Integrity at stake as Interior Department scientist fights back

The US Interior Department has dismissed an official complaint by one of its own scientific integrity officers that he was fired for publicly raising questions about the accuracy of the department’s science reporting and summary documents related to a pending decision on the Klamath river dam. However, hydrometeorologist Paul Houser is fighting back.

In September 2011, Houser was asked to examine an Interior Department draft press release and a summary of analyses on expected effects of removing four dams from the Klamath river. After analysing the documents, he complained that they described only positive aspects of removing dams, while omitting several major contingencies, uncertainties and possible negative effects.