Office of the Special Counsel The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency whose authority derives from the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Hatch Act, and the Uniformed...
Freedom of Speech for Public Servants Thanks to a major Supreme Court ruling in 2006 (Justice Samuel Alito’s first swing vote), public employees at all levels have no – as in zero – First Amendment free speech rights when in their role as public servants This because,...
For Immediate Release: Monday, February 22, 2021 Contact: Jerry Phillips (850) 877-8097; Kirsten Stade [email protected] Record Manatee Mortality in New Year More Than 300 Die in Six Weeks; Vast Majority Not Necropsied Washington, DC — The first six weeks of 2021 have...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, February 19, 2021 CONTACT Kyla Bennett (508) 230-9933 NOAA Kisses Off Right Whale Survival New NOAA Finding at Odds with Science, Facts, and the Law Washington, DC — A proposal that purportedly helps the critically endangered North...
Revolving Door The only meaningful post-government restrictions are Revolving Door statutes governing employment activities of former federal and many state employees. These statutes seek to prevent conflicts of interest (often called Switching Sides) by restricting...
The Risks of Paying for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Sequestration On January 27, President Biden issued his Executive Order (EO), Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. It includes numerous positive provisions that should bring the U.S. back into the...
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 Contact: Kirsten Stade [email protected] National Academy Blisters EPA Chemical Risk Assessments EPA Approach Not “Comprehensive, Workable, Objective, and Transparent” Washington, DC — In a new report, the...
What’s Next On Scientific Integrity? On January 27th, President Biden issued an Executive Memorandum on scientific integrity in the federal government. The memo lays out a process for a Task Force on Scientific Integrity as well as agency heads for developing...
Research Suppression at USDA and Stagnation of Agricultural Science Former PEER client Jonathan Lundgren, PhD, was a top-rated USDA research scientist until he started revealing the environmental harms, especially to bees and other pollinators, of the neonicotinoid...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, February 11, 2021 Contact Jeff Ruch (510) 213-7028 Newsom Backs Off Santa Susana Clean-Up Guarantee Permanent Pollution OK Is Focus of Closed-Door Negotiation with Boeing Oakland —After months of tough talk, the Newsom...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, February 4, 2021 Contact Jeff Ruch (510) 213-7028 Federal Wildlife Disease Labs in Dangerous Shape Biosafety Breaches Risk Zoonotic Outbreaks and Hinder COVID Research Washington, DC — As the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the...
Vilsack Pick Fails Scientific Integrity Test On January 21, President Biden issued an extensive Executive Memorandum to department heads on the issue of scientific integrity. One federal agency that conducts much important scientific work is the U.S. Department of...
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, February 2, 2021 Contact: Chandra Rosenthal [PEER] (303) 898-0798; Kirsten Stade [email protected] Call for Federal Intervention Vs Colorado Air Pollution State Inaction on Coal Plant Emissions Endangering Public Health...
Cautious Optimism for Biden’s Climate Direction Last week, the Biden administration issued a sweeping set of executive orders to address climate change, environmental justice, public lands and scientific integrity in the coming years. These orders are an...
Social Distancing to Curb COVID-19 and National Park Overcrowding Donald Trump wanted to pretend that the COVID pandemic could be ignored and would just magically go away, even as it has now taken more American lives than were lost in World War II. Part of this façade...
For Immediate Release: Monday, February 1, 2021 Contact: Jeff Ruch [PEER] (510) 213-7028; Sally Schlichting [SEACC] (907) 957-3488 Tongass Timber Sales Mismanaged – Official Audit “Pressure to Meet Timber Sale Goals” Led to Violations and Financial Losses Washington,...
For Immediate Release: Friday, January 29, 2021 Contact: Kirsten Stade [email protected] Vilsack’s Disturbing Suppression of USDA Science His Biotech Advocacy Quashed Research Showing Adverse Effects Washington, DC — As Secretary of Agriculture under Obama, Tom...
For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 28, 2021 Contact: Kirsten Stade [email protected], Jennifer Kunze [email protected] Maryland Clean Energy Program Has Big Dirty Component Consumers Paying More for High-Polluting Renewables “Dressed in Green” Washington, DC...
The Biden administration announced yesterday a sweeping set of orders to address climate change, environmental justice, public lands and scientific integrity in the coming years. This bold vision is desperately needed and long overdue. The orders include, among other...
