monitoring; a new proposal by the Subcommittee on 
Hydrology, from the Satellite Telemetry Interagency Working Group; status of 
the National Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries; 
and a presentation on the new Wetland Mapping Standard Workgroup of the Federal 
Geographic Data Committee. The ACWI was established under the authority of the 
Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M92-01 and the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act.
[...]

DATES: The formal meeting will convene at 9:30 a.m. on October 4, 2006, and 
will adjourn at 4:15 p.m. on the same day.

ADDRESSES: The U.S. Geological Survey, Dallas L. Peck Auditorium, 12201 Sunrise 
Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Toni J. Johnson, ACWI Executive Secretary 
and Chief, Water Information Coordination Program, U.S. Geological Survey, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 417, Reston, VA 20192. Telephone: 703-648-6810; 
Fax: 703-648-5644; e-mail: tjohnson@xxxxxxxxx

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This meeting is open to the public. Up to a half 
hour will be set aside for public comment. Persons wishing to make a brief 
presentation (up to 5 minutes) are asked to provide a written request with a 
description of the general subject to Ms. Johnson at the above address no later 
than noon, September 27, 2006. It is requested that 40 copies of a written 
statement be submitted at the time of the meeting for distribution to members 
of the ACWI and placement in the official file. Any member of the public may 
submit written information and (or) comments to Ms. Johnson distribution at the 
ACWI meeting.

***
- LAWYER SAYS FCC ORDERED STUDY DESTROYED
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060914/D8K4Q4E80.html
Sep 14, 2:40 PM (ET)
By JOHN DUNBAR
WASHINGTON (AP) -
The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies 
of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would 
hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says.

The report, written in 2004, came to light during the Senate confirmation 
hearing for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. received a copy of the report "indirectly from 
someone within the FCC who believed the information should be made public," 
according to Boxer spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz.

Adam Candeub, now a law professor at Michigan State University, said senior 
managers at the agency ordered that "every last piece" of the report be 
destroyed. "The whole project was just stopped - end of discussion," he said.
Candeub was a lawyer in the FCC's Media Bureau at the time the report was 
written and communicated frequently with its authors, he said.

In a letter sent to Martin Wednesday, Boxer said she was "dismayed that this 
report, which was done at taxpayer expense more than two years ago, and which 
concluded that localism is beneficial to the public, was shoved in a drawer."
Martin said he was not aware of the existence of the report, nor was his staff. 
His office indicated it had not received Boxer's letter as of midafternoon 
Thursday.
[...]

***
- PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE RECORDS
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-15474.htm

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
4 CFR Part 81

Public Availability of Government Accountability Office Records
AGENCY: Government Accountability Office.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: These proposed revisions would clarify and broaden the existing 
exemption regarding the disclosure of congressional correspondence and create a 
new exemption to allow for the withholding of records of interviews created by 
GAO in connection with its work. Specifically, the proposed revision to the 
congressional correspondence exemption would enable GAO to release or withhold 
congressional correspondence without prior congressional authorization. The 
proposed
new exemption would enhance the open, frank, and honest exchange of information 
from other agencies, nonfederal organizations, and individuals to GAO during 
the course of a GAO audit, evaluation, or investigation.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 2, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Comments on these proposed revisions may be mailed or hand-delivered 
to: Government Accountability Office, Office of the General Counsel, Attn: 
Legal Services, Room 7838, 441 G Street, NW., Washington, DC 20548.
Comments may also be e-mailed to bielecj@xxxxxxx
or faxed to 202-512-8501.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John A. Bielec, Deputy Assistant General 
Counsel; telephone 202-512-2846; e-mail bielecj@xxxxxxxx

[...]

***
- SECRECY REPORT CARD 2006: REPORT FINDS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STILL MORE SECRETIVE
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2006.pdf
WASHINGTON, Sep. 3 - Government secrecy saw further expansion last year despite 
growing public concern, according to a report released today by a coalition of 
open government advocates. The Secrecy Report Card, produced annually by 
OpenTheGovernment.org in order to identify trends in public access to 
information, found a troubling lack of transparency in military procurement, 
new private inventions, and the scientific and technical advice that the 
government receives, among other areas.
[...]

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