From: Corey Goodman

Subject: scientific misconduct submittal to OSTP

Date: March 4, 2013 8:05:48 AM PST

To: John Holdren <John_P._Holdren@ostp.eop.gov>

Dear Dr. Holdren,

I write to ask the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish and oversee a high-level investigation of scientific misconduct involving three federal agencies (NPS, USGS, and MMC), all linked to misconduct by NPS.

Over the past seven years, the NPS, under the direction of Jon Jarvis as Regional Director and as Director, has engaged in serial scientific misconduct concerning the oyster farm at Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore.  This issue, first brought to your attention in spring 2009, has lingered too long.  It is no longer a local issue in West Marin,  California .  It involves three federal agencies, two Inspector Generals, and three Scientific Integrity Officers.

The misrepresentation of NPS data influenced a Cabinet member’s decisions, and recently was quoted in a Department of Justice filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Moreover, the false science claiming environmental harm threatens the shellfish industry nationally and internationally, in contrast to a large body of good science showing that shellfish aquaculture is environmentally beneficial.

This misconduct threatens to undermine one of the hallmarks of your tenure as Director of OSTP: the establishment and implementation of the President’s 2009 Policy on Scientific Integrity.  It requires your immediate attention.

Why OSTP?  There are two separate answers to this question.  First, in response to a scientific misconduct complaint concerning the MMC Executive Director, the MMC General Counsel recommended that the complaint should be submitted to OSTP.  The Department of Commerce OIG later made the same recommendation after they claimed that their office lacked jurisdiction to investigate MMC misconduct.

Second, as described in the enclosed letter, no other federal agency is empowered, capable, or willing to address scientific misconduct at NPS.  In his speech to the National Academy of Sciences on April 27, 2009, President Obama stated “… the days of science taking a back seat to ideology are over.”  But that is exactly what has happened.  Science has taken a back seat to a pre-determined agenda.  You created a Policy, and both Interior and MMC endorsed it, but that Policy has been violated – and has no proper oversight – at both Interior and MMC.  Serious allegations of scientific misconduct need to be properly adjudicated.

Please note: some of the supporting documents are too large to send by email, and will instead be sent by TransferBigFiles.

I look forward to discussing these issues with you as soon as possible. 

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Corey S. Goodman