WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush
administration is clamping down on scientists at the U.S. Geological
Survey, who study everything from caribou mating to global warming,
subjecting them to controls on research that might go against official
policy.
New
rules require screening of all facts and interpretations by agency
scientists. The rules apply to all scientific papers and other public
documents, even minor reports or prepared talks, according to documents
obtained by The Associated Press.
Top
officials at the Interior Department's scientific arm say the rules only
standardize what scientists must do to ensure the quality of their work
and give a heads-up to the agency's public relations staff.
“This
is not about stifling or suppressing our science, or politicizing our
science in any way,'' Barbara Wainman, the agency's director of
communications, said Wednesday. “I don't have approval authority. What it
was designed to do is to improve our product flow.''
Some
agency scientists, who until now have felt free from any political
interference, worry that the objectivity of their work could be
compromised.
“I
feel as though we've got someone looking over our shoulder at every damn
thing we do. And to me that's a very scary thing. I worry that it borders
on censorship,'' said Jim Estes, an internationally recognized marine
biologist who works for the geological unit. “The explanation was that
this was intended to ensure the highest possible quality research,'' said
Estes, a researcher at the agency for more than 30 years. “But to me it
feels like they're doing this to keep us under their thumbs. It seems like
they're afraid of science. Our findings could be embarrassing to the
administration.''
The
new requirements state that the USGS's communications office must be
“alerted about information products containing high-visibility topics or
topics of a policy-sensitive nature.''
The
agency's director, Mark Myers, and its communications office also must be
told — prior to any submission for publication — “of findings or data that
may be especially newsworthy, have an impact on government policy, or
contradict previous public understanding to ensure that proper officials
are notified and that communication strategies are developed.''
Patrick Leahy, USGS's head of
geology and its acting director until September, said Wednesday that the
new procedures would improve scientists' accountability and “harmonize''
the review process. He said they are intended to maintain scientists'
neutrality.
“Our
scientific staff is second to none,'' he said. “This notion of scientific
gotcha is something we do not want to participate in. That does not mean
to avoid contentious issues.''
The
changes amount to an overhaul of commonly accepted procedures for all
scientists, not just those in government, based on anonymous peer reviews.
In that process, scientists critique each other's findings to determine
whether they deserve to be published.
From
now on, USGS supervisors will demand to see the comments of outside peer
reviewers' as well any exchanges between the scientists who are seeking to
publish their findings and the reviewers.
The
Bush administration, as well as the Clinton administration before it, has
been criticized over scientific integrity issues. In 2002, the USGS was
forced to reverse course after warning that oil and gas drilling in
Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would harm the Porcupine caribou
herd. One week later a new report followed, this time saying the caribou
would not be affected.
.gif){kind=spacer}