Gag Order Imposed

Your tax dollars at work. The Environmental Protection Agency is protecting itself from everyone, including it’s own Inspector General’s Office. (IG)

In a report released by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility website workers in the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance were forbidden to speak with anyone in an effort to “ensure timely responses and assist in tracking and record keeping obligations”.  The order came in a June 16th email, stating that if an employee is approached by a reporter, the IG’s office or GAO requesting any kind of information, to say nothing other than refer that party to the proper authority.

The EPA public affairs office released it’s explanation of the gag order, saying it was implemented to respond to the IG’s report, and ensure “consistency and coordination among those responding to the IG and GAO reports”.

The EPA has been under a lot of heat recently, in one case the IG’s report, “EPA Can Improve its Oversight of Audit Followup” which was issued in May of 2007.  The report chided the EPA for it’s lack of accountability for correcting admitted deficiencies reported in previous IG audits.  Congress has attempted to subpoena agency files and agency director Stephen L Johnson has reportedly refused to appear before a Senate committee.

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