The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) unlawfully retaliated against one of its own scientists because she reported serious breaches of biosafety in research laboratories, according to a new ruling by the U.S. Merits System Protection Board, the administrative court overseeing the federal civil service. In addition, the MSPB directed the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to investigate and take appropriate disciplinary action against USGS managers found to have unlawfully retaliated.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) argued the case as part of its legal representation of the USGS scientist, Eveline (Evi) Emmenegger, a Research Microbiologist with the Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) in Seattle, Washington, where she has worked for over 30 years. Her specialty is studying high risk aquatic viruses that are foreign to North America and managing the highest biocontainment laboratory at the research facility.