All Things Whistleblower: A GAP Blog

Bloch Deletion

Special Counsel Scott Bloch, who GAP has been watching and complaining about for years, seems to have deleted his way into a little trouble. Apparently, last December, he hired outside, private computer technicians to perform a “seven-level” wipe of all the files on his work computer. This kind of action, according to the Wall Street Journal, “makes it nearly impossible for forensics experts to restore the data later.” So Bloch really wanted to get something off his computer.

Interestingly enough, Bloch did not choose to have his own agency’s computer technicians perform the deletion, which is probably standard protocol in this type of situation.

What is Bloch’s stated reason for having this done? If you believe him, he was simply removing a virus. But according to the private computer company’s spokesman, they do not perform that level of action to simply remove a virus.

Bloch, you may recall, has come under fire from GAP and other groups for a) retaliating against his own employees who voice concerns about the office, and b) not reviewing whistleblower cases that come through his office thoroughly enough.

Interesting, interesting stuff.

Everything's Cool

Everything’s Cool, a documentary about the politics behind the global warming “debate” and different industries’ attempts to play up the perception of abiguity regarding the science, opened in limited released last Friday. The New York Times and Los Angeles Times have given the picture positive reviews.

One large focus of the film is the story of GAP client Rick Piltz, who exposed that White House official Philip Cooney, formerly an oil lobbyist, was editing federal climate science reports in an attempt to tone down the known human impact on climate change (global warming). Cooney, upon leaving the White House, then joined up with ExxonMobil.

A Serious Mercury Problem

Earlier this week, GAP filed a lawsuit in an Oregon county challenging a state agency’s decision to allow the incineration of secondary wastes at a “chemical demilitarization facility” located near Hermiston, which is close to the Columbia River. The lawsuit asks the Court to order the State to make a determination of the “best available technology” for the disposal of mustard agent (HD).

The mustard agent could pose a very, very serious risk when incinerated, because its mercury content is very, very high. Mercury is not destroyed during the incineration process, nor will the “carbon filters” used to catch the nasty runoff from the process catch it. But the agency seems to want to do it anyway.

A much better method to employ would be a neutralization program that uses boiling water and bacteria to get rid of the mustard agent. There wouldn’t be any pesky problems like leaking-mercury-into-the-environment then.

GAP filed the lawsuit on behalf of several groups, including the Sierra Club, the Oregon Wildlife Federation, and G.A.S.P., a local nonprofit watchdog which has been dedicated to monitoring the facility for years. Keep up the good work!

The Nord Saga, Part III

In the midst of the Nancy Nord fiasco, several Democratic senators introduced a bill to put a end to any industry-paid travel for federal regulators.

A good step, but wouldn’t you have thought that was a violation previously to this?

GovernmentDocs.org

CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) is spearheading a really interesting project. Along with the help of other watchdog groups, they have created a site, www.GovernmentDocs.org, which serves as a database for the results of FOIA requests by anyone and everyone who wants to contribute. The thinking is that having a searchable, large-scale collection will assist members of the public who want to know what’s really behind an issue. The alternative is to seek out specific FOIA answers one at a time by visiting different nonprofit groups’ Web sites, in hopes of uncovering relevant information.

Kudos to CREW, and score one for transparency. It is an excellent idea that GAP hopes will prosper.

Fortunate Reversal

Last week we posted how NASA officials were attempting to destroy all evidence and results of a survey/study regarding the safety of our nation’s airliners, because the data was far worse than imagined. The study cost over $8 million.

In a good note of news, it appears that NASA is reversing that decision, as Administrator Michael Griffin testified on Wednesday that his agency would soon release the data.

-- Dylan Blaylock

Behind the Curtain

If you subscribe to GAP’s monthly eNews, then you know that yesterday we sent out a quick update about how a Senate Committee passed comprehensive consumer product safety reform legislation – which specifically includes whistleblower rights provisions.

At the time, it was strange that Nancy A. Nord, Chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency that S. 2045 greatly empowers (by extending its authority, budget and staff), was coming out against the bill in the days before its passage by the committee. One has to wonder what her rationale is, considering it is her job to protect consumers from dangerous products.

Today, the Washington Post broke a story about how Nord and her predecessor took “dozens of trips” on the dime of several industry lobbyists that she is in charge of regulating, including those from “toy, appliance and children’s furniture.”

Altogether, it appears that Nord received almost $60,000 worth of travel and expenses for her trips, which included “China, Spain, San Francisco, New Orleans and a golf resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C.”

And this is the person who is supposed to be protecting us and standing up for our interests.

-- Dylan Blaylock