Scientists, Congress worry about move to restrict access to satellite data

Ten years ago, a Canadian ice breaker was deliberately parked in an ice pack 300....

  Ten years ago, a Canadian ice breaker was deliberately parked in an ice pack 300 miles north of Barrow and allowed to drift as scientists studied the environment and the effects of global warming.Among those tracking the ice breaker were top-secret U.S. spy satellites. With the OK of a little-noticed but influential government committee known as the Civil Applications Committee, those reconnaissance photos were released to scientists. The committee, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Geological Survey, reviews civilian requests for classified reconnaissance information and makes a recommendation to the intelligence community, which has the final say on what is declassified.The spy data can be helpful to scientists studying everything from volcanoes, forest fires, earthquakes and landslides to climate change, hurricanes, flooding and pollution. The Bush administration plans to abolish the committee and create an office within the Department of Homeland Security to review such requests, along with those from law enforcement agencies. Scientists are concerned their requests could be sidetracked or delayed as security and law enforcement needs take precedent."The shift would be a grave mistake and the administration should rethink its plan," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. Dicks is chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee with control over the Geological Survey, and he is the senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee. He said federal scientists do not like the plan."They are worried," Dicks said. "The scientists say this information is very valuable to them and they are concerned this new office will be looking more at homeland security and law enforcement."The Canadian icebreaker drifted more than 1,800 miles while frozen in place for a year as researchers tracked changes in the ice pack. Eventually, nearly 60 photos from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency were released.