EPA has ordered a member of its drinking water advisory council to “cease all work” for the agency after she signed a letter criticizing Administrator Lee Zeldin’s policies.
Elin Warn Betanzo, a Michigan-based engineer and water safety consultant, has been barred from participating on the advisory council while the agency investigates her “potential signature on a petition,” according to an email viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News.
Betanzo, who has served on the body since 2021, said the decision sets a “dangerous precedent” and undermines the credibility of the advisory process. This month, she was one of hundreds of people who signed a petition accusing the Trump administration of weakening public health protections and “ignoring” science.
“This action is chilling—not only because it removes my voice from the conversation but because it sends a clear message to others: speak out, and you may be silenced,” Betanzo said in an email. “I urge EPA to immediately restore my ability to participate in the work of NDWAC and publicly clarify the basis and status of this investigation.”
