Open records law beats trade secrets in Georgia pipeline case

from SavannahNow-->


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Public release of the maps — at least through Effingham County, where 39 miles of pipeline would go — were the subject of an open records request by Effingham Now, a sister publication of the Savannah Morning News. Kinder Morgan had given the maps to the county and indicated to Effingham officials that it didn’t want them made public. Among the reasons were to protect the nation’s infrastructure from terrorist attacks and to prevent the release of trade secrets.
David Hudson, attorney for this newspaper and Effingham Now, called the company’s claims “bogus.”
County officials said on April 9 that the maps wouldn’t be made public. Fortunately, after some pressure from a skeptical Commissioner Vera Jones, the county changed its mind.

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link:  http://savannahnow.com/opinion/2015-04-16/editorial-jumping-through-pipeline-hoops