EPA Scientific Advisory Board Members Dismissed

On May 5, 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dismissed twelve members of its scientific advisory board (SAB). Many of the dismissed members are academic scientists. A spokesperson for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt indicated that he would consider replacing the academics with representatives from industry as “[t]he administrator believes we should have people on this board who understand the impact of regulations on the regulated community.”

Update: 

On April 11, 2018, it was reported that at least two members appointed to the SAB by Administrator Pruitt have received industry funding for research that contradicts “mainstream science” on the health effects of air pollution.

On January 31, 2018, EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler appointed eight new members to the SAB. One of the new appointees — Dr. John Christy — is a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville who has long questioned established climate science. Following announcement of his appointment, Dr. Christy said he would use his position on the SAB to challenge the findings of climate models, which he has long asserted do not accurately reflect climate variability. Dr. Christy also suggested that he would challenge scientific studies demonstrating that greenhouse gas emissions are the primary cause of climate change, stating that there is “tremendous uncertaint[y] . . . on this issue” and that “[t]he overconfidence we have on the climate issue in the climate community is incredibly large and we need to pull back on that.” He went on to question the appropriateness of regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions, claiming that the endangerment finding (which provides the basis for such regulations) “doesn’t stand on the best science that we have out there.”

On July 15, 2019 the Government Accountability Office released an audit report in which it found that the EPA bypassed normal procedures in appointing members to the SAB and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The report showed that the Trump Administration rigged the boards to favor candidates with industry connections. In a written response, the EPA strongly denied any suggestion of impropriety.

Biden Administration Response:

On March 31, 2021, EPA Administrator Michael Regan dismissed all members of the SAB and CASAC. An EPA news release announcing the Administrator's actions stated:

"Administrator Regan's decision to reset these federal advisory committees emphasizes the importance of the SAB and the CASAC to EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment, and seeks to reverse deficiencies caused by decisions made in recent years. These actions include:

• An internal October 2017 directive that prevented qualified academics and non-government officials who received EPA research grants from concurrently serving on EPA advisory committees, significantly restricting member eligibility. (The portion of the directive pertaining to EPA grants was vacated and remanded in April 2020 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York);
• Eliminating key air pollution review panels that have augmented the CASAC for decades; and,
• Not following the standard process for appointing committee members, as noted in a July 2019 Government Accountability Office report on EPA Advisory Committees.

These process irregularities led Administrator Regan to direct the SAB staff office to initiate the release of current members of the SAB and the CASAC, to reconstitute, restore and create new committees to better address EPA priorities, and to augment both the SAB and CASAC with specialized panels."

Administrator Regan said that committee nominees would be subject to conflict of interests and impartiality tests.

On August 2, 2021, EPA announced the appointment of 47 new members to the SAB, six of whom held positions on the SAB when current EPA Administrator Michael Regan disbanded it in March, 2021. The newly constituted SAB is the most diverse in EPA’s history, comprising 22 women, 25 men, and 16 people of color. Of the appointees, Regan said “this highly qualified, diverse group of experts will ensure that EPA is receiving sound science-based advice to inform our work.”