"Trump-era political appointees attempted to tamper with the science underpinning an EPA decision for a popular weedkiller now under scrutiny by the Biden administration, according to sources within the agency.
EPA scientists found several years ago that the herbicide atrazine, one of the most widely used in the country, posed a concern for waterways with a history of harming aquatic wildlife including amphibians. But agency staff say that under former President Donald Trump they faced pressure to downplay that science and establish conclusions about the pesticide that would be more favorable to industry.
Three agency staffers told E&E News that efforts to review atrazine under the Trump administration became entangled in scientific integrity issues — leading to a 2020 interim decision that drew heated criticism from advocacy groups. A former pesticides program career official said the incident was part of “four years of torture” that included significant pressure and “bullying” from political appointees as they attempted to influence chemical decisions."
E.A. Crunden reports for E&E News July 21, 2022.
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