WASHINGTON D.C. --The Institute for Energy Research received a doctored letter from the Environmental Protection Agency in response to a FOIA request, sent last year for documents related to Administrator Lisa Jackson's potential use of an alias email address to avoid public scrutiny of the agency's activities on the Keystone XL pipeline permit application. For reasons unknown, EPA officials used what appears to be white-out to alter original information on the letter.
"The American public deserves to know how EPA officials, and particularly retiring Administrator Lisa Jackson, have been involved in the administration's review and ultimate rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. Not only has EPA denied a FOIA request, but they have raised further questions about the agency's handling of transparency issues and disclosures mandated under federal law," said Dan Simmons, IER's director of state and regulatory affairs.
IER is formulating a response and appeal to the agency's actions which will be released in coming days.
To view the original FOIA request from IER, click here.
To view the doctored response letter from EPA, click here.
To view a backlit copy of the doctored response letter, click here.
To view the original electronic FOIA denial, dated Dec 26, 2012, click here.
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a not-for-profit organization that conducts intensive research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. IER maintains that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges and, as such, are critical to the well-being of individuals and society.
