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General Legislative Discussions Any general discussion concerning legislative issues or events. Not necessarily specific to a particular region, or even a type of animal group.

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Old 06-27-2016, 12:56 PM   #1
AbsoluteApril
USGS faked maps

Federal Lab Forced To Close After ‘Disturbing’ Data Manipulation

http://dailycallernewsfoundation.org...-manipulation/

"Ethan Barton on June 23, 2016
Nearly two decades and $108 million worth of “disturbing” data manipulation with “serious and far ranging” effects forced a federal lab to close, a congressman revealed Thursday.

The inorganic section of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Energy Geochemistry Laboratory in Lakewood, Colo. manipulated data on a variety of topics – including many related to the environment – from 1996 to 2014. The manipulation was caught in 2008, but continued another six years.

“It’s astounding that we spend $108 million on manipulated research and then the far-reaching effects that that would have,” Rep. Bruce Westerman said at a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing. “We know how research multiples and affects different parts of our society and our economy and … if you’re working off of flawed data it definitely could be in a bad way.”

“The problems were so severe, in fact, that the USGS has already closed the inorganic lab in question permanently,” the Arkansas Republican said. The lab was terminated in January.

Westerman cited a recent Department of the Interior Inspector General (IG) report that said impacts from the data manipulation “are not yet known but, nevertheless, they will be serious and far ranging. The affected projects represented about $108 million in taxpayer funding from fiscal year 2008 through 2014.”

Westerman also highlighted an interview the IG withheld from its report.

“Tell me what you want and I will get it for you. What we do is like magic,” a former USGS official told auditors a former employee linked to the manipulation would say, according to Westerman.

Westerman added that the IG’s interview notes make the context of those quotes unclear.

“Given the lab’s history and that problems had already been identified when this interview was being conducted, such a statement seems potentially significant,” Westerman told Deputy IG Mary Kendall, a witness for the hearing.

“Your office explained that you do not know the context or veracity of this statement and that this issue was not part of the audit,” Westerman told Kendall.

Regardless, other scientists became aware and requested that lab work be taken elsewhere.

“USGS has advised committee staff that because scientists had already begun to distrust this lab so significantly that they began relying upon analysis from other labs,” Westerman said.

It’s unclear what effects the manipulated data will have, though Westerman – who touted his engineering background – noted the importance of research integrity.

“I’m not even sure what the scientific result were used in,” he said. “A lot of the work that people do that’s based on scientific research is so important and if the base research is flawed, then that affects the work that goes out from there.”

The research topics that faced data manipulation – including uranium in the environment, health effects of energy resources, and U.S. coal resources and reserves – was “disturbing,” Westerman said.

Some research papers that used the data had to be recalled, Kendall told the panel, but she was unsure of the extent other studies, such as college dissertations, were affected. She also noted that USG was taking steps to determine such effects."
 
Old 06-27-2016, 09:05 PM   #2
snakesareawesome
Someone should go to prison for this but as per usual they will just get early retirement as a "punishment"
 
Old 06-27-2016, 10:52 PM   #3
AbsoluteApril
Makes one wonder if the usgs climate change map showing how Burmese will spread far and wide is one of the ones they faked/exaggerated. Things that make you go hmmmm

I'm hoping Usark can use this information in their fight against the lacey act listing/interstate transport ban.

 
Old 06-27-2016, 11:06 PM   #4
bcr229
Quote:
Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril View Post
I'm hoping Usark can use this information in their fight against the lacey act listing/interstate transport ban.
Fingers crossed!

Every policy based on a study from this so-called "lab" must be revisited.
 
Old 06-28-2016, 01:33 AM   #5
WebSlave
I'm sure Burmese pythons will do just fabulously in the dry desert areas of the American southwest.
 
Old 06-28-2016, 09:26 PM   #6
Geezer
When the USGS predictions of Burmese Python migration first came out, knowledgeable herpers found it infuriating and laughable. Unfortunately we then became the victims of junk science that was used by wanna be "Invasive Species Biologists" pandering for governmental grants just as they did while attempting to "address" the Brown Tree snakes in Guam. After 20 years and $100,000,000 on Brown Tree snakes, they decided to move on to "address" the Burmese Python problem. I am doubtful that these fraudulent "scientists" will ever have to own up to their junk science, but we know, and their peers who have integrity know that they are frauds.
 
Old 06-29-2016, 12:33 PM   #7
Herps Alive!
Dear USGS, why has the Boa Constrictor's range not moved North from Northern Mexico into the US due to global warming? For the same reason the Burmese Pyhton won't.
 
Old 07-05-2016, 06:44 PM   #8
snakesareawesome
Terrible the level of corruption that goes on and even worse on the rare occasion that fraud is found and eventually disclosed, there is little if any punishment. I do not trust anything the government puts out at this point.
 
Old 07-05-2016, 07:05 PM   #9
Whinhill
Well according to Maine's Inland fish and Wildlife they are doing very well here.

https://bangordailynews.com/2016/06/...r-says-expert/

but their "expert: has an MScF (Master of Science Forestry) where he specialized in bird ecology.

Of course it has nothing to do wth Maine's Inland fish and wildlife proposal to severally restrict exotic animals ownership within the state.

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/aboutus/law...ncaptivity.pdf
 
Old 07-05-2016, 09:24 PM   #10
snowgyre
This was a chemistry lab dealing with inorganic compounds that had absolutely no relationship with the portion of USGS that examines living organisms. It's like getting angry at human resources when it's shipping that screws orders up, if you can follow a manufacturing analogy.
 

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