Presented by TerraPower — The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog has found that the agency retaliated against three staffers for expressing different scientific opinions. {beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story  EPA retaliated against three scientists, says watchdog The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog has found that the agency retaliated against three staffers for expressing different scientific opinions.  © AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais The instances detailed in the reports from the EPA’s inspector general pertain to situations where the employees who were victims of alleged retaliation thought chemicals should be considered more toxic while top officials sought to consider them safer.   In one such case, EPA scientist Sarah Gallagher says she thought the agency should consider the chemical as toxic to fetal development while another official wanted to classify it as a lower-priority body weight issue.  In another case documented in a report finding retaliation against scientist Martin Phillips, a senior science advisor allegedly changed an assessment in a way that removed “reproductive toxicity” as a concern from safety information that goes to people who work with the chemical.  In a third report finding retaliation against scientist William Irwin, a manager also allegedly tried to remove evidence of reproductive toxicity.   As a result of these incidents, Gallagher, Phillips and Irwin suffered lower marks on their performance reviews, while Gallagher lost out on a bonus and Irwin was even reassigned to a different division, according to the office of the EPA’s inspector general.   Gallagher told The Hill she felt like she couldn’t do her job without facing retaliation.   “I was definitely scared,” she said. “I felt that nothing I could do would allow me to both protect human health and my career.”  In addition to implications on their own careers, the watchdog reports pointed out a chilling effect that could impact other agency scientists’ willingness to stand up to management.  “Other assessors noticed how those who disagreed with management were perceived,” the reports said. Read the full story at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:  California court slams state water regulators for overstepping authority in key agricultural hub A California Superior Court has cracked down on state regulators for penalizing a key agricultural region’s water managers, chastising officials for potentially unlawful behavior.  Full Story   Harris avoids getting too detailed as she battles with TrumpVice President Harris has avoided getting into the nitty-gritty of detailed policy positions as she seeks to win over centrist voters from former President Trump.  Full Story  Biden’s climate law got zero GOP votes. Some Republicans think its energy tax credits are worth savingAs President Biden’s signature climate law spurs energy investments in Republican-led districts, many Republican members are getting on board with keeping at least some of its tax credits — including the Speaker of the House.   Full Story   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: In Norway, EVs now outnumber gas-powered vehicles In Norway, electric vehicles (EVs) now outnumber gas-powered vehicles, according to latest vehicle registration data from the Norwegian Road Federation released on Tuesday.  Full Story   What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: Tyson Foods Sued for Greenwashing (The Wall Street Journal) Conservationists clash with Sierra Club over the right to hunt and fish in Florida (Politico) Natural gas executives, US officials clash over energy policies (Reuters)  On Tap  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold hearings Thursday to examine fusion energy technology development and commercialization efforts. The House Energy & Commerce’s Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials will hold a hearing Thursday titled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending” The House Budget Committee will hold a hearing Thursday titled “The Cost of the Biden-Harris Energy Crisis”   What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Shapiro forgets ID, denied alcohol while trying to celebrate canned cocktails law Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) may have been the first consumer denied an alcoholic beverage under a new state law expanding access to canned cocktails. Read moreTeamsters union skips endorsement in presidential race for first time since 1996 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters will not issue an endorsement in the presidential election for the first time since 1996, and for only the third time since 1960. Read more   You're all caught up. 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