An internal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) watchdog has found that top officials wrongfully retaliated against three staff scientists who disagreed about the handling of risk assessment procedures for new chemicals.
It’s also alleged that risk assessments were altered, despite objections from the scientists, to approve the new chemicals for use within a “ridiculous” 90-day statutory deadline.
According to the Sept. 17 Whistleblower Reprisal Investigation findings, the EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) watchdog received hotline complaints from five EPA scientists who raised multiple misconduct allegations, including that the agency took retaliatory actions from 2019 through 2022.
Across the five separate reports, the OIG said it found that three of these employees faced retaliation in violation of the EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy after protesting the rushing through of human health assessments for new chemicals being approved for commercial release. The OIG also found that one scientist was retaliated against in violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act....
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