EPA tells staff don't talk to investigators, press

[Hamilton Reef]

The "bunker mentality" within EPA under the Bush administration continues.

EPA tells staff don't talk to investigators, press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is telling its pollution enforcement officials not to talk with congressional investigators, reporters and even the agency's own inspector general, according to an internal e-mail provided to The Associated Press.
The June 16 message instructs 11 managers in the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, the branch of the agency charged with making sure environmental laws are followed, to remind their staff members to keep quiet.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iug4JpO54gzlHe2EdnXHEGTEKreQD92726OG0


Robbi Farrell/DC/USEPA/US
06/16/2008 11:22 AM
To
Betsy Smidinger/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Christopher Knopes/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
David Hindin/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
James Edward/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Karin Koslow/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Kenneth Gigliello/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Linda Flick/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Lorna Washington/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Michael Alushin/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Richard Colbert/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
Robert Mcnally/DC/USEPA/US@EPA
cc
Lisa Lund/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
David Hindin/DC/USEPA/US@EPA,
David Piantanida/DC/USEPA/US@EPA

Subject PLEASE REMIND STAFF re: RESPONDING TO GAO, IG AND PRESS

Please remind your staff at your next staff meeting of the following policies and procedures.

1. If you are contacted by a reporter, please forward the call or email to Laura Gentile and Roxanne Smith, cc Robbi. Please do not respond to questions or make any statements.

2. If you are contacted directly by the IG's office or GAO requesting information of any kind, please forward their call or email to Gwen Spriggs, cc Robbi. Please do not respond to questions or make any statements.
Thanks very much for your continued attention to these important procedures.

Robbi

[RoadKillCafe]

Its the same policies everywhere, no surprise. Last thing you want is a dozen different opinions. Corporations are the same way.

[Hamilton Reef]

This is pure corruption 101 with the GW Bush administration ordering the political appointed upper staff to silence investigators, obstruct justice with coverups, and lie for the administration. The EPA staff is well aware why they are being gagged and not able to get the truth out to the public. This was done before when I worked for the Feds and I'm still in touch with Fed cohorts and other employees working on projects. That is why we had to form PEER.org.

[Hamilton Reef]

Dear Supporter,
In a move which surprises us only because of its brazen foolishness, the EPA has ordered its staff to "not respond to questions or make any statements" if contacted by congressional investigators, reporters or even by its own Office of Inspector General (OIG) (Read the order here). When confronted with exposure of this Orwellian order, the folks responsible falsely claimed that the order had been approved by the OIG, which the OIG hotly denies.

Though it is a small straw on the back of an already overburdened camel, this blunt gag order is cited by a growing chorus of Democratic Senators in calling for EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to resign.

Jeff Ruch
Executive Director

PS: Barring any big breaking developments, PEER will be featured on ABC World News Weekend this Sunday (check local listings for broadcast time), talking about why no one would call this the Golden Age of our Environmental Protection Agency.

[wally-eye]

28 years with the State Government and I was under the exact same orders.....told that when I hired in and was still in effect when I retired.....nothing new.........

[hunter62]

During those 28 years you were forbidden from talking to the official internal office of inspector general? If that's true why do they even have internal inspectors if they are not allowed to question you and your fellow employees?

Sure you were not allowed to talk to the press, but you would have been required to testify had you been personally called in front of Congress or the governmental departments own internal investigators.

[pescadero]

Its the same policies everywhere, no surprise. Last thing you want is a dozen different opinions. Corporations are the same way.

Not speaking to the press is normal for a government agency. Not speaking to congressional investigators or the EPA inspector general is beyond abnormal.

--
lp