Scientific Integrity Policy
Date: July 26, 2022
Environmental Protection Agency Activity
EPA Putting Lab Animals Up for Adoption
Research Cuts and Lab Closures Create Surplus of Experimental Subjects
PEERMail | Former DOJ Attorney Joins PEER
PEER welcomes Joanna Citron Day, a former environmental enforcement attorney with 20+ years of experience at DOJ, ...
COMMENTARY | Trump’s First Months in Office: PEER’s Response
PEER is working to protecting the integrity of the civil service and represent government employees under attack ...
Mass Involuntary Idling of Federal Employees Is Illegal
Excessive Use of Administrative Leave Harms Civil Servants and Taxpayers
COMMENTARY | EPA’s Disgraceful Forever Chemicals Retreat
EPA’s retreat on PFAS not only betrays the agency’s mission but makes a mockery of the Trump Administration’s ...
Video | Impacted Federal Workers on the Importance of Environmental Justice at EPA
Listen to the stories of federal workers impacted by the Trump administration's and EPA’s plans to shut down all ...
Comment – implementation of the definition of “Waters of the United States”
Comments on the implementation of the definition of “Waters of the United States”
EPA Abandons Setting Chemical Testing Priorities
Statutorily Mandated Updates of Target Chemicals Dropped from Agenda
Webinar | DOGE and Climate Change: What’s Really Happening at NOAA and EPA, and Why It Matters
Join experts to explore how changes at EPA and NOAA will weaken efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ...
EPA Environmental Justice Staff Seeks Return to Work
“EJ” Employees’ Class Action Pursues Reassignment and Escape from Limbo
Biosolid Fertilizer Maker Confirms PFAS in Product
Company Has Not Published Supposedly Exonerating “Independent” Study
Big Brother Beckons EPA’s Workforce
Agency Offers Free Wi-Fi Connectivity to Employees’ Personal Devices
Comment – ANPRM for 6PPD-quinone – Regulatory Investigation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act
Comments on ANPRM for 6PPD-quinone - Regulatory Investigation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act
Comment – EPA petition seeking rulemaking to modify labeling requirements for pesticides and devices
Comments on the Environmental Protection Agency petition seeking rulemaking to modify labeling requirements for ...
Letter to Representatives – EPA Disabled Mailroom Workers
Letter to Senator Whitehouse, Senator Van Hollen, Congresswoman Norton, Congressman Raskin, and Congressman ...
EPA Emails Ordered Stripped to Bare Minimum
Employee Sign-offs Limited to Name, Rank, Location, and Phone Number
Texas County Seeks Federal Aid for PFAS Contamination
Johnson County Commissioners Pass Resolution for Emergency Declaration
PEERMail | Battling the Musk-Trump Confederacy
We are working around the clock to keep up with the challenges public employees are facing and to challenge the ...
Letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin – Musk Access to EPA Databases
Letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin regarding Elon Musk's Access to EPA Databases
EPA’s Zeldin Must Reveal Musk Ties
PEER calls on Zeldin to Protect Confidential Data
COMMENTARY | Anonymous Activism and Whistleblowing in the Age of Trump
PEER anticipates a flood of requests for our legal services during Trump 2.0. Here's an overview of our approach ...
EPA’s Scientific Integrity Policy Too Little Too Late
Rhetoric Alone No Meaningful Check on Trump's Reign of "Alternative Facts"
COMMENTARY | Three Things You May Have Missed About Project 2025
With the election behind him, Trump is now embracing the people and ideas behind Project 2025, a conservative plan ...
Don’t Cede Chemical Safety to Chemical Manufacturers
EPA Nominee Should Keep Corporate Foxes Out of Regulatory Henhouse
PEERMail | Starting the New Year Strong
Victories for federal employees and public health, and a thank you for your generosity during our end-of-year ...
EPA Takes Steps to Require Waste Incinerators to Report Toxic Output
Chemical Releases Will Be Included in EPA Toxics Release Inventory
COMMENTARY | The Federal Workforce Isn’t So Bloated
In a climate where the size of government can trigger political outrage, it is essential to note that many ...
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
Written comments to Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Beyond 2025 Steering Committee regarding Steering Committee ...
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?
Few pesticides have raised more red flags across the world in recent years than an insecticide called aldicarb.
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
