PCAST Future Is Uncertain Under Clinton

Presidential science panel may have to change its ways -- if, that is, it continues to exist Science journalists who brought a federal lawsuit against the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) say the court action has resulted in an opening up of some meetings of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST) and release of documents detailing PCAST's operations. They say they hope the case also will serve to send a warning to other federal scienc

Written byBarton Reppert

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Presidential science panel may have to change its ways -- if, that is, it continues to exist

Science journalists who brought a federal lawsuit against the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) say the court action has resulted in an opening up of some meetings of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST) and release of documents detailing PCAST's operations.

They say they hope the case also will serve to send a warning to other federal science and technology advisory panels that closing of meetings to the press and public is likely to be challenged, unless it is done in compliance with provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

However, several outgoing members of PCAST, which was formed by the Bush administration in early 1990, have told The Scientist that they believe their most important contribution was not through open meetings or published ...

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