Surveying the Environmental Protection Agency Scientist Voices under President Biden

A survey of 296 EPA scientists conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists and the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that a majority of respondents believe the agency adheres to its scientific integrity policy and that office effectiveness has increased under President Biden compared to the Trump administration. However, the findings also highlight significant issues with staff burnout and concerns over limited workforce capacity and the quality of scientific reviews in specific offices.

• A majority of surveyed EPA scientists believe the agency is following its scientific integrity protocols and that they can voice concerns about mission-driven work without facing retaliation. Specifically, 200 out of 270 respondents agreed the agency adhered to its scientific integrity policy, and 181 out of 288 felt they could express concerns without fear of retaliation.
• There has been a substantial increase in the perceived effectiveness of EPA offices and divisions under the Biden administration compared to the Trump administration, rising from 22 out of 449 respondents to 150 out of 294.
• Workforce stability and capacity are significant concerns, with 156 out of 274 scientists reporting burnout (stress and exhaustion) in the last two years. Qualitative feedback indicates that the Office of Research and Development (ORD) is limited by a workforce that has diminished over previous decades, and the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) suffers from hiring unqualified staff and inadequate training, leading to a decrease in the quality of scientific reviews.
• The Union of Concerned Scientists recommends that Congress pass the Scientific Integrity Act and that the EPA strengthen its scientific integrity policy based on guidance from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and its Scientific Integrity Taskforce.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2023). Surveying the Environmental Protection Agency Scientist Voices under President Biden. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/fed%20sci%20survey%202023_EPA_final.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Surveying the Environmental Protection Agency Scientist Voices under President Biden. 2023. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/fed%20sci%20survey%202023_EPA_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Surveying the Environmental Protection Agency Scientist Voices under President Biden |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/fed%20sci%20survey%202023_EPA_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2023surveying, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Surveying the Environmental Protection Agency Scientist Voices under President Biden}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/fed%20sci%20survey%202023_EPA_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }