Back on May 19, we anticipated the public would demand more information from government agencies about the oil spill, so agencies should head off those FOIA requests and post material proactively. We went on to discuss three problems: The lack of information about the dispersant used, video of the spill site itself (the “spillcam”), and spill monitoring information.  To monitor the spill, the public focused on the size and locations of the plumes in the water and the rate that oil is gushing from the break in the well. The next day, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), longtime champion of open [More]

While there are many angles and arguments to consider in evaluating and covering the recent oil spill and ensuing attempts at mitigation and clean-up, FOIA has been a vital tool in enabling journalists to connect government information with public analysis, enhancing our ability to understand both what has happened and what is happening. As the nation reacts to what may become the nation’s worst oil spill in history, we are pleased to see agencies releasing information in response to FOIA requests, as some of our new “FOIA Files” stories note. For example, see: #503: “Documents Show Early Worries About Safety [More]