Comments on: Environment Agency charges for data that were free – creating risk to water http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2007/05/environment-agency-charges-for-data-that-were-free-creating-risk-to-water/ A Guardian Technology campaign for free public access to non-personal data about the UK and its citizens Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:15:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Free Our Data: the blog » Blog Archive » Free O’Data: Ireland makes (some) data free http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2007/05/environment-agency-charges-for-data-that-were-free-creating-risk-to-water/comment-page-1/#comment-58866 Free Our Data: the blog » Blog Archive » Free O’Data: Ireland makes (some) data free Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:38:43 +0000 http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/?p=125#comment-58866 [...] An interesting contrast with the Environment Agency for England and Wales, which as we pointed out in May, is trying to charge people for details about water extraction locations: [the] Environment Agency… used to make available the data about the location of “source protection zonesâ€? – essentially, areas around groundwater sources which must be protected from pollution to avoid contamination of drinking water supplies. [...]

]]> By: Kati Grey http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2007/05/environment-agency-charges-for-data-that-were-free-creating-risk-to-water/comment-page-1/#comment-33662 Kati Grey Fri, 18 May 2007 09:55:58 +0000 http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/?p=125#comment-33662 I find it amazing that the government charges for data that the taxpayer has already paid for in the first place, through the salaries and operating budgets of the government agencies. While I am loathed to say it, wouldn't it be nice if the UK went the way of the United States in this matter. Technical information that is generated from public agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency is freely available to the public, any public, world wide. The rationale is that the information was purchased by the US taxpayer in the first place; charging for the information again is equivalent to double charging. This rationale is applied to computer models developed by US agencies and analytical reports, as well as, basic information collected by these agencies. Why should the public be charged again, no matter who they are, individuals or the staff of environmental companies? It's time government agencies learn that the British public are the ultimate holders of the purse strings and freedom of information should mean 'freedom to information for everyone'. I find it amazing that the government charges for data that the taxpayer has already paid for in the first place, through the salaries and operating budgets of the government agencies. While I am loathed to say it, wouldn’t it be nice if the UK went the way of the United States in this matter.

Technical information that is generated from public agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency is freely available to the public, any public, world wide. The rationale is that the information was purchased by the US taxpayer in the first place; charging for the information again is equivalent to double charging. This rationale is applied to computer models developed by US agencies and analytical reports, as well as, basic information collected by these agencies.

Why should the public be charged again, no matter who they are, individuals or the staff of environmental companies? It’s time government agencies learn that the British public are the ultimate holders of the purse strings and freedom of information should mean ‘freedom to information for everyone’.

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