Commentary

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 | Addressing Radon Risks in Public Housing: PEER is Making Progress

by Chandra Rosenthal | January 28, 2024
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking and public housing is often ground zero for exposure ...

COMMENTARY | Rooting PFAS Out of Our Food Chain

by Jeff Ruch | January 22, 2024
Culminating three years of legal and advocacy work, the EPA issued an order prohibiting Inhance Technologies from producing PFAS during fluorination ...

COMMENTARY | Unveiling Challenges in Minnesota’s Forest Management

by Chandra Rosenthal | December 7, 2023
Minnesota DNR employees are concerned that the current forest management plan is unduly prioritizing timber production over conservation efforts ...

COMMENTARY | Artificial Turf – A Plague on the Earth

by Kyla Bennett | November 13, 2023
Like a nasty rash, artificial turf has spread beyond sports fields to urban lawns, schoolyards, and parks ...

COMMENTARY | PEER’s Response to Interior’s Law Enforcement Report

by Guest Contributor | November 7, 2023
The Department of Interior's long-awaited report highlighted the declining staffing levels within its agencies, especially NPS and BLM ...

COMMENTARY | Redeeming Santa Susana: Micro-Steps Up a Mountain

by Jeff Ruch | November 6, 2023
The communities around Santa Susana will continue to suffer while Boeing shirks responsibility and leaves a toxic legacy ...
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