The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is being accused by Senate Democrats of cutting the flow of information and limitiing access to information in its agency run libraries. The EPA’s library modernization program is being portrayed as restricting the public’s right to know about environmental issues and EPA administrative actions.

FACT: EPA library modernization makes information MORE Accessible, not less. The EPA’s new library modernization process will make information available to the public, with an emphasis for online availability.

EPA Administrator Steve Johnson testified today before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee about the availability of all kinds of books in EPA libraries. Administrator Johnson testified that the following books and videos are still available in EPA libraries:

Novel "Memoirs of a Geisha: A Novel"

Book "Fat Chicks Rule: How To Survive In A Thin-Centric World"

Video "Winsor Pilates: Ab Sculpting"

Video "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest"?

Book "The Lorax"

Book "Wordstar Made Easy"

Novel "The Bonesetter’s Daughter"

Book "Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror"?

Administrator Johnson also testified that the purpose of the EPA’s library modernization effort is to make all of the EPA materials more readily available to all EPA employees and the general public. The EPA’s consolidation of its resources is expected to save $2 million. EPA libraries nationwide are seeing significant drop off in usage by the general public and the agencies own employees. Johnson also testified that the agency is not destroying any unique EPA documents.

Link to EPA Administrator’s Testimony before EPW.

Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) EPW Ranking Member Opening Statement.