Rulemaking Comment of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press & Society of Environmental Journalists re Critical Energy Infrastructure Information under RM02-4 et al.

200211135081 Received FERC OSEC 11/13/2002 04:27:00 PM Docket# PL02-1-000, ET AL. COMMENTS OF THE REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND THE SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS RE: PUBLIC ACCESS TO CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION November 13, 2002 Given to: The DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission In response to: 18 CFR Parts 375 and 388 Docket Nos. RM02-4-000, PL02-1-000 Critical Energy Infrastructure Information September 5, 2002 Notice of proposed rulemaking and revised statement of policy 200211135081 Received FERC OSEC 11/13/2002 04:27:00 PM Docket# PL02-1-000, ET AL. COMMENTS OF THE REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND THE SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS TO PROPOSED RULES RE: PUBLIC ACCESS TO CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Society of Environmental Journalists submit these views to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in response to the September 5, 2002, invitation for comments. Our remarks concern its consideration of rules revisions regarding public access to Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) that would eliminate unfettered general public access to that information. The Reporters Committee is a voluntary, unincorporated association established in 1970 by news editors and reporters to defend the First Amendment and freedom of information rights of the print and broadcast media. The Reporters Committee publishes a quarterly magazine, The News Media and The Law, as well as a bi-weekly newsletter, News Media Update. We produce several Freedom of Information publications including guides to use of the federal Freedom of Information Act, to use of each of the open records laws in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and a guide to state laws on access to electronic records. The Reporters Committee also sponsors, as a special project, the FOI Service Center, which advises reporters on issues of access to governmental records and proceedings. The Society of Environmental Journalists is the oldest and largest organization of individual working journalists dedicated to improving the quality, accuracy and visibility of environmental reporting. Founded in 1990 and based in Jenkintown, Penn., SEJ consists of more than 1,200 journalists, educators and students. SEJ's programs include annual and regional conferences; a daily environmental news service; a quarterly magazine; a biweekly story tip sheet; an annual journalism contest; eight e-mail listservs and a mentoring program. Working through its First Amendment Task Force, SEJ addresses freedom-of-information, right-to-know and other news gathering issues of concern to journalists reporting on environmental topics. Purpose of these comments We are very concerned that the Commission ...