Senate Panel's Bill Provides Exemptions From Data Quality Act

Senators have included a little-noticed provision in the spending bill for the Commerce Department barring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from implementing controversial data quality guidelines, which affect EPA and other federal agencies. If enacted, the provision could bar future challenges to NOAA studies on a range of issues, including climate change. Industry officials are objecting to the language, which they call an obstacle to implementing the Information Quality Act, saying the provision could thwart an outside party...