EPA and Watchdog at Odds Over Working Conditions in Forensics Unit

The EPA and its internal investigations unit remain at loggerheads over how to improve working conditions at the forensics office that supports the agency’s enforcement work.

The ongoing contention stems from the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency still hasn’t committed to developing and incorporating metrics into the performance standards at the National Enforcement Investigations Center, the Office of Inspector General said in a report issued Wednesday.

• In May, the inspector general issued a report quoting staffers who said the NEIC is characterized by a “culture of fear,” and that “saying anything that may be construed as negative about management ...