[CPEO-MEF] Bliley SHUTS DOWN EPA WEB

[pparks@igc.org]

A press release is available at www.house.gov/commerce; scroll down and
there are two icons that explain this (I have not gone there yet, but
will).  Call Rep. Bliley & register your opinion!!

Body of press release below:

P R E S S B R I E F I N G -- On EPA's
                        Decision to Shut Down Web Server


                  WASHINGTON (February 17) -- The Commerce Committee will
conduct a briefing today to discuss EPA's compliance with Chairman Tom
Bliley's (R-VA) demand that the Agency shut down it's Internet connection
to its computer systems -- in order to protect sensitive and confidential
information on those systems. The briefing will take place in room 2123
Rayburn House Office Building, Thursday, February 17 at 1:00 PM.In response
to GAO's findings that it easily hacked into EPA's main computer systems
from the Internet, Commerce Chairman Bliley and Subcommittee Chairman Fred
Upton (R-MI) on Tuesday called for the immediate shut down of EPA's
Internet connection until the Agency could establish adequate security -- a
step EPA Administrator Browner finally agreed to late last night. "We're
talking not only about data worth 
hundreds of millions of dollars, but trade secrets and sensitive data that
could put our national and economic security at risk," Bliley said.

Available at:  www.commerce.gov, scroll down and you'll find it.

Also, the EPA number listed below no longer works.  If you call the
referral number below, you will be referred on to the office of public
information @ 202-564-6665.  They will tell you they cannot release why the
site is down and they would not confirm that Rep. Bliley is the instigator.
 Calling Mr. Bliley now....

At 11:59 AM 2/17/00 -0800, you wrote:
>to the best of my knowledge, the following is accurate:
>
>
>Under pressure from Representative Thomas J. Bliley (R-VA), the
>Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shut down its entire
>web site (www.epa.gov), cutting the public off from vast
>environmental resources and information.  Representative Bliley
>asserts that EPA has not provided adequate computer security to
>protect the agency's information.
>
>It is outrageous that government would deny citizens access to
>their government.  Our understanding is that this shut down also
>affects EPA employees' access to e-mail.
>
>To protest this denial of public access, contact Margaret
>Schneider, Acting Deputy Administrator and head of EPA's Office
>of Environmental Information at (202) 260-4724 and Rep. Bliley at
>(202) 225-2815.
>-- 
>Peter B. Meyer
>Professor of Economics and Urban Policy
>Director, Center for Environmental Policy & Management
> and EPA Region IV Environmental Finance Center
>University of Louisville
>426 W. Bloom Street / Louisville, KY 40208
>(502) 852-8032    Fax: (502) 852-4558
>
>
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