Group asks watchdog to investigate recall of furloughed Interior workers

An environmental advocacy group formally asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday to investigate whether the Interior Department's recall of furloughed employees during the government shutdown is legal. Representatives for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) asked the GAO to begin an “immediate” investigation into the sources of funding Interior is using to pay previously furloughed government employees to resume their work. The request follows reports in the past two weeks that Interior has green-lit the return of staff who work on preparing environmental reviews for offshore oil and gas leasing and processing oil and gas permit applications. Another report confirmed that the agency has asked some Fish and Wildlife Service staff to return to 38 national wildlife refuges to oversee currently ongoing and upcoming hunting programs. PEER says those job functions are non-essential operations under the law and should be barred from payment under a shutdown...MORE