In September, staff scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water informed reporters that they were “instructed by Trump officials to halt publishing ongoing research,” as the agency would be instituting a new review process to which the studies would be subject. Staff scientists express concern “that the new review process was unprecedented and could hamper the release of other important scientific findings affecting public health.” EPA has not provided them with a justification to explain to scientific journals why their papers are being paused.
EPA claimed that the scientists’ statements were “patently false” and that those scientists were transitioning to new roles.