Federal investigators are looking into whether the EPA is covering up or improperly handling sexual harassment complaints.
The agency’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) told the EPA there will be investigations into the EPA’s Region 5 office, which covers parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
“The committee requested the OIG to determine whether Region 5 managers appropriately handled allegations of sexual harassment,” according to a letter from the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, the congressional committee requesting the investigation.
EPA’s failure to hold employees responsible for bad behavior is an ongoing concern.
Senior EPA officials in 2015 largely ignored complaints by 16 women, mostly employees, accusing one agency official of sexual harassment. The employee got promoted despite the complaints.