Government science impacts us daily—whether it is ensuring that the food we eat is safe, the water we drink is pure, or the air we breathe is clean. Yet, according to a new report by the
Union of Concerned Scientists, staff from major federal agencies tasked with protecting our health and environment believe that too often important decisions are made based on politics and not science. At the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for example, 76 percent of respondents indicated that consideration of political interests were “too high.”
This is not a problem confined to federal agencies. In our work, we often see the frustration and disappointment in state agency staff because their work is improperly influenced. We hear from you that you want to share some information, but you are afraid that you may be retaliated against for sharing information. We also hear about techniques employed by agencies to avoid a paper trail that might be discoverable through the Freedom of Information Act or the Public Records
To the government workers or others out there with information you think needs sharing, we have developed two anonymous ways to share information. Both are anonymous and confidential. EPIC commits that it will only reference or otherwise make public information that you give permission to share.