Date: June 18th, 2018
Agency: EPA, Federal
Explanation: Budget Cuts
Scientist: Climate, Other
On June 18, 2018, E&E News reported that a political appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had ordered the cancellation of several research grants. According to the report, “several grants that included climate change in their description or [were] linked to environmental organizations” were cancelled at the request of EPA’s Deputy Administration for Public Affairs John Konkus, a political appointee.
Deputy Administrator Konkus was responsible for reviewing grants between August 2017 and May 2018. He reportedly told EPA staff that, as part of his review, he would be looking for “the double C-word” (i.e., climate change). He ordered the cancellation of at least four grants for research on climate change and related topics.