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Democrats have asked the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general to investigate claims that the agency tried to pressure a Minnesota scientist to change her congressional testimony.
 

 said she was contacted last month by a top EPA staffer who asked her to hedge her testimony about scientists being dropped from scientific review committees. Her claims were first reported this week in the 

She said before her congressional appearance on May 23 she received an email from the EPA's chief of staff, Ryan Jackson, saying that he wanted to make sure her testimony was accurate regarding questions she may face about scientists on that board who did not have their terms renewed.

Nine EPA science advisers cut loose

 
Swackhamer told MPR News she thought the request was out of line.
 

"He wanted me to change that wording to the administrator hasn't decided yet," she said. "But in fact those people had received notices saying that their terms were not renewed and thanking them for their service, and goodbye."
 

Since her testimony, more scientists have been dismissed from the board and Swackhamer said the panel could drop from nearly 70 to just 11 scientists by this fall. She said she fears the trend reflects a diminished role for science in federal policy under the Trump administration.
 


"I'm very concerned about the erosion of the value of science at EPA and throughout the rest of federal government, although I'm most familiar with what's going on with EPA," she said.

The dispute is the latest in a series of controversies over the EPA and its stance toward science, particularly around 

. Members of the Trump administration have publicly questioned established science regarding the role of human activity in the phenomenon and the EPA has removed some climate 

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Environmental chemist Deborah Swackhamer says the request was out of line. Congressional Democrats are asking for an investigation.

Democrats on the House Science Committee are calling for an investigation into an email exchange between a top EPA official and retired University of Minnesota professor Deb Swackhamer.  Swackhamer was called to testify before the House Science Committee last month as an independent expert. She is an environmental chemist.  She is also the current chair of the board of scientific counselors at the EPA.  You may remember we spoke with her last month when it was announced that several scientists on that board would not be invited back for a second term, as is customary. Before Swackhamer was to testify at the House Science Committee, the EPA's chief of staff Ryan Jackson said he wanted to make sure Swackhamer's testimony was accurate in regards to questions she may face about so-called "firings" in the EPA.  Democrats and Swackhamer say that was out of line.  MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Swackhamer.

Minnesota scientist says EPA pressured her to change congressional testimony

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