POGO's letter demanding release of Lejeune well contamination data

Via e-mail from the Project On Government Oversight:

The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and allies sent letters to the Pentagon and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday,
asking them to come clean about water contamination at the U.S. Marine Corps base, Camp Lejeune—where Marines, civilians, and their families were poisoned by the water they used and drank, but have yet to see justice after
years of secrecy. I saw that you covered the contamination cover-up earlier this month, and thought you might be interested in our action.

Very interested. Here's the letter:

Dear HHS Secretary Sebelius:

We, the undersigned nonprofit organizations, are deeply concerned about a recent letter regarding the treatment of information related to the water contamination at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from the Department of the Navy (DON) to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the subsequent ATSDR decision to redact a report, in compliance with the request. The January 5 letter urged ATSDR to withhold, or remove from websites, information related to “active potable water wells, raw or treated potable water lines, water treatment plants or water storage tanks,” referencing concerns over possible security risks related to the disclosure of critical infrastructure information.1 On January 19, ATSDR released a version of the Chapter B study of three water distribution systems at Camp Lejeune, specifically stating that redactions were made in response to the DON request.2

We believe this matter requires your prompt attention to ensure the full release of crucial information regarding ATSDR’s water-modeling and health studies related to what is likely the worst known water contamination site in U.S. history.

There are several troubling aspects of ATSDR’s compliance with this request. First, the mission of ATSDR is to protect the public health and the agency has over the past twenty years engaged in public health assessment and study activities at Camp Lejeune. The ATSDR website states that it is “responsible for preventing or reducing the harmful effects of exposure to hazardous substances on human health and quality of life.”3 This, not the mission or practices of another federal agency, should drive ATSDR work products. The public relies on the scientific integrity of the studies and the health information provided by ATSDR. The integrity of its analysis and assessments depends upon access to all relevant information.

It's a long letter, and while I'm sure POGO wouldn't mind us reproducing it in its entirety, I'd really like for readers to visit their site and see all the other important work they're doing.

But this part just screams for reproduction, as far and as wide as possible:

It would indeed be troubling if a precedent were set both for ATSDR and for other federal scientific, investigatory, or regulatory agencies whereby redactions of scientific assessments were made simply upon the request of the other federal entity under review.

Which brings to mind the Bush years, when agencies went on a free-for-all raiding the shelves of the National Archives, permanently removing tens of thousands of documents in the process.

The only thing we have to fear is ignorance.