Resource Center :
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Right-to-Know Databases :
Right-to-Know Databases
There are a number of databases useful in demonstrating the effectiveness and importance of access to government information or that can assist organizations in advocating. This section provides access to these databases.
Census data
- CensusScope - an easy-to-use tool for investigating U.S. demographic trends.
- U.S. Census Bureau - site contains census maps and data in a range of formats.
- USGS National Atlas -designed to provide a reliable summary of national-scale geographical information.
- StateMaster - a statistical database including information from various primary sources such as the US Census Bureau, the FBI, and the National Center for Educational Statistics, that allows users to compare states.
Congress
- Campaign Finance Maps from the FEC - visual displays of campaign finance information for both Presidential and House and Senate Elections through the most recent reporting period.
- Lobbying Disclosure Act Database - easily searchable lobbying disclosure database.
- Lobbying Contribution Databases for the Senate and House - searchable lobbying contributions databases.
- Legistorm - searchable databases of Congressional staff salaries, Congressional travel, financial disclosures, and foreign gifts.
Contract and grant data
For a summary of these databases see, "The Government Domain: Tracking Federal Dollars" by Peggy Garvin
- Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation - The federal government's primary database for recording contract awards, managed by the General Services Administration (GSA).
- Federal Assistance Awards Data System - Has information about federal financial assistance such as grants, loans, insurance, and direct subsidies
- USASpending.gov - OMB launched the site without any data in February 2007 in response to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA). FFATA calls for the Office of Management and Budget to establish a single, public, free, searchable website tracking all federal grants, loans, and contracts.
- FedSpending.org - Created by OMB Watch, FedSpending.org is a free, searchable database of federal government spending. The site uses government data from the Federal Assistance Awards Data System and the Federal Procurement Data System.
- Federal Contractor Misconduct Database - centralized database of reports of federal contractor misconduct compiled by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO)
Energy data
- Energy Citations - contains bibliographic records for energy and energy-related scientific and technical information from the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies.
- EnergyFiles - combines information, tools, and technologies to facilitate access to and use of scientific resources pertaining to science and technology of interest to the Department of Energy.
- The Energy Information Administration site - offers a plethora of energy data by a variety of criteria such as geography, sector, and process.
- Energy Technology Data Exchange's Energy Database - contains the world's largest collection of energy literature, with more than 3.8 million abstracted and indexed records.
- The Nuclear Energy Institute - provides nuclear industry data.
- The Renewable Resource Data Center - provides information on several types of renewable energy resources in the United States, in the form of publications, data, and maps.
Environmental data
- AirNow - provides information on current and future air quality and health effects.
- Clary-Meuser Research Network (Mapcruzin) - performs environmentally oriented GIS analysis and has developed WebMap tools such as an interactive TRI map. It also provides a list of reports, data, maps, and other information that has been taken off-line or made unavailable since September 11, 2001.
- ECHO - find information on compliance inspections and enforcement action taken in response to environmental law violations.
- Envirofacts - a single point of access to several EPA databases.
- Environmental Justice Geographic Assessment Tool - provides national information relevant to environmental justice assessments in four general sets of indicators, i.e., environmental, health, social, and economic.
- Integrated Risk Information System -
a database of human health effects that may result from exposure to various substances found in the environment.
- Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Database Search for LEPC by zip code, state, name and/or address.
- The National Library of Medicine's TOXNET - a cluster of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals and related areas provides a searchable TRI Database.
- RTK NET - The Right-to-Know Network provides free access to numerous databases, text files, and conferences on the environment.
- Scorecard - a source for free and easily accessible local environmental information. Simply type in a zip code to learn about environmental issues in your community.
- Surf Your Watershed - a service to help you locate, use, and share environmental information about your state and watershed.
- Tox Town - an introduction to toxic chemicals and environmental health risks you might encounter in everyday life, in everyday places.
- Vulnerable Zone Indicator System - allows you to quickly find out if an address of interest to you - your home, place of work, or child's school - could be affected by a chemical accident.
- Window to My Environment - a powerful web-based tool that provides a wide range of federal, state, and local information about environmental conditions and features in an area of your choice.
Labor data
Transportation data
Other data
- The Corporate Research Project - The Corporate Research Project is a non-profit center that assists community, environmental and labor organizations in researching and analyzing companies and industries.
- RegInfo.gov -
a searchable database containing most of the federal regulatory actions in progress - a compilation of the "regulatory agendas" of more than 60 federal agencies.
- Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Database - includes federal advisory committee charters, members, transcripts, and other information.
- Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) - comprehensive source for official statements, advanced refunding documents and real-time trade price information on municipal securities.
- Defense Technical Information Center - the largest central resource for DoD and government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today.
Any databases, sources, links or materials you would like to suggest for inclusion in this section? Please email us your idea with a short explanation and any links or supporting documents for review by our staff.
