Under Interior Secretary Burgum’s leadership, the National Park Service is being dismantled piece by piece—through political interference, workforce depletion, corruption, and the systematic erasure of American history. https://ow.ly/hO1y50YBPaY #NationalParks #PublicLands

PEER and DarkSky counter that Reflect Orbital, a company seeking FCC approval to launch a prototype satellite equipped with massive mirrors to reflect sunlight back to Earth after dark, is misreading the law when it claims that its project isn't covered by NEPA. https://ow.ly/ln2o50YBcQ6

A coalition of state legislators & public health groups, led by PEER, is urging Colorado Governor Jared Polis to act on PFAS by regulating pesticides used across the state. https://ow.ly/kHvX50YAWWo #Colorado #ForeverChemicals

"Given the increasing violence across the world, it is essential that the international community more seriously address the environmental impacts of war as a persistent threat to the biosphere." - Rick Steiner, PEER Board chair

America’s vast western rangelands are in sharp decline, yet the Trump administration wants to end a BLM program that monitors the health of these landscapes. https://ow.ly/1bQ850Yzl5I

ICYMI: the recording of this week's webinar is now online! Watch to learn what we can do in the U.S. to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the important role the federal government must play in addressing the climate crisis. https://ow.ly/xWpU50YzjLz

If approved by the FCC, a SpaceX proposal would result in the launch of up to a million satellites directly into Earth’s orbit. https://ow.ly/a4Bn50Yy6BY

📢 We're hiring! PEER is seeking a Staff Counsel to defend public employees who protect the environment, natural resources, and public health. Apply now to join our team at this critical time, or help us find the right person by sharing this opportunity. https://ow.ly/CAyj50YxMOR

Tomorrow! Join PEER, @enviroprotnet.bsky.social, and guests for a webinar on what we can do to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the important role the federal government must play in addressing the climate crisis. 🔗 https://ow.ly/g4VP50YuSZk #ClimateAction

Tell Congress to prioritize your health over chemical companies! ✍️ Send our pre-filled letter urging the House to reject provisions in the Farm Bill draft granting chemical companies legal immunity and undermining local governments' authority to protect their communities. https://ow.ly/5ueu50Yw0VZ

PEER has filed a federal appeal seeking a ruling that EPA is legally obligated to act to prevent contamination from high levels PFAS in sewage sludge used as fertilizer. https://ow.ly/pLFc50YvR45 #Biosolids #ForeverChemicals

📚 PEER Science Policy Director Kyla Bennett shares her insights on the challenges facing EPA’s chemicals division and how it could be improved in Marina Schauffler's latest book, "Inescapable: Facing Up to Forever Chemicals." Buy the book: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53860/inescapable

When EPA employees sought advice from agency ethics officials before signing the “Declaration of Dissent”, they were told it raised no ethics or Hatch Act concerns, according to E&E News. https://ow.ly/tFPu50YtrJM

Today, PEER filed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests with EPA seeking records related to the use of AI within its workforce and regulatory programs. https://ow.ly/o34650YpFro #AI #FOIA

Today, PEER and a coalition of unions and labor federations filed an updated legal challenge to Schedule P/C—the Trump-Vance administration's effort to unlawfully convert potentially tens of thousands of civil servants to at-will employees. https://ow.ly/Q3fz50YpocO #FederalEmployees

Webinar | Tues, 3/24 | 4pm ET Join PEER, @enviroprotnet.bsky.social, and special guests for a discussion on what we can do to counter attacks on climate programs and build a future that recognizes the role the federal govt must play in addressing the climate crisis. https://ow.ly/aMUW50Yocca

Federal workers are being punished for speech, not misconduct. When agencies punish speech they don’t like, silence becomes the norm. And when silence becomes normal, everyone loses. https://ow.ly/VRlb50YnfNU #FreeSpeech #PublicEmployees

PEER has filed a series of FOIA requests related to the Department of the Interior’s role in the creation, funding, and operation of “Freedom 250,” a private and partisan entity now playing a central role in planning America’s 250th anniversary. https://ow.ly/z7ry50Ymsb9 #Freedom250

Today, Dr. Shannon “SJ” Joslin, a ranger and biologist at Yosemite National Park, filed a lawsuit challenging their illegal termination. Dr. Joslin was fired and criminally investigated for unfurling a trans pride flag on El Capitan last May. https://ow.ly/kVRI50YkkTq

ICYMI: PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse testified before Congress about the growing role of Freedom 250, a private, Trump-aligned company, in planning the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. https://peer.org/commentary-testimony-freedom-250-transparency-america-semiquincentennial/

Last week, PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse testified before Congress on the troubling lack of transparency around funding for the United States' 250th anniversary celebration. #America250 #Freedom250

⚖️ Today, PEER sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after it failed to produce evidence backing Administrator Lee Zeldin’s claims of widespread absenteeism and ghost employees at the agency. https://ow.ly/akvE50Y8STg #FOIA

We're excited to welcome Aaron Lloyd as PEER's newest Senior Counsel! Aaron is a seasoned public employee who comes to PEER with more than two decades of experience in whistleblower protection and labor law. https://ow.ly/Ulxp50Y5qeR

Tomorrow at 2pm ET: What happens when public employees speak out? Join us to hear from civil servants who've faced retaliation for exercising their First Amendment rights, and from legal experts breaking down the complex landscape impacting free speech. https://ow.ly/Cs8e50Y3U60 #FreeSpeech

A new PEER analysis reveals that civil prosecutions of illegal pollution plummeted to historically low levels during the first year of President Trump’s second administration. The DOJ settled just 15 of the cases referred by EPA for civil prosecution during that period. https://ow.ly/9Aru50Y1eo3

Today, PEER sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum demanding transparency about Freedom250, a separate entity that reportedly received taxpayer funds appropriated by Congress for the America250 commemoration program. https://ow.ly/LqfR50XXlKE #Freedom250

🗓️ Webinar | Thurs, 1/29 | 2pm ET Join us to examine the increasingly complex legal, political, and social landscape impacting federal employees’ free speech rights—and why freedom of speech in government is critical to protecting the environment. https://ow.ly/1L9m50XX0W3 #FreeSpeech

“Ironically, this outrageous waste of human capital – when key federal agencies such as the National Park Service were horribly understaffed – was done in the name of government efficiency,” said PEER Senior Counsel Peter Jenkins.

Good news! A federal district court judge has rejected a government effort to dismiss PEER's free speech lawsuit defending a federal employee who was threatened and disciplined for engaging in environmental advocacy on her personal time. https://ow.ly/Nuhy50XVA9v

PEER has filed a series of FOIA requests to clarify what information the Department of the Interior relied on to justify its decision to halt five large offshore wind projects. https://ow.ly/LcO550XSxS0 #RenewableEnergy

Happy New Year! We’re grateful for your support throughout 2025. It was a year of immense challenges for public employees and environmental protections, but also a reminder of why this work matters. As we head into 2026, we remain committed to defending those who put the public interest first.

Today, PEER sent a letter to Congress warning that the Department of the Interior’s abrupt halt of offshore wind projects already under construction is not legally defensible and raises serious conflict of interest concerns. https://ow.ly/eqXk50XQ2Qv

The FCC, which oversees wireless, satellite, cable, radio, and TV infrastructure, is moving to weaken environmental protections. As wireless technologies rapidly expand—and presumably soon with even less environmental review—the environmental impacts will only multiply. https://ow.ly/fM8E50XNpTl

As Congress heads into recess, it quietly gave the oil industry a multimillion-dollar break. The 9¢-per-barrel tax that funds the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund—the nation’s central financial instrument for oil spill prevention and response—expires Dec. 31. https://ow.ly/FPKE50XMMxu

At PEER, we believe restoring accountability is among the most urgent environmental and public health challenges of our time. It’s a challenge we know how to meet — if we choose to strengthen, rather than silence, the institutions designed to keep government honest. https://ow.ly/H6xk50XLGvF

PEER and a coalition of nonprofits are standing up to Trump-Vance efforts to defund CIGIE—the body that coordinates oversight efforts across federal agencies and supports 70+ independent Offices of Inspectors General fighting waste, fraud, and corruption in government. https://ow.ly/ZXxQ50XLC8b

Several major rollbacks of environmental and public health protections have come almost back-to-back. None of them should be viewed in isolation. Together, they show a government being redirected to serve a narrow set of industries at the expense of the public. https://ow.ly/Ggvq50XGrJs

Today, six former EPA employees filed First Amendment legal challenges to their firings for signing an open letter protesting the politicization of science at EPA. PEER is serving as legal counsel for one and co-counsel for another. https://ow.ly/l3Om50XBovv #FreeSpeech #StandUpForScience

With the government now reopened, this season of gratitude and reflection feels like the right moment to recognize the extraordinary public servants who keep our country running. 1/4

Today, Plaintiffs appealed a federal district court's dismissal of their lawsuit challenging EPA's failure to identify and regulate toxic PFAS in sewage sludge. PEER brought the lawsuit in 2024. https://ow.ly/Q1Mn50XxvfV

Today, PEER called out a FVRA violation: Jeffrey Clark’s appointment as OIRA's "Acting Administrator" is illegal. Yet he's playing a major role in authorizing Trump administration deregulatory actions, including weakening Endangered Species Act regulations. https://ow.ly/YBmT50XtyuO

In his short time as Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum has already overseen a major expansion of his own office staffing while other Interior agencies have shrunk. https://ow.ly/Zrnr50XsTkS #PublicLands

Ten months into the Trump administration, one thing is clear: protecting public employees and the environment depends on our ability to combat rising authoritarianism and promote democratic values. https://ow.ly/jyyq50XnWJP #DemocracyMatters

A recycling industry group has stopped classifying certain fluorinated plastic containers as recyclable, since the fluorination process creates high levels of PFAS. This could spark manufacturing reforms to keep forever chemicals out of food and consumer products. https://ow.ly/Pgyn50Xn7hc #PFAS

Congress needs to listen to the experts who’ve warned that this U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan will have serious negative impacts. Thank you @protectnps.bsky.social for standing up for wildlife.

In tomorrow's election, federal employees won't get paid leave to vote or volunteer as a poll-worker — even those already working without pay during the shutdown. https://ow.ly/LOzK50XlPOg #ElectionDay #FederalEmployees #Shutdown

PEER has identified four Interior officials who aren't legally qualified to serve as "acting" leaders, but who are publicly using “acting” titles and signing official agency actions under those titles. 🔗 https://ow.ly/xE2B50XkWeU #FVRA

Today, PEER filed a complaint challenging EPA's false claim that one of the two most widely used forms of PFAS is no longer produced domestically. https://ow.ly/CSQM50XjOsn #ForeverChemicals

Bulldozers and backhoes have razed the East Wing of the White House to make way for Trump's big, beautiful ballroom. As usual, Trump has barreled ahead, ignoring the law, tradition, and concerns about historic preservation and good taste.

Tonight at 7pm ET, join PEER for @whistlep2p.bsky.social's October roundtable as we confront the systemic barriers that silence truth-tellers, explore the protections they deserve, and spotlight the courage it takes to challenge powerful interests. www.eventbrite.com/e/guardians-...