Court Stops EPA From Removing Documents

Jan. 24, 2001
A federal district judge has prevented EPA from removing or tampering with information used to support regulations issued by the agency in the final days of Clinton's Administration.

A federal district judge granted Landmark Legal Foundation''s motion for a preliminary injunction against EPA.

Judge Royce Lamberth ordered that EPA is enjoined from transporting, removing or in any way tampering with information potentially responsive to Landmark''s Sept. 7, 2000 Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA).

In its FOIA request, Landmark, a public interest law firm in Kansas City, Mo., asked EPA to produce the names of special interest groups that may have been involved in the preparation of regulations issued by the agency in the final days of the Clinton Administration.

"For 4 1/2 months EPA has attempted to run out the clock and prevent us from learning whether their regulatory process has been hijacked by extreme environmentalists," said Landmark President Mark Levin. "EPA''s spate of new regulations represents a virtual wish list from these special interests. The public should know who is behind these efforts and their agenda. A federal court should not have to order EPA to do that which it is already obligated to do under law."

Landmark Vice President and General Counsel Richard Hutchinson, added, "This order stops cold EPA''s efforts to remove any more records detailing its actions during the last months of the Clinton Administration. The court is holding EPA officials personally responsible to ensure compliance with its order."

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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