DISCLAIMER: The press release titled, "Sierra Club Asks Judge to Order Energy Task Force to Hand Over Key Documents" is to be used only for charitable and public education purposes as it was created using 501(c)(3) funds. Please feel free to send that release to other reporters, colleagues and interested parties, but further distribution of that release must also be for charitable purposes, not for legislative lobbying. Communications with Congress that are aimed at influencing an administrative action rather than legislation are not lobbying. For Immediate Release: October 1, 2002 Contact: Zack Roth, (202) 675 6279 David Bookbinder, (202) 548 4598 Sierra Club Asks Judge to Order Energy Task Force to Hand Over Key Documents Washington, D.C. - The Sierra Club today formally asked a federal judge to order the government to release documents relating to the Bush administration's energy policy. The order became necessary when it became clear that the Bush administration would not comply with outstanding requests to produce the information. The Sierra Club and Judicial Watch have sued to gain access to documents which would shed light on who Vice President Cheney's energy task force collaborated with in drawing up the administration's polluting, dangerous energy plan. Despite many calls by Judge Emmet Sullivan for the material to be released, Justice Department lawyers have consistently refused to comply, repeatedly making unsubstantiated claims of "executive and deliberative privilege". A court order would compel the government to end its foot-dragging. "The government can run but it can't hide," said David Bookbinder, senior attorney with the Sierra Club. "Sooner or later, it's going to have to level with the American people about the influence of big oil, gas, and coal on our nation's energy policy." When the Bush administration drew up its energy plan last year, it gave short shrift to environmentalists, but held a series of closed door meetings with polluting industries like oil, gas, and coal, all of which were generous campaign contributors. Sure enough, the plan that the task force came up with would provide billions of dollars in giveaways to these very corporate polluters, open the pristine Arctic Refuge to destructive oil drilling, and do next-to-nothing to reduce oil consumption or encourage the use of renewable energy. Now, as a dangerous and backward-looking energy bill based largely on this plan is being considered, Sierra Club is asking for a full accounting of what happened when the Cheney task force rolled out the red carpet for industry, including: who was in the room; what proposals did the energy industry executives and lobbyists make; what documents did the energy industry submit; and what task force documents did they review. "Today we're one step closer to finding out what went on behind closed doors when Vice President Cheney invited corporate polluters into the White House, and left the American people outside," continued Bookbinder. "It is disappointing that we have to use the courts to gain access to crucial information on how the government is conducting the nation's business." ### Erin E. Jordahl Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club 3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280 Des Moines, IA 50310 515-277-8868 [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]