The GAO report on the EPA Library closures, issued 13 March, was requested by the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in February 2007 following an outcry by the public and the library community at the destruction of environmentally sensitive documents and restriction of access to important public health information contained in the EPA libraries
"SLA was the first library association to denounce the closures in February 2006, and we have continued to work diligently to ensure that the concerns of our members and the public's best interest are considered and appropriately addressed in the EPA's strategy and operations plans going forward," said SLA Chief Executive Officer Janice R. Lachance. "This report echoes what we have been saying all along, and brings to light the inherent flaws in the EPA's information strategy. We believe that this is another step along the right path, and we look forward to continuing our open dialog with EPA on recommended next steps as they move in a better direction to improve, rather than hinder, the ability of scientists and the public to gain access to vital environmental information and data."
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