/PRNewswire-/ -- U.S. taxpayers are being denied timely access to information that could be used to assess the risk to their pocketbooks posed by the controversial $8.33 billion federal loan guarantee for two proposed nuclear reactors at Southern Company's Plant Vogtle in Georgia, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE). Despite the fact that the President announced the Vogtle taxpayer-financed loan guarantee on February 16, 2010 amid much fanfare, all meaningful details of the deal have remained shrouded in secrecy.
In announcing its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), SACE was joined today by Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS). Although not a party to the lawsuit, TCS shares similar concerns about the secrecy in the DOE loan guarantee program.
SACE filed the lawsuit because of DOE's failure to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed on March 25, 2010. Under FOIA, DOE was obliged to respond to the SACE request by April 22 - well in advance of when DOE and Southern finalized the loan guarantee deal on June 11, 2010. However, DOE released no documents to SACE until July 6, 2010. When DOE finally released a handful of documents relating to the Vogtle loan guarantees, they were heavily redacted, with all important details blacked out, including one that was censored 244 times with half a dozen pages nearly or entirely obscured. (To see one of the DOE-censored documents, go to http://www.cleanenergy.org/index.php?/Reports-and-Publications.html on the Web.)
The clear foot dragging and improper handling by DOE of the SACE FOIA request provide the latest proof of the validity of the criticisms set out in the July 12, 2010 U.S. Government Accountability Office report, "Further Actions Are Needed to Improve DOE's Ability to Evaluate and Implement the Loan Guarantee Program." (See http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-627.) The GAO found that the program is inadequately planned and executed, lacks objective performance goals, and provides preferential treatment to nuclear loan guarantee applications over other types of applications.
Stephen Smith, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said: "This is too large a sum of taxpayer's money, being spent on too risky a project for there to be this much cover-up and secrecy. This is the first award of what could be tens of billions of dollars more in new federal subsidies for the nuclear industry - setting the precedent of hiding the financial ball from the public in round one is a bad start. We need openness and transparency. Obama's Department of Energy, Southern Company and the public power companies which are part of this cover-up need to set the record straight and tell the truth about what is going on here; that they are socializing the risk and privatizing the profits for big power companies."
Ryan Alexander, president, Taxpayers for Common Sense, said: "DOE is hiding critical information behind their back with the one hand while they have their other hand out asking for billions more in loan guarantees. They already have the authority to give out more than $18 billion for nuclear reactors and still have yet to provide any assurances that these projects are smart investments. In fact, all the evidence points to taxpayers losing big on reactors like the Vogtle project. This is unacceptable and DOE must come clean and start fully answering these information requests or lawmakers should stop the program."
Larry Sanders, acting director of the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory University School of Law, and an attorney for SACE, said: "In the Freedom of Information Act, Congress provided citizens a right to timely access to federal agency records. In this case, Southern Company and its partners have been awarded loan guarantees that could end up costing the federal treasury billions of dollars. Yet, in violation of the law, DOE refuses to allow public scrutiny of this subsidy to the nuclear energy industry. With billions of taxpayer dollars on the line, SACE had no choice but to file this lawsuit to force DOE to disgorge records related to the Plant Vogtle loan guarantees."
The March 25, 2010 SACE FOIA request covered such items as: the Southern Company loan guarantee; related correspondence between DOE and Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia; environmental review records related to the loan guarantee request; any credit analysis conducted by DOE in relation to the loan guarantee; all records related to the general terms and conditions of the loan guarantee; and all records related to issuance of the loan guarantee.
Of the seven areas addressed in the SACE FOIA request, DOE has failed entirely to respond to five items. DOE's partial response to two items in the request yielded only five responsive documents, months after the FOIA deadline. Most documents responsive to SACE's request remain hidden from public view. Even where the tardy responses were provided, the documents were so highly redacted as to make them largely or entirely meaningless.
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Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Congress Passes Law to End Secrecy in Oil, Gas, and Mining Industry
/PRNewswire/ -- International humanitarian organization Oxfam America commends the U.S. Congress for making disclosure of payments from oil and mining companies to governments around the world a legal requirement. Included as part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation passed by the House and Senate, this historic measure will increase financial transparency in the oil, gas, and mining industry and help reduce the corruption, mismanagement, and conflict that are too often associated with natural resource extraction booms.
"Congress has made an unprecedented commitment to financial transparency and good governance in a sector that not only affects American wallets, but also some of the most vulnerable communities around the world," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. "Secrecy of oil, gas and mining company payments to governments fosters government corruption and violent conflict in resource-rich countries that are home to more than half of the world's poorest people. Instability in these regions poses a long-term threat to national security, foreign policy, and economic interests in the United States."
The language included in the financial services reform measure was based on the Energy Security through Transparency Act (S. 1700), a bipartisan Senate bill championed by Senators Lugar (R-IN) and Cardin (D-MD). The new law creates a low-cost, uniform transparency method for oil, gas, and mining companies registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and covers more than 90 percent of internationally operating oil companies and many of the top international mining companies. Companies will be required to publicly disclose payments for the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals on a country-by-country and project basis as part of financial statements that are already required by the SEC. This not only includes American companies but also many foreign companies, such as Shell and BP, as well as companies from emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia.
"This provision is a critical part of the increased transparency and corporate responsibility that we are striving to achieve in the financial industry. Given the catastrophic events in the Gulf of Mexico, oil companies, in particular, should well understand that secrecy fosters instability, corruption and greater risk," said Senator Cardin. "We now have the tools to help people in resource-rich countries hold their leaders accountable for the money made from their oil, gas and minerals."
"Too often, oil money intended for a nation's poor ends up lining the pockets of the rich or is squandered on showcase projects instead of productive investments," said Senator Lugar when he spoke in favor of the measure when it was offered as an amendment to the Senate financial reform bill in late May. (The Cardin-Lugar amendment was co-sponsored by Senators Durbin (D-IL), Schumer (D-NY), Feingold (D-WI), Merkley (D-OR), and Johnson (D-SD).) He added: "This 'resource curse' affects us as well as producing countries. It exacerbates global poverty which can be a seedbed for terrorism, it empowers autocrats and dictators, and it can crimp world petroleum supplies by breeding instability."
"We applaud Senators Cardin and Lugar for spearheading this effort in the Senate that will both level the playing field for oil, gas, and mining companies and help citizens hold their governments accountable for using revenues for economic development and poverty reduction. We also thank Senator Leahy for offering the measure during the House-Senate conference process and House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank for his early leadership on transparency in the oil and mining industries and for his support for this measure that demonstrates U.S. commitment to transparent business practices and accountable governance," said Offenheiser.
"Passing this law sets up an international standard for the public disclosure of natural resource revenue information, but its effectiveness will be determined by strict implementation by lawmakers and development of effective implementing regulations by the SEC. Companies should heed the call for transparency so citizens of resource-rich countries can begin to use this information to hold their governments accountable for using revenues to address essential services like healthcare, education, and job creation."
Oxfam America calls on the SEC to quickly undertake its rule-making process to implement this important measure as Congress intended. "Oxfam America and its allies in the Publish What You Pay campaign will be closely following the rule-making process to ensure this groundbreaking disclosure measure is quickly put in place," said Offenheiser.
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of the international confederation Oxfam.
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"Congress has made an unprecedented commitment to financial transparency and good governance in a sector that not only affects American wallets, but also some of the most vulnerable communities around the world," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. "Secrecy of oil, gas and mining company payments to governments fosters government corruption and violent conflict in resource-rich countries that are home to more than half of the world's poorest people. Instability in these regions poses a long-term threat to national security, foreign policy, and economic interests in the United States."
The language included in the financial services reform measure was based on the Energy Security through Transparency Act (S. 1700), a bipartisan Senate bill championed by Senators Lugar (R-IN) and Cardin (D-MD). The new law creates a low-cost, uniform transparency method for oil, gas, and mining companies registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and covers more than 90 percent of internationally operating oil companies and many of the top international mining companies. Companies will be required to publicly disclose payments for the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals on a country-by-country and project basis as part of financial statements that are already required by the SEC. This not only includes American companies but also many foreign companies, such as Shell and BP, as well as companies from emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia.
"This provision is a critical part of the increased transparency and corporate responsibility that we are striving to achieve in the financial industry. Given the catastrophic events in the Gulf of Mexico, oil companies, in particular, should well understand that secrecy fosters instability, corruption and greater risk," said Senator Cardin. "We now have the tools to help people in resource-rich countries hold their leaders accountable for the money made from their oil, gas and minerals."
"Too often, oil money intended for a nation's poor ends up lining the pockets of the rich or is squandered on showcase projects instead of productive investments," said Senator Lugar when he spoke in favor of the measure when it was offered as an amendment to the Senate financial reform bill in late May. (The Cardin-Lugar amendment was co-sponsored by Senators Durbin (D-IL), Schumer (D-NY), Feingold (D-WI), Merkley (D-OR), and Johnson (D-SD).) He added: "This 'resource curse' affects us as well as producing countries. It exacerbates global poverty which can be a seedbed for terrorism, it empowers autocrats and dictators, and it can crimp world petroleum supplies by breeding instability."
"We applaud Senators Cardin and Lugar for spearheading this effort in the Senate that will both level the playing field for oil, gas, and mining companies and help citizens hold their governments accountable for using revenues for economic development and poverty reduction. We also thank Senator Leahy for offering the measure during the House-Senate conference process and House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank for his early leadership on transparency in the oil and mining industries and for his support for this measure that demonstrates U.S. commitment to transparent business practices and accountable governance," said Offenheiser.
"Passing this law sets up an international standard for the public disclosure of natural resource revenue information, but its effectiveness will be determined by strict implementation by lawmakers and development of effective implementing regulations by the SEC. Companies should heed the call for transparency so citizens of resource-rich countries can begin to use this information to hold their governments accountable for using revenues to address essential services like healthcare, education, and job creation."
Oxfam America calls on the SEC to quickly undertake its rule-making process to implement this important measure as Congress intended. "Oxfam America and its allies in the Publish What You Pay campaign will be closely following the rule-making process to ensure this groundbreaking disclosure measure is quickly put in place," said Offenheiser.
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of the international confederation Oxfam.
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Monday, March 9, 2009
Energy Costs Take 20% Bite From Average Wallet
/PRNewswire/ -- American families faced the biggest increase in energy expenses on record last year, in large part because of costs for transportation fuels driving global demand.
According to a study released today by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), for the half of the U.S. families earning $50,000 or less, energy costs consumed 20 percent of after-tax income in 2008. The study also reveals energy costs consumed a quarter of after-tax income when families made $30,000 or less.
"This is our annual household energy cost report card, and this year we would grade 2008 as a D for dangerous," said Joe Lucas, Senior Vice President of Communications for ACCCE. "As our economy is faltering and more and more Americans are finding it hard to make ends meet, adopting policies that help keep energy costs affordable should be a national priority."
Families saw their total energy burden increase by 75 percent between 2001 and 2008. Electricity costs increased less than 38 percent during that same timeframe showing that electricity remains an energy bargain in most parts of the country.
"Primarily because we used lower-cost domestic coal for half our nation's electric generation, electricity costs have increased at less than the inflation rate during the past two decades," Lucas said.
The study notes that gasoline prices retreated from historic highs in July, but they are once again starting to climb, ensuring the total energy cost burden will continue to seriously constrain most people's budgets. Lucas said that this shows the economic peril associated with high reliance on imported energy resources.
"In our focus groups, many Americans say that they feel helpless to reduce energy costs when America is dependent on other countries to meet our energy needs. We can change that. We have domestic fuels like coal available here at home, and we can use those fuels wisely to not only promote energy independence but to also keep energy costs low," said Lucas.
Lucas said that ACCCE supports the expanded use of electricity to fuel transportation energy needs, recognizing that a variety of fuels will be needed to meet the increase in electricity demand as a means of displacing foreign oil.
Lucas also noted that keeping energy costs affordable needed to be a key factor in shaping government policies - especially in designing a federal program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We support a mandatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Lucas. "We just believe that we have to be smart in designing the program to ensure that consumers are not paying a higher than necessary cost of energy."
According to Lucas, the 100 percent auction for emissions allowances being promoted for inclusion in a federal cap-and-trade bill will drive up the cost to consumers.
"Under an auction for emissions credits, you get the very same environmental benefit as you would with an allocation of credits - it is just that the cost to the consumer is higher," said Lucas.
"These auctions really work as a de facto energy tax where the government raises revenue ultimately paid by consumers with the hope of getting that money back at some future date in the form of an increased government service. We say, don't raise the cost of energy on American consumers, if you can keep from it, based upon the promise of repaying that investment somewhere in the future," said Lucas.
-----
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According to a study released today by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), for the half of the U.S. families earning $50,000 or less, energy costs consumed 20 percent of after-tax income in 2008. The study also reveals energy costs consumed a quarter of after-tax income when families made $30,000 or less.
"This is our annual household energy cost report card, and this year we would grade 2008 as a D for dangerous," said Joe Lucas, Senior Vice President of Communications for ACCCE. "As our economy is faltering and more and more Americans are finding it hard to make ends meet, adopting policies that help keep energy costs affordable should be a national priority."
Families saw their total energy burden increase by 75 percent between 2001 and 2008. Electricity costs increased less than 38 percent during that same timeframe showing that electricity remains an energy bargain in most parts of the country.
"Primarily because we used lower-cost domestic coal for half our nation's electric generation, electricity costs have increased at less than the inflation rate during the past two decades," Lucas said.
The study notes that gasoline prices retreated from historic highs in July, but they are once again starting to climb, ensuring the total energy cost burden will continue to seriously constrain most people's budgets. Lucas said that this shows the economic peril associated with high reliance on imported energy resources.
"In our focus groups, many Americans say that they feel helpless to reduce energy costs when America is dependent on other countries to meet our energy needs. We can change that. We have domestic fuels like coal available here at home, and we can use those fuels wisely to not only promote energy independence but to also keep energy costs low," said Lucas.
Lucas said that ACCCE supports the expanded use of electricity to fuel transportation energy needs, recognizing that a variety of fuels will be needed to meet the increase in electricity demand as a means of displacing foreign oil.
Lucas also noted that keeping energy costs affordable needed to be a key factor in shaping government policies - especially in designing a federal program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We support a mandatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Lucas. "We just believe that we have to be smart in designing the program to ensure that consumers are not paying a higher than necessary cost of energy."
According to Lucas, the 100 percent auction for emissions allowances being promoted for inclusion in a federal cap-and-trade bill will drive up the cost to consumers.
"Under an auction for emissions credits, you get the very same environmental benefit as you would with an allocation of credits - it is just that the cost to the consumer is higher," said Lucas.
"These auctions really work as a de facto energy tax where the government raises revenue ultimately paid by consumers with the hope of getting that money back at some future date in the form of an increased government service. We say, don't raise the cost of energy on American consumers, if you can keep from it, based upon the promise of repaying that investment somewhere in the future," said Lucas.
-----
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
More Than Five Billion Dollars Released Under LIHEAP
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the release of $5.1 billion
from the federal government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) under the Fiscal Year 2009 Continuing Resolution. The funds
will assist states, territories, tribal areas and the District of
Columbia with addressing their energy needs, particularly for the
upcoming winter season.
"The release of these funds will help low-income families stay warm this
winter," Secretary Leavitt said. "These funds will also help reduce the
risk of health and safety problems exacerbated by exposure to extreme
temperatures."
LIHEAP funding is provided to states through the Office of Community
Services in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at HHS.
The funds will assist eligible low-income households in meeting their
heating and other energy needs.
"The funds released by the Bush Administration will help our most
vulnerable citizens, including the disabled, elderly and children," said
Josephine Robinson, director, Office of Community Services at ACF.
Under the language of the Continuing Resolution, $4.5 billion in block
grant funds and $590 million contingency funds must be released by Oct.
30, 2008. Block grant funds will be allocated to states under a formula
specified in the Continuing Resolution. Of the $590 million in
contingency funds, $100 million will assist states where large numbers
of eligible households use heating oil for heat: Alaska, Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The
remaining $490 million will help individuals in all 50 states.
For a complete list of state allocations of the funds released today go
to:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2008/liheap_allocations_fy2009.htm.
Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact
their local/state/LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap or
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/brochure.html.
-----
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from the federal government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) under the Fiscal Year 2009 Continuing Resolution. The funds
will assist states, territories, tribal areas and the District of
Columbia with addressing their energy needs, particularly for the
upcoming winter season.
"The release of these funds will help low-income families stay warm this
winter," Secretary Leavitt said. "These funds will also help reduce the
risk of health and safety problems exacerbated by exposure to extreme
temperatures."
LIHEAP funding is provided to states through the Office of Community
Services in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at HHS.
The funds will assist eligible low-income households in meeting their
heating and other energy needs.
"The funds released by the Bush Administration will help our most
vulnerable citizens, including the disabled, elderly and children," said
Josephine Robinson, director, Office of Community Services at ACF.
Under the language of the Continuing Resolution, $4.5 billion in block
grant funds and $590 million contingency funds must be released by Oct.
30, 2008. Block grant funds will be allocated to states under a formula
specified in the Continuing Resolution. Of the $590 million in
contingency funds, $100 million will assist states where large numbers
of eligible households use heating oil for heat: Alaska, Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The
remaining $490 million will help individuals in all 50 states.
For a complete list of state allocations of the funds released today go
to:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2008/liheap_allocations_fy2009.htm.
Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact
their local/state/LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap or
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/brochure.html.
-----
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