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10,000 EPA Scientists Protest Elimination of LibrariesThe presidents of 17 locals of the American Federation of Federal Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, the National Association of Government Employees, and Engineers and Scientists of California have signed a letter asking Congress to halt theAddressed to Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.Dak.), chair and ranking member respectively of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee, the letter states that “many of us rely heavily on our technical libraries to perform our jobs in an effective manner,” and “our library staff provides us with the latest research on cutting-edge homeland security and public health issues.” Further, “the ability of EPA to respond to emergencies will be reduced because important reference materials may be unavailable or take significant time to receive from storage or another library.” Supporting the protest, Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a national alliance of local, state, and federal resource professionals, said June 29, “Eliminating library access is an absolutely awful way to run an agency devoted to public and environmental health. For example, important research on the Chesapeake Bay is locked away in boxes since EPA closed its Fort Meade library this February, yet EPA still maintains that restoring the Chesapeake is a top priority.” Meanwhile, the EPA is engaged in a public relations campaign, including a “Science for You” component run by the agency’s Office for Research and Development. Last July, PEER filed a complaint with EPA asking for a review of “the legality and the propriety of using tax dollars on ’corporate image’ enhancement.” Posted June 30, 2006. |
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