August 12, 2025
Uncovered EPA Efforts to Surveil and Discredit Environmental Whistleblower
WASHINGTON—Recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents released to Government Accountability Project reveal that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) engaged in a systematic ongoing effort to track and discredit independent scientist and Government Accountability Project whistleblower client, Scott Smith. These FOIA documents reveal a chilling pattern of EPA surveillance and retaliation against Smith, who uncovered significant dioxin elevations in East Palestine following the Norfolk Southern train derailment and illegal open burn of five vinyl chloride train cars and whose work has been validated by dozens of other independent scientists.
Within a week of Smith’s first media interview on dioxin elevations in East Palestine and within 72 hours of Smith’s Fox News March 2023 interview discussing his proven tests of the air, water, soil, and homes in East Palestine that showed contamination far beyond typical baseline levels seen in unaffected communities, EPA officials began collecting his personal information and tracking his movements in East Palestine. The agency monitored his social media posts—even circulating photos of his dog—and distributed his whereabouts to over 50 EPA employees. When Smith offered to share his test results in reciprocity with EPA and provided detailed explanations of his methodology in a July 27, 2023, email titled “Clearing Up Confusion,”...
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