Chamber Asks NOAA to Withdraw Climate Report

Chamber Asks NOAA to Withdraw Climate Report

Says to Stop Trying to Hide Data from Public

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today filed comments asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to withdraw its recently published climate change science Synthesis Report because much of the information it seeks comments on is not yet publicly available.

"If this nation is to develop an effective climate change policy it needs to be grounded on sound science," said Bill Kovacs, the U.S. Chamber's vice president of environment, technology and regulatory affairs. "Asking the public to comment on documents it has not seen is about as far from the scientific method as one can possibly get. The public deserves scientific information if it is to validate this report."

On July 17, 2008 NOAA published its Synthesis Report notice of availability and request for public comment in the Federal Register. This report summarizes 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products (SAPs) of the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) as well as the recent IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Unfortunately, only 8 of the 21 underlying Synthesis and Assessment Products have been completed and several are not even scheduled to be completed until October 2008.

"This is a clear breakdown in a regulatory process that is supposed to be open and transparent," Kovacs said. "The Federal Register notice should be withdrawn until the proper data is provided to allow for a thorough public review process, as required by law.

"This is an example of NOAA trying to avoid compliance with the Information Quality Act, which requires transparency and the use of good quality data by the government when promulgating rules," he said. "By releasing the draft report for peer review, this offers the appearance of public review without NOAA providing all the information.

"NOAA should stop trying to hide the facts," Kovacs said. "How we address climate policy impacts every American. All science supporting climate policy needs to be made public so we can have an honest debate about the issue."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

www.uschamber.com

# # #