Freedom of Information Act lawsuit targets ‘National Energy-Water Roadmap’ report

A report ordered by Congress in 2005 on the connection between U.S. energy production and demands on water supplies is the target of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI) against the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, according to a press release.

According to CSI’s complaint, the first part of the report was made public in 2006, but the second portion, titled the “National Energy-Water Roadmap” and drafted by experts at the Sandia National Laboratories, has been held up since July 2006.

“On information and belief, DOE has blocked the issuance of the Roadmap over the last four years because it shows energy policy has not given adequate consideration to the nation’s limited water resources,” the complaint stated.