Michigan drinking water expert ousted from EPA council: A warning to whistleblowers?

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dismissed Michigan-based drinking water engineer Elin Betanzo from the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, months after placing her under investigation for signing a public letter criticizing Trump administration environmental policies.

Betanzo was notified last week that her “services are no longer needed” on the 15-member advisory council, according to an email obtained by Politico. The dismissal follows a seven-month period during which she was barred from participating in council activities while the EPA reviewed her “potential signature” on a declaration of dissent opposing federal rollbacks on science and environmental protections.

The decision appears to single out Betanzo rather than reset the full council, which has remained largely intact since its membership was last amended in 2024.

“As far as I can tell, I’m the only council member who has been removed,” Betanzo told Planet Detroit. “That’s what makes this so unusual.”

Investigation without explanation

Betanzo said the dismissal email is the agency’s first substantive communication since she was placed under investigation last July.

“They never asked me any questions. They never explained the scope of the investigation or told me what conclusions they reached,” she said. “Seven months later, out of nowhere, I’m just told I’m done.”

An EPA spokesperson declined to answer questions about Betanzo’s dismissal or whether other council members were affected, citing a policy of not commenting on individual personnel matters.

The advisory council provides recommendations to EPA on drinking water regulations and includes water utility executives, state regulators, and public health experts. Members serve as special government employees and are paid for time spent participating in meetings and committee work.

Role on the council

Betanzo served one full three-year term on the council during the Biden administration and had just begun a second term in January before being sidelined. She worked on the council’s microbial and disinfection byproducts committee, which produced a detailed set of recommendations for EPA as the agency prepares to revise national drinking water rules.

“That work was significant,” Betanzo said. “It highlighted real weaknesses in how we regulate drinking water and reflected consensus across industry, public health, and state regulators.”

EPA had asked her to return for a second term based on that work, she said.

In a statement, the EPA said it is “committed to ensuring all Americans have access to clean drinking water” and emphasized that it intends to continue collaborating with its advisory committees as it carries out its mission of protecting human health and the environment.

The agency added that, “in keeping with longstanding practice, EPA does not comment on individual personnel matters.”

Broader pattern of retaliation concerns

Betanzo’s dismissal comes amid broader scrutiny of EPA actions targeting employees and advisors who signed the “Stand Up for Science” declaration of dissent. According to union leaders and reporting by Politico’s E&E News, dozens of EPA staff were investigated, suspended, or fired following the letter’s release.

Planet Detroit previously reported that Betanzo and another scientist were barred from advisory roles as part of that investigation, raising concerns about whether scientific advisors are being punished for protected speech.

“When I agreed to serve, no one ever told me I was giving up my First Amendment rights,” Betanzo said. “This feels like a targeted effort to remove advisors who prioritize science, data, transparency, and the needs of communities dealing with unsafe water.”

EPA has said the dissent letter misled the public and violated agency policies but has not identified which rules were broken.

Unlike other EPA advisory panels that were fully reset after Trump took office, the drinking water advisory council has largely remained unchanged — making Betanzo’s removal stand out.

“It shows a willingness to go out of their way to cut out advisors they previously valued,” Betanzo said. “That should concern anyone who cares about independent, science-based drinking water policy.”