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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) announced on March 5, 2026, that through counsel at the Free Information Group (FIG), it filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "seeking records related to how the agency is deploying artificial intelligence [(AI)] tools within its workforce and regulatory programs." PEER states that it "seeks clarity on whether and how AI systems are being used to analyze employee communications, report on anti-Trump sentiment, and assist in evaluating chemical safety and other regulatory determinations." PEER notes that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has made statements "promoting AI deployment across the agency and to expedite chemical reviews." PEER requested:
- Records related to any integration of external AI tools, including Grok or xAI, into EPA's Microsoft 365 or Teams systems;
- Any keyword alert lists, sentiment markers, configuration files, or compliance dashboards used to analyze employee communications;
- AI-generated reports or dashboards categorizing or scoring employees based on "ideological neutrality," "agency alignment," or similar metrics;
- A suite of records relating to EPA chemical assessments and the use of AI, including AI screening tools on seven chemicals; and
- Correspondence involving senior EPA leadership and the Chief AI Officer concerning AI deployment in workforce monitoring or regulatory contexts.
PEER and FIG will make responsive records publicly available as the groups receive them.
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