Whistleblowers from EPA’s chemicals office were reassigned, skipped for promotions and generally harassed by senior-level managers who said they were “too ‘conservative'” when determining if a new chemical poses risks.
The agency’s Office of Inspector General found three of five employees who came forward were retaliated against for expressing differing opinions on new chemical risk assessments, a violation of the agency’s scientific integrity policy. One of the employees faced retaliation after managers violated the Whistleblower Protection Act by forwarded an unredacted email containing protected information.
The five reports released Tuesday detail a hostile workplace between 2018 and 2022 where employees were called “piranhas” and “pot stirrers” for bringing up concerns about a new chemical on the fast-track for approval. Each of the five were given lower ratings on their yearly performance evaluations, a form of retaliation, the inspector general found.
Advertisement
Facing inadequate resources and no budget increases, burnt-out employees have for years faced immense pressure to speed up reviews in order to meet the deadline.
An EPA spokesperson said the whistleblower’s complaints are a bygone of the Trump administration, and the agency under President Joe Biden “has restored scientific integrity as the cornerstone of its work to protect public health and the environment, including reinstating key whistleblower protections that empower employees to share their own,...
New to Versa? It's an app designed to help you grow your savings easily. Deposit RM100 and get a RM10 bonus with the code VERSAMM10 KOTA KINABALU, Nov 25 — Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah will l...