November 20, 2009
UTNE READER

The Politics of Science

Is the EPA harassing its own researchers?

Article Tools
Bookmark and Share

The Environmental Protection Agency has come under congressional scrutiny after a bizarre series of incidents in which the nation’s environmental watchdog appears to be short-circuiting the work of some of its top scientists. As Gayle Worland reports in Westword (Feb. 4, 1999), the EPA is under investigation by the General Accounting Office for its treatment of agency researchers whose conclusions conflicted with EPA interests. One scientist, Brian Rimar, was subjected to an internal investigation, pulled from his own project, and eventually left the agency. Though EPA officials blamed the debacle on bureaucratic mix-ups, Rimar alleges the agency targeted him because the preliminary results of his study of copper poisoning near a Superfund site in Colorado would prevent the EPA from lowering water quality standards in the area. “The agency…contradicted its own mission and mishandled one of the most distressing chapters in the history of Superfund cleanup sites,” Worland writes. “Although the EPA is loaded with some of the country's best scientists, its management practices may be drowning in hazardous waste.”

RELATED CONTENT

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
Last Name: *
Address: *
City: *
State/Province: *
Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!