How We Work

PEER assists federal, state, and local public employees in fighting for the ethical management of our natural resources, strong environmental laws and policies, and accountability and transparency in government actions.

Most of our activities are conducted confidentially, so the government will have to address the message, not the messenger.

Since our founding in 1992, thousands of scientists, law enforcement officers, land managers, attorneys, and other professionals have worked with PEER to help make the government accountable to the public and to protect public employees.

We Protect Public Employees

PEER assists public employees who witness environmental wrongdoing, censorship, or threats to public health. Many of these individuals cannot safely raise concerns within their agency.

PEER provides:

• confidential guidance about rights and reporting options
• legal representation for whistleblowers and employees facing retaliation
• help documenting misconduct or policy violations
• a secure pathway to expose risks to the public

If you work within a public agency and feel something is being ignored or hidden, you do not have to face it alone. Contact our legal team.

We Hold Agencies Accountable

When government agencies fail to follow the law, or fail the public, PEER steps in.

Our attorneys and policy experts work to:

• file document requests
• conduct employee surveys
• advocate for policy and regulatory reform
• issue press releases and background papers
• publish documents that the government wants to keep hidden

We work to ensure that environmental protections are implemented as Congress intended, not weakened by politics or pressure.

We Use the Power of Transparency

Transparency is one of PEER’s most effective tools. We use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state open-records laws to uncover:

• suppressed scientific findings
• unreported contamination
• policy decisions driven by politics rather than evidence
• risks kept from the public
• information on how government decisions are made

Many of PEER’s biggest victories begin with FOIA documents that reveal what agencies refused to disclose.

We Advance Scientific Integrity

PEER works to ensure that science guides decision-making, not political agendas.

We defend researchers whose work is censored or altered, scientific findings removed from reports, and staff pressured to ignore data or rewrite conclusions. We also help develop and strengthen scientific integrity policies across federal and state agencies. When science is protected, the public is protected.

We Advocate for Sound Policy and Public Protections

PEER uses its research, legal expertise, and on-the-ground evidence to shape stronger environmental policies. This includes petitioning for safer regulations, reviewing agency rulemaking, exposing environmental health risks, and tracking enforcement failures.

Our advocacy is based on facts gathered from scientists, frontline workers, and agency experts.

We Educate and Engage the Public

Public awareness is a powerful force for change. PEER makes complex environmental and legal issues understandable so communities, journalists, and policymakers can take informed action. We partner with other groups on projects and litigation and we provide advice and counsel to non-profit organizations on issues within our areas of expertise.

Our communications efforts help bring agency misconduct and environmental threats into the public arena — where accountability happens.

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Support PEER’s Independent Work

PEER is uniquely effective because we are independent, nonpartisan, and funded by supporters. Your support helps protect environmental whistleblowers, defend scientific integrity, and strengthen safeguards.