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Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Disillusioned EPA Staff Walk Away from Negotiating Table

Friday, EPA announced administrator Stephen Johnson's official rationale for denying the state of California's request to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

Pressure from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee revealed that Johnson rejected the advice of agency scientists and legal counsel. Johnson's staff argued that California request met every criterion for receiving permission to develop regulations more strict than those of the federal government.

For many EPA staffers who belong to government employee unions, Johnson's decision to reject California's plan was the straw that broke the camel's back. Yesterday, the nonprofit group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) released a letter from four such unions announcing its members — scientists, analysts, lawyers, and the like — are taking a significant step back from negotiations with EPA leadership.

PEER states:

In a February 29, 2008 letter, the presidents of 19 locals from four unions representing more than 10,000 staff from EPA headquarters, all but one of its regional offices and seven lab complexes served notice that they will "suspend" further involvement with the National Labor-Management Partnership Council. The Partnership Council is a nearly ten-year old forum for resolving disagreements.

The letter rattles off a number of examples where Johnson — a career scientist at EPA before being promoted to administrator — has ignored staff advice in favor of political pressure:

Under your Administration, EPA ignores the advice of its Labor Union Coalition and its own Principles of Scientific Integrity whenever political direction from other federal entities or private sector interests so direct. Examples include fluoride drinking water standards, organophosphate pesticide registration, control of mercury emissions from power plants, and requests for waivers to allow States to more stringently control greenhouse gases.

The Bush administration (and the next administration) should take notice of the unions' letter. EPA's career staff is comprised of dedicated individuals who have stuck it out in an administration that has at times been downright hostile toward the environment. By walking away now, they prove the problems at EPA are serious and deeply-rooted.