Eco-Enforcement

Senior Counsel

Jeff serves as Senior Counsel to PEER, where he specializes in civil service, scientific integrity, and whistleblower protection issues. Jeff was PEER’s Executive Director from 1997 to 2019 and its Pacific Director from 2019 to 2025. Previously, he was the Policy Director and a staff attorney at the Government Accountability Project, representing whistleblowers from both the public and private sectors. Before coming to DC, Jeff worked in California state government for 17 years, mostly in the State Legislature as counsel to various committees where he drafted hundreds of laws on topics ranging from energy conservation to the rights of employed inventors. Jeff served stints as a deputy district attorney and an appellate court clerk. He is a graduate of the California Correctional Officers Academy.

COMMENTARY | U.S. Geological Survey Labs Must Cure Culture of Reprisal

by Jeff Ruch | October 5, 2022
Third party review will help prevent future scientific scandals at the U.S. Geological Survey by providing a safe channel for USGS scientists to report problems without fear of reprisal ...

Eco-Studies Releasing Most Potent Greenhouse Gas

by PEER | August 15, 2022
NSF Projects in Parks and Forests Pump Pounds of SF6 into Atmosphere ...

EPA Routinely Ignores Chemical Risk Calculations

by PEER | August 2, 2022
Workers imperiled by failures to flag serious known hazards ...

Florida’s Waters Awash in Sewage Spills

by PEER | July 20, 2022
Under DeSantis, More Inspections, More Pollution but Less Enforcement ...

National Park Ranger Ranks Spread Dangerously Thin

by PEER | July 19, 2022
Rescues Soar, Crime Rises in National Parks Lacking Enforcement Plans ...