Scientific Integrity Policy
Date: July 26, 2022
Environmental Protection Agency Activity
GOP Sees Scientific Integrity Policies as Anti-Trump
House Chair Says EPA Scientific Integrity Program Will “Usurp” Agenda
COMMENTARY | PFAS Endangering Our Food Supply
PEER is engaged in several efforts to prevent toxic PFAS from contaminating our food chain. Unfortunately, EPA is ...
COMMENTARY | Perils of Public Service: Oklahoma City Bombing Omens Gathering Again
As in the mid-90s, anti-government sentiments are running rampant. But today, these paranoid fantasies are fed by ...
Feds Should Stifle Heritage Foundation Witch Hunt
Right-Wing Group’s Fleet of FOIAs Seeks Employee Personal Information
PEERMail | EPA’s Retaliation Against Scientists Exposed
The U.S. EPA Inspector General found that the agency retaliated against scientists for protesting when EPA ...
Webinar | Saving Farmland: Battling Toxic PFAS in Biosolids in Texas and Beyond
Learn how millions of tons of sewage sludge (or biosolids) are contaminating American farmland with toxic PFAS chemicals.
EPA Scientists Punished for Identifying Chemical Risks
IG Report Identifies Problems In Approval of New Chemicals
PEERMail | Don’t Miss This: Saving Farmlands in Texas and Beyond!
The latest updates on our lawsuit against EPA on behalf of Texas farmers and ranchers impacted by toxic PFAS ...
EPA Flees PFAS Biosolids Contamination Crisis
EPA Ducks Responsibility to Regulate Toxic Sewage Sludge Fertilizer
Colorado Air Pollution Data Stays in the Dark
EPA Caves in Colorado Suit to Block Pollution Transparency
Comment – Steering Committee Report Beyond 2025 Draft Report
DESCRIPTION: Written comments to Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Beyond 2025 Steering Committee regarding Steering ...
PEERMail | Important Advocacy Updates: Driving Change Together
We've joined forces with our partners to champion several critical causes and address key concerns brought to us ...
New Suit Targets EPA Inaction on PFOA in Plastic Containers
EPA Sued for Failure to Implement TSCA Directive to Prevent Significant and Serious or Widespread Risks to Health
Webinar | Hidden Hazards: Whistleblowers, Industry Influence, and the Fight Against Toxics
PEER and Government Accountability Project present a webinar on the role whistleblowers have played in the East ...
PEERMail | Energy in the Air
We've had an active and exciting month - EPA responded to our concerns over the presence of PFAS in plastic ...
New Study Finds Alarming Rise in Persistent ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Pesticides
PFAS From Pesticide Products Detected in Rivers, Streams Throughout United States
Lawsuit to Prevent PFAS in Biosolid Fertilizer Expands
MOFGA and Johnson County, TX to join lawsuit against EPA seeking to limit PFAS levels in sewage sludge spread on ...
COMMENTARY | EPA Lacks a PFAS Containment Strategy
To stop the forever chemical crisis, EPA must interrupt the flow of PFAS reaching our water, soil, and food chain ...
COMMENTARY | EPA’s Effort to Misrepresent Pesticide Tests Backfires
EPA’s Effort to Misrepresent Pesticide Tests Backfires
This commentary was originally published in the Summer ...
IG Blasts EPA’s Lack of Scientific Integrity Procedures
Still No Rules for Addressing Political Interference Tainting Agency Science
PEERMail | We’re Suing to Protect Farmers
EPA must stop dithering and move quickly to protect America’s farmers and our food supply from these toxic chemicals.
Industry’s Untraceable Backchannel Into EPA
Erased Agency-Issued Cell Phones May Mask Improper Ex Parte Contacts
COMMENTARY | New White House Carbon Offsetting ‘Principles’ Lack Teeth
The administration should find the courage to reverse course and acknowledge that carbon offsets are a dangerous ...
PETITION | Save America’s Farms from Toxic Contamination
Petition to the Environmental Protection Agency to take immediate action to save American farms from being ...
EPA Sued to Remove PFAS from Biosolid Fertilizers
EPA Neglects Duty to Keep Toxic Forever Chemicals Out of Food and Water
EPA Union Wins Stronger Scientific Integrity Safeguards
Political Interference with Science Now Becomes an Unfair Labor Practice
PEERMail | We’re Calling Out Agency Neglect
Our analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's land health records reveals a systemic neglect of land ...
Comment – EPA Proposed ICR
DESCRIPTION: Written comments to EPA regarding proposed ICR (Information Collection Request) for the POTW ...
EPA Must Retract Fraudulent PFAS Report
Bogus Pesticide Finding Spotlights EPA’s Scientific Bankruptcy
Letter to Representatives Thompson and Scott – Remove Sections of FFNSA
DESCRIPTION: Letter to the House Committee on Agriculture's Chair and Ranking Member to remove sections of the ...
Legal Action Filed to Halt Carcinogenic PFAS in Fluorinated Containers
Citizen Groups File Notice of Intent to Sue EPA
COMMENTARY | Countdown for PEER’s Regulatory Petitions
Read the latest updates on eleven of the regulatory petitions we've worked on this year. With an election just ...
LAUSD Faces Federal, State, & County Pesticide Violations
School District Hobbles Independent Pesticide Oversight Committee Function
Maine’s Sears Island Causeway Permit Probed
Possible Missing Culvert Could Be a Permit Violation
COMMENTARY | New Integrity Policies Exhibit Old Problems
Biden directed all federal agencies to strengthen their scientific integrity policies. Three years later, no new ...
COMMENTARY | EPA’s Seresto Decision is Harmful to Your Pet
EPA approved Seresto pet collars to control fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and other pests. Almost immediately, they ...
Public Health Groups File Petition to Compel EPA to Remove PFAS Immediately from Fluorinated Plastic Containers
Citizen Petition Urges EPA to Act on Findings of Unreasonable Risk after Court Decision Wrongly Blocks EPA Orders
New PFAS Drinking Water Rule Good First Step, but Still Far to Go
PFAS Must Be Treated as a Class; Chemical-By-Chemical Approach is Futile
Comment – EPA Proposed Rule on PFAS
DESCRIPTION: Written comments to EPA regarding proposed rule listing only certain PFAS as hazardous ...
Maine Poised to Repeat Eco-Mistakes on Sears Island
Prior Wetland Violations Haunt Plans to Develop a New Wind-Farm Port
Flawed Fifth Circuit Decision Leaves Public Exposed to Toxic PFAS
Environmental Groups Vow to Fight On
COMMENTARY | Vital Safety Net for Pollinators in Peril
The EPA's 1984 eco-mistake led to the overuse of pesticides, the wholesale loss of pollinators, and widespread ...
Comment – Candidates for SACC
DESCRIPTION: Written comments to EPA regarding candidates under consideration for appointment to the Science ...
PETITION | Support EPA reforms for Bee and Bird Killing Pesticides
Petition to the U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs to protect wildlife and waterways by implementing stricter ...
Remove Forever Chemicals from Biosolid Fertilizers
PFAS Absorbed in Plants Are Major Exposure Pathway into our Food Chain
EPA Fears Empowering Its Own Scientists
Management Avoids Any Rules to Enforce Scientific Integrity Principles
PFAS in Biosolids Fertilizer Sparks Damages Lawsuit
Suit Charges Fertilizer Maker Synagro with Poisoning Farms and Livestock
EPA Conceals PFAS Health Info as Trade Secret
Lawsuit Demands Release of Data on PFAS in Fluorinated Containers
Comment – EPA Requirements for Treated Seeds
DESCRIPTION: Written comments regarding EPA requirements for treated seeds
TO: Environmental Protection ...
Comment – EPA Proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
DESCRIPTION: Written comments regarding proposed lead and copper rule improvements
TO: Environmental Protection ...
New Integrity Rules Differ on Allowable Scientist Speech
Agencies Range from Bans on Policy Discussion to “Open Discourse” Pledges
Op-Ed | Why is EPA Considering Lethal Pesticides for Florida Citrus?
Originally published in and reprinted with permission of The Orlando Sentinel.
Why is EPA Considering Lethal ...
EPA’s Latest Scientific Integrity Plan – Big Hat, No Cattle
No Implementing Rules to Enforce or Administer Lofty Rhetorical Standards
COMMENTARY | Rooting PFAS Out of Our Food Chain
Culminating three years of legal and advocacy work, the EPA issued an order prohibiting Inhance Technologies from ...
PEER and CEH Applaud EPA’s Decision to Protect People from PFAS that Leach from Plastic Containers
EPA Orders Inhance Technologies to Stop Exposing Millions of Americans to Dangerous PFAS in Fluorinated Plastic ...
COMMENTARY | Artificial Turf – A Plague on the Earth
Like a nasty rash, artificial turf has spread beyond sports fields to urban lawns, schoolyards, and parks.
“Forever Chemicals” Disposal is Creating a Health Nightmare
EPA is Failing to Control Spreading Web of PFAS Waste
Colorado’s Air Pollution Program Broken and Adrift
State’s Air Quality Worsens While Cosmetic Changes Ignore Core Problems
Lawsuit Probes Oak Ridge Clean Water Waiver
What Did EPA Administrator Regan Know When He Overruled His Experts?
Petition to EPA – NO2 and SO2-NAAQS – 10-04-2023 (PDF)
DESCRIPTION: Petition for Rulemaking to Establish Increments for the 1-hour Nitrogen Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide ...
PEERMail | Holding Polluters Accountable
It takes constant oversight by advocacy groups to make sure the government holds polluters accountable.
More Oil and Gas Wells Illegally Permitted in Colorado
Conservation groups petition EPA to step in and protect air quality
STATEMENT | IG Report Finds EPA New Chemical Review Process Badly Broken
EPA has not complied with applicable record keeping and quality assurance requirements when implementing its New ...
EPA Plays Political Shell Game on PFAS Definition
No Sound Scientific Basis Available for Any of the Changing Definitions
EPA Criminal Enforcement Sputters Back to Life
FY 23 Uptick After Enforcement Levels Hit Generational Lows Under Biden
Navy Refuses to Probe Hunters Point Toxic Disinformation
Navy IG Won’t Review False Statements on Sr-90 Levels in “Clean” Parcel
PEER and CEH Ask Court to Immediately Stop Unlawful PFAS Formation
Motion seeks to stop violations of federal law that are exposing millions of Americans to dangerous PFAS in ...
PEERMail | A Tempered Victory for Clean Air
EPA rejects a Trump-era proposal that would have lifted Clean Air Act regulations on two types of plastic recycling.
EPA Must Remove PFAS from Plastic Containers
New Analysis Demonstrates Health Risks to Millions of Americans Using Plastic Containers
STATEMENT | DOJ Falls Short on Protecting the Public from Unsafe Exposure to PFAS Chemicals
In their request for a declaratory judgement against Inhance, the DOJ failed to seek an injunction to stop ...
Pressure Mounts on EPA to Curb Bee-Killing Pesticides
New Reports and Findings Strip Away Agency’s Leeway for Further Evasion
COMMENTARY | EPA’s Whack-a-Mole “Forever Chemicals” Posture Is an Intolerable Failure
The agency must treat PFAS as a class of chemicals regulated in the same manner as the European Union and other ...
PEERMail | Pesticide Problems Grow
Pesticides have devastating effects on wildlife, human health, and many rural economies
High Levels of Dangerous ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in California’s Most-Used Insecticide
40% of Tested Agricultural Pesticide Products Contain PFAS
EPA Needs a Transparent Public Process for Inhance PFAS SNUNS
Unclear comment and review deadlines, heavy redactions, and disorganized files are blocking meaningful comments on ...
Gold Mine Expansion OK Shows Broken Air Permit Process
Colorado Refuses to Fix Major Underlying Flaws in Approving New Permit
PFAS Fluorinated Container Citizens’ Suit Dismissed Without Prejudice
Groups Plan Intervention in EPA Lawsuit Against Inhance Technologies
Hunters Point Festering Radiation Waste Woes
Navy Statements Mask Seriousness of Remaining Parcel G Contamination
Waste Incinerators’ Toxic Output Should Be Reported
Incinerator Chemical Releases Not Included in EPA Toxics Release Inventory
COMMENTARY | Letter to the EPA: Take Action on “Devil’s Bargain” Pesticides
The environment needs protection from neonic-coated seeds, which are by far the broadest pesticide/insecticide ...
Organizations Push to Get PFAS out of Plastic Containers
EPA must ban fluorination process that creates PFAS in plastics
COMMENTARY | The EPA is Hiding Behind Industry Secrets
This Sunshine Week, we discuss the use of “Confidential Business Information” to hide health and safety ...
STATEMENT | EPA’s Action on PFAS in Drinking Water
EPA’s chemical-by-chemical approach leaves the public unprotected from the vast majority of toxic but unregulated PFAS.
PEERMail | Reversing a Shocking Pesticides Decision
Because the overuse of pesticides is a significant cause of pollinator collapse, we are in this battle for the long term.
Scientific Basis for EPA’s Definition of PFAS Still Missing
Europe and Canada Embrace Inclusive PFAS Definitions While U.S. Dithers
Broadly Supported Petition Urges EPA Reforms for Bee and Bird-Killing Pesticides
Neonicotinoid insecticides targeted for wreaking eco-havoc despite lack of economic benefits
COMMENTARY | EPA Asks for Comment on PFAS Data It Won’t Release
EPA is asking the public to comment on fluorination of plastics but keeping important materials, including health ...
National Park Fossils May Block Big Transmission Line
Tule Springs Paleo Survey Results Complicate Controversial Greenlink Route
Groups Call on EPA to Ban Plastic Fluorination that Creates PFAS
EPA Must Release Withheld Health and Safety Studies
PFAS in Plastic Containers Should Not Be Confidential
Groups Urge EPA to Inform the Public of the Presence of Unsafe PFAS in Fluorinated Containers
PEERMail | We Are Suing to Prevent Further PFAS Contamination
Handling or using fluorinated containers could be a significant pathway for unsafe human exposure to PFOA and other PFAS.
Tens of Millions of Plastic Containers Treated with Fluorine Gas Leach Toxic PFAS Chemicals into Art and Cleaning Supplies, Food, and Other Household Products
Nonprofit Organizations File Suit Against Inhance Technologies to Stop Violations of U.S. EPA Regulations
EPA Cannot Retrieve Text Message Content
New “Deprovisioning Process” for Employees to “Wipe” Mobile Devices
EPA Scientific Integrity Program Lacks Integrity
Unable to Document Claimed Successes; Complaints Pending Since 2015
COMMENTARY | Why This Mining Permit Should Fail
Should an agency's misbehavior invalidate their decisions? When it comes to mining permits in Minnesota, PEER thinks so.
Letter to EPA Region 8 – Next Steps on Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment
DESCRIPTION: Letter to EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker requesting meeting on Colorado Department of Public ...
Substantial PFAS Contamination Found in Pesticides in Colorado
Threat to Food Chain Justifies Colorado Ban of All Pesticides Containing PFAS
Colorado Balks at EPA Ozone Reducing Recommendations
State Resists Reforms Identified by Whistleblowers and Confirmed by EPA
COMMENTARY | EPA Continues to Exempt the Most Widespread Bee- and Bird-Killing Insecticides
EPA continues to fail to regulate bee and bird killing pesticides, particularly those used to coat crop seeds.
Fumigant Decision Shows EPA Science at Its Worst
EPA Doubles Down on Mistakes Despite Whistleblower and IG Critiques
