Checking out stimulus-fund recipients
The Boston Globe and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University looked at the workplace safety and pollution records of construction companies that have received stimulus funds. They write:
“Thirteen companies that have been awarded nearly $54 million in contracts this year have a history of environmental or workplace safety penalties, state and federal records show. Nine of those companies did not disclose those violations as required, [Highway Division Administrator Luisa] Paiewonsky said.”
Joe Bergantino
The reporting by Joe Bergantino (left), Maggie Mulvihill and Sydney Lupkin also resulted in a public radio segment and a cable-TV piece.
Today’s Tip: Use stimulus-funding data as a jumping-off point to search local and state records for information about the recipients.
Using data from OSHA, the EPA’s database for environmental violations and a federal court system Web site, the reporters tracked previous violations. You can see other data used for the story here.
