The letter, penned by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), reflects the growing wave of concern from lawmakers and public employees over recent EPA actions that include the closing of three regional libraries and the reduction of hours or staff at five other libraries. The EPA claims these closures are part of a cost-cutting strategy to move information online.
“EPA is implementing these devastating closures on the grounds that they expect to save $2 million,” the letter reads. However, it cites a 2004 EPA report that “noted that libraries saved EPA professional staff $7.5 million and non-EPA personnel $2.8 million in 2003.”
EPA officials state that future patrons will be directed to the agency’s website or to agency-identified experts. “It’s a very different thing, to give the public access to a phone number for an expert,” one anonymous EPA official responded to GovExec, the daily news service of Government Executive magazine. “It’s not the same level of service.”
The letter also cites the opposition of the American Library Association and unions representing 10,000 EPA employees.
Posted November 10, 2006.