Politics & Science

Politics & Science: News

New policies seek to delay, dilute and derail the development and use of scientific information at federal agencies. Because research and information precede any government action they have become a prime target of those seeking to slow down and weaken government protections. The Data Quality Act and Peer Review are two of the more prominent such policies tracked by OMB Watch.

News

Report Documents Political Meddling with Science at EPA 04/29/2008
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists are faced with widespread political interference that has significantly increased under the Bush administration, a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) shows. Hundreds of the scientists surveyed (60 percent) reported some degree of political meddling, ranging from unnecessary delays to forced resignations. Read More

Polar Bears Get Their Day in Congress 02/05/2008
At a Jan. 17 hearing, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming questioned the true motives behind the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) delay in deciding whether to list the polar bear as a threatened species. Read More

National Research Council Recommends Greater Openness 11/06/2007
The National Research Council of the National Academies issued a report in October calling for policies to improve government openness with regard to scientific information. The report stressed that certain government policies developed after 9/11 overly restrict access to scientific information and thereby harm scientific progress and national security. Read More

House Committee Holds Hearing on Abuse of Information 08/07/2007
A July 31 House Natural Resources Committee hearing continued to investigate reports of science manipulation within the U.S. Department of the Interior. Much of the hearing focused on the 2002 Klamath salmon die-off and former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald's interference in Endangered Species Act (ESA) findings. Read More

EPA Holds off Industry Attack on Health, Safety and Environmental Data 07/10/2007
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rejected the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Data Quality Act (DQA) challenge and appeal of supposed inconsistencies across several EPA databases. While agreeing to make a few changes, the agency refused the Chamber's demands that all variations between the EPA databases on chemicals be eliminated, stating that they were not errors but acceptable differences based on different scientific models. Read More

NASA Inspector General Faces Tough Questioning from Congress 06/12/2007
On June 7, the Senate and House held a joint hearing to investigate the conduct of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Inspector General, Robert Cobb. The hearing was conducted by the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Matters. Questions raised during the hearing concerned issues including the inspector general's alleged manipulation and interference with investigations, creation of a hostile environment for whistleblowers, and the destruction of records. Read More

Polar Bears: Don't Ask, Don't Tell 04/17/2007
New accusations of manipulating scientific information and gagging government scientists have arisen amidst the government's consideration of listing polar bears as an endangered species. Memos that censored scientists traveling to countries around the Arctic region and draft reports that were significantly altered in their final form have fueled these concerns. Read More

Findings on Whales and Sonar Remain Murky 05/02/2006
Two reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with vastly different conclusions raise questions both about the connection between Navy sonar and whale beachings and about consistency within, and the scientific integrity of, the agency. Read More

EPA Forced to Turn Over Documents on Controversial Mercury Program 04/18/2006
A federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on April 13 to release documents related to an analysis of alternatives to its controversial power plant mercury 'cap and trade' program. After the agency rejected a July 2004 request for the documents under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly filed a lawsuit in March 2005 against EPA to obtain the information. Read More

NASA Launches New Disclosure Policy 04/04/2006
The National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) released a new policy statement governing public dissemination of information from the agency. Released on March 30, the policy is an apparent response to allegations that the agency attempted to suppress scientific research on climate change that contradicted Bush administration policy on the issue. While the new policy does begin to clarify and establish official guidelines for release of information, it remains too vague and contains too many loopholes to fully function as a vehicle for public disclosure. Read More

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