Advocacy Groups Question Whether Future Cases Will Be
                         Subject to the Secrecy Order

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The US Department of Justice agreed
today to withdraw its motion to the US Court of Federal Claims Office of
Special Master to seal all documents related to present thimerosal-autism
claims.  The Mercury Policy Project and SAFE MINDs said that the withdrawal of
the motion was a step in the right direction. However, the groups questioned
whether documents in future cases would be subject to the secrecy order.
    "The Bush Administration has overreached in its attempt to seal documents
in thimerosal cases and the withdrawal of their motion bears that out," said
Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project.  "Unfortunately, this
agreement only addresses half the loaf of bread.  While the motion's
withdrawal may help those involved in current litigation, it leaves unresolved
what this means for future cases."
    While the groups acknowledge that some information unearthed in court
should be kept private -- like trade secrets -- they maintain that scientific
studies and information should not qualify.  In addition to the documents
obtained through discovery from Eli Lilly, these also include unreleased
confidential documents from the Centers for Disease Control stating that
mercury in children's vaccines is a potential source of neurological damage in
children including ADD/ADHD, speech and language delays and other neurological
disorders including autism.
    "We question the Bush Administration's blatant attempt to hide from the
American public documents affecting the health and safety of millions of
children -- especially when the material in question is as dangerous as
mercury," said Lyn Redwood, Pres. SAFE MINDs.  "What are they trying to hide?"
    While federal law typically seals documents in individual cases, it has
not been applied to omnibus proceedings like the autism cases.
    "What's the policy argument for such incredible secrecy?" said Sallie
Bernard, executive director of SAFE MINDs.  "The timing and the scope of this
unprecedented secrecy action by the Bush Administration raises serious
questions, considering that lawmakers have pledged to revisit the thimerosal
liability shield provision in the Homeland Security Act when they return in
January."
    "The Bush Administration's secrecy request was premature, highly unusual
and went against federal rules that impose severe restrictions on sealing of
documents," said MPP director Bender.  "The public -- and especially families
of autistic children -- have a right to know about what Eli Lilly knew and
when they knew it, both now and into the future."
    The Mercury Policy Project and SAFE MINDs are non-profit organizations
dedicated to reducing and eliminating mercury exposure and improving
children's health and environmental outcomes through the elimination,
treatment, and scientific investigations of mercury, regardless of its source,
including thimerosal in medical products.

     More information is available at --
     http://www.safeminds.org
     http://www.mercurypolicy.org

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