By Leah Douglas
WASHINGTON -The U.S. Department of Agriculture found significant safety issues at its top research facility in an investigation of 2023 whistleblower complaints about the state of the site, the Office of Special Counsel said in a letter sent to the White House.
The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., is the agency’s flagship research site spanning nearly 7,000 acres (2,833 hectares) and houses labs studying climate change, invasive insects, animal genomics and more.
Reuters exclusively reported in May 2023 that BARC workers had filed complaints that unsafe work conditions, ranging from broken fire alarms and ventilation systems to wild indoor temperature swings, were impeding research and endangering staff.
Experts have warned that declining government investment in agricultural research threatens the U.S. position as a leading agricultural innovator.
The investigation, ordered by the Office of Special Counsel in 2023, substantiated many of the whistleblower allegations and found “pervasive safety deficiencies,” including excess grime, damaged flooring, mold and a lack of potable water, according to a letter sent from the OSC to President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
“We are very pleased that the investigators were extensive in reviewing the many violations and substantiating them,” said J. Ward Morrow, assistant general counsel at the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents BARC workers.
The poor condition of the facility was caused by inadequate funding, understaffing, a lack of necessary tools and equipment and the absence of a maintenance plan, the letter said.
The investigation did not find that the poor conditions were hindering research, the letter said.
BARC workers told Reuters of incidents including a plumbing leak in 2022 that had ruined records and data and that issues such as inoperable fire alarms pulled staff time away from research to conduct fire patrols and other tasks.
The agency has taken some corrective actions to address the issues, including hiring a new director for the facility and drafting a plan to move employees to fewer and more modernized buildings on the site, the letter said.
Trump’s administration has proposed to cut funds to USDA research agencies and the agency’s research arm has lost hundreds of staff under efforts to shrink the cost and size of the federal government.
(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Marguerita Choy)
