The U.S. Office of Special Counsel this week mostly substantiated the allegations of Agriculture Department whistleblowers who called attention to poor working conditions at the dilapidated Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland and recommended the department offer them bonuses.
The saga dates back more than two years to when Building 007 at the 6,000-acre facility flooded for the second time in the span of five years, when, after a fruitless meeting with officials over the inadequate cleanup effort, officials with the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3147 filed whistleblower complaints with OSC. OSC in June of 2023 found a “substantial likelihood” of wrongdoing on the part of management in connection with the case and ordered USDA to conduct an investigation into the matter.
In its final report, sent to President Trump more than a year after USDA concluded its investigation, OSC substantiated most of the whistleblowers’ allegations, including the existence of “pervasive” safety problems at many of BARC’s buildings, that employees lacked the tools necessary maintain and repair buildings, and that facilities management workers lacked the training needed to address the facility’s many issues.
“The agency’s investigation largely substantiated the whistleblowers’ allegations, finding pervasive safety deficiencies in many of the facilities and structures at BARC, including a general lack of housekeeping; excessive dirt and grime; flaking and...
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