A federal judge has ordered the Department of Energy to turn over materials from a disbanded task force convened to make a scientific case to repeal a key climate finding.
The order, issued during a hearing Monday, came after the Justice Department said in court filings that it would no longer contest a claim that it violated federal transparency laws when it gathered a group of handpicked climate skeptics to make a scientific case to repeal a key climate finding. Senior Judge William Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said DOE must hand over records from the Climate Working Group to the Environmental Defense Fund within two weeks.
During the Monday hearing, DOJ attorney John Halloran acknowledged a September court order from Young that found the Climate Working Group would likely be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which requires transparency from groups that advise agencies.
“There are really no concessions that I’d like to present,” Halloran said, adding the government believes Young’s September order resolves the FACA claims against the agency. “We are not contesting the merits of the FACA case against DOE.”
