Maintaining Scientific Integrity

Public agency scientists are under growing political pressure to alter, dilute, or suppress their findings on issues of controversy. All too frequently, government leaders repudiate or interfere with the work of scientists when evidence supports policies that threaten powerful interests. This is especially true for those scientists working on environmental and public health issues, who must contend with:

• • The suppression of science related to climate change and energy uses;
  • Altering or disregarding environmental impact assessments;
  • Interference in research and staff decisions;
  • Retaliation for conclusion that are inconvenient to a political viewpoint or that expose scientific integrity abuses.

For each story in the news, scores of other instances are taking place behind the scenes in government laboratories, in grant review sessions, and in field stations across the country. On issues ranging from climate change to children’s health to pollution permits to land management issues, public agency scientists are being censored, obstructed, and marginalized.

PEER provides free, accessible, and completely confidential legal consultation and counsel to government scientists. We work to keep government science strong, independent, and transparent so that it can support effective decision-making.