A report released Wednesday from Union of Concerned Scientists says that more than half of the scientists who work for the Environmental Protection Agency say that they have experienced political interference in their work from the Bush Administration.
The report was basd on an online survey sent to 5,419 EPA scientists last summer. About 1,586
replied. Of those, 889 reported that they had experienced at least one type of interference within the last five years.
Such allegations aren't new. . Throughout the Bush Administration, scientists have complained that their work has been distorted, ignored and willfully changed to suit the needs of lobbyists and various industrial and Republican interests.
Anecdotal evidence aside, the UCS report shows systematic interference with their work to suit political ends.
Who's doing the meddling? Read after the jump.
The White House Office of Management and Budget was singled out as one of the biggest sources of interference. According to respondents, the OMB delayed rules not to its liking. Officials from the Office would insert themselves into decision making at very early stages so as to shape the outcome of scientific inquiry.
Not surprisingly, Rep. Henry A. Waxman wrote to EPA chief Johnson on Wednesday, asking him to be prepared to respond to the findings at a hearing next month of the House
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
