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“inappropriately selective” and “seemed to suggest that
public concerns were without scientific basis and
largely resulted from media bias.”
4 The study was also not ready for distribution, as Public
Accountability Initiative noted in July. The drafts in the
study “were not subjected to serious peer review and
therefore were not ready to be considered for public
release as fact-based work.”
The report finds that Groat’s research is so badly tainted it should be
completely withdrawn, and it calls for new procedures at the University of
Texas to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. Meanwhile,
Groat — who initially only took a leave of absence from the university —
has now resigned, although he claims that’s because of his new job in
Louisiana and not because of the scandal. The head of the Energy Institute
has also resigned.
What does Groat have to say for himself?
Chip Groat, the UT professor at the center of the
controversy, says in an email to StateImpact Texas that he
should have made a disclosure. ”However, I continue to be
disturbed by the assumption by many that a university faculty
member with financial connections to industry cannot be
unbiased,” Groat writes. “This blanket indictment isn’t fair to
most faculty members or most industries. I am also concerned
that my retirement is being linked to controversies related to the
report. My retirement is linked to my very fulfilling position in
Louisiana, which began February 1 when I took leave from the
university, before any controversy emerged. Since I am no
longer affiliated with UT, I will leave this unpleasant episode
behind me.”
Seriously? Look, this is a lot worse than just an “unpleasant episode,”
and it is heavy baggage that Chip Groat will carry with him for the rest of
his career.
In the big picture, this “episode” shows that the rise of
“Frackademia” needs to come to a crushing halt, that our top independent