^®: CRE Regulatory Action of the Week

CRE Commends NOAA/NMFS on DQA Implementation
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service share the same Data Quality Act guidelines. The agencies are implementing their guidelines in an exemplary manner.

For example, their guidelines include an express provision that acknowledges frequent NOAA/NMFS reliance on studies prepared by third parties, especially international organizations. The NOAA/NMFS guidelines state that while these third party reports are not subject to the DQA guidelines themselves, NOAA/NMFS cannot use or rely on the third party reports unless the reports meet the DQA guidelines.

As another example, NMFS is investigating the causes of whale strandings on the North Carolina coast. The agency has posted a preliminary report on the results of its investigation. The preliminary reports states, "The full report will be released after a two step peer review process in accordance with NOAA's policies for implementation of the Information Quality Act."

Federal agencies are often criticized, fairly or unfairly. When they do the right thing, they should be praised.