IS THE British government hiding something? A blaze of publicity greeted the UK’s Freedom of Information Act (FOI) when it came into force on 1 January. Yet hardly anybody knows about another piece of legislation implemented on the same day, which is potentially far more effective. It can be used to uncover information about everything from chemical emissions and radiation to noise pollution and genetically modified organisms.
Like the FOI, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 allow the public to request information from thousands of public authorities. It was introduced separately because it has to conform with European Union rules on…
