Washington, DC — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fired an environmental engineer for raising the need to monitor for microplastic pollution in the permit for the first aquaculture project in federal waters, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), which is representing him in challenging the dismissal. Given that microplastics can leach from the synthetic nets, monitoring microplastics would help EPA understand this emerging contamination issue and the potential public health risks from exposure to microplastics.

Kip Tyler served as an environmental engineer within EPA’s Southeast Region, handling water pollution permitting and enforcement. He had worked at EPA since 2009. As a national expert in aquaculture, he had been assigned to write the draft permit for Ocean Era’s proposed aquaculture operation in the federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tyler included a microplastics monitoring requirement in the draft permit to gather information to better assess public health risks, which was readily agreed to by the permittee. Initially, his superiors in the Regional Office told him his approach to the monitoring “looks wise.” However, after checking with EPA headquarters, Tyler’s managers ordered him to remove the monitoring condition. Tyler disagreed and, upon advice of EPA’s since departed Scientific Integrity Officer, he filed a Differing Scientific Opinion (DSO) pursuant to EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy. EPA placed Tyler on administrative leave for a period of roughly nine months, before firing him on May 20, 2026. Tyler is appealing his firing to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), a federal agency that resolves appeals from terminated federal government employees. PEER serves as counsel for Tyler in his MSPB appeal, which was filed on July 6, 2026.

Microplastics can be ingested, inhaled, and dermally absorbed, and they accumulate in human tissues and organs such as the brain, heart, testicles, placenta, and lymph nodes. This can contribute to inflammation, immune disruption, reproductive issues, cardiovascular disease, and other health risks.

“Kip Tyler was fired while simply doing his job protecting public health,” stated PEER Senior Counsel Aaron Lloyd, an attorney formerly with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, who is leading the appeal of his removal before the MSPB. “EPA’s targeting of Mr. Tyler signals that this was retaliation rather than a reasoned personnel decision.”

Meanwhile, environmental groups challenged the draft Ocean Era permit before EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) on several grounds, including the need to address microplastics. The EAB upheld the appeal and remanded the permit back to EPA for further consideration, stating that the “Region clearly erred in concluding that the modified permit would not cause unreasonable degradation of the marine environment because the record does not reflect that the Region exercised considered judgment regarding pathogens and microplastics.”

“Kip Tyler was right on both the law and the science relating to microplastics,” added PEER Science Policy Director Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney formerly with EPA. “EPA has ample statutory authority to address microplastics, but industry is pressuring the agency to ignore the growing threat of these ubiquitous contaminants, and EPA is falling into line. Kip Tyler is a prime example of EPA shooting the messenger because they don’t want to hear the message.”

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See the EAB decision finding that EPA did not explain potential risks from microplastics  

Read recent research on microplastics in aquaculture:
Note risk of aquaculture-derived microplastics in aquaculture areas
Look at analysis of microplastic release from aquaculture nets 

PEER protects public employees who protect our environment, natural resources, and public health. We support current and former environmental and public health professionals, land managers, scientists, enforcement officers, and other civil servants dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values across federal, state, local, and tribal governments.