Government scientists are caught between new gag order and their own ethics policies

Scientists working for the U.S. government found themselves facing a bit of a contradiction on Monday. It turns out that a gag order reportedly placed on scientists and employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violates the integrity policies of both agencies.

So, the scientists working at the USDA and EPA have now been explicitly prohibited from doing things that, as a matter of integrity, they agreed to do while working for their employers.

According to press reports, the USDA's main research branch was told to stop communicating with the public on Monday, a ban that includes everything from releasing documents to posting on Twitter. Also on Monday, EPA employees were reportedly told they can no longer post updates on social media and were warned that any communication with the press would be heavily vetted.

The communications ban directly contradicts scientific integrity policies at each agency that highlight the importance of communication between the public and agencies that are spending tax dollars to conduct government research.

The opening paragraph of the EPA's integrity policy says it is designed to "promote scientific and ethical standards," including "communications with the public." It goes on to add that the policy "prohibits all EPA employees, including scientists, managers, and other agency leadership, from suppressing, altering, or otherwise impeding the timely release of scientific findings or conclusions."

The USDA's scientific integrity policy offers similar guidelines, including "encouraging, but not requiring, USDA scientists to communicate with the media about their scientific findings."

The USDA's policy is also crafted to ensure "scientists may communicate their research findings without political interference or inappropriate influence..."

Such policies are common, and can also be found at many government agencies like the Department of Energy, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

President Donald Trump has promoted a misleading and often fact-free energy policy, selected climate change deniers for cabinet positions, and has generally been an anti-science politician since he began running for president. Scientists are well aware of this, and -- while these gag orders may yet prove to be temporary -- some fear that this is an opening shot in a Trump administration war on how science is conducted and communicated through the course of at least the next four years.

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The ban on communication at the EPA -- which was reported on Monday by The Huffington Post -- also means the agency's employees aren't allowed to talk about an additional ban that prevents the EPA from issuing grants and contracts.

The EPA's grant program funds the monitoring of air and water quality, environmental education, research, and much more. Without it, the EPA won't be able to continue with some of its basic functions. According to Propublica, it's unclear whether the ban pertains to new grants and contracts, or whether it's also applicable to the $6.4 billion in contracts and grants already issued. The EPA has not immediately responded to a Mashable request for clarification at the time of this writing.

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"The EPA was created to ensure that all Americans can enjoy clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and have their health protected from environmental and climate threats," Liz Perera, the climate policy director of the Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy organization, said in a statement following the gag order. "Trump's action puts American lives and communities at risk-- we're pretty sure that's not what making America 'great' means."

When asked about the EPA gag order during Tuesday's press conference, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said it wasn't surprising that a new administration would want to review policies of the agencies now under its control.

He then added that he "didn't have any information at this time."

If you are a scientist who is worried about your research during the Trump administration, please send an email from your personal account to [email protected].