The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering significant organizational changes that could result in the dissolution of its scientific research office and layoffs affecting over a thousand employees. The proposed changes could impact up to 1,155 professionals, including chemists, biologists, and toxicologists, representing a potential 75% reduction in the research program’s workforce. This restructuring is proposed by the current administration as part of an initiative to streamline federal operations and increase efficiency.
Critics, however, view these plans as a severe undermining of the EPA’s core mission to protect public health and the environment. Reports of these developments first surfaced via The New York Times. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has indicated an ambitious objective to slash 65% of the agency’s budget, necessitating substantial cutbacks in staffing. These cutbacks would affect vital roles responsible for monitoring environmental quality and managing responses to natural disasters, among other essential functions. In line with budgetary constraints, the EPA has also declared that any expenditure over $50,000 must be sanctioned by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The EPA’s Office of Research and Development, which serves as the principal scientific division of the agency, currently employs 1,540 personnel, excluding specific government employees and public health officials. According to a memorandum, a substantial portion of these employees — between 50% to 75% — may not remain. The scientific office, with ten facilities across diverse states from Florida to Oregon, stands to be dismantled, with remaining staff being reassigned to different agency sectors to align with the administration’s priorities. This proposal has been submitted to the White House for evaluation.
Molly Vaseliou, a spokeswoman for the EPA, mentioned that the agency is in the midst of implementing significant organizational changes but emphasized that no final decisions have been reached. “We are dedicated to improving our capacity to provide clean air, water, and land for Americans,” she stated, assuring that they are collecting input from employees at all levels to enhance efficiency.
California Representative Zoe Lofgren, the ranking Democrat on the House science committee, declared that Congress originally established the research office, suggesting that any move to dismantle it would be unlawful. Lofgren argues that the EPA cannot fulfill its legal duty to utilize the best available science if its fundamental research division is dismantled. She further contended that ties to advisors and administration priorities place the financial interests of polluters above public health.
In critique, Ticora Jones of the Natural Resources Defense Council voiced concerns that such moves once again prioritize industrial polluters at the cost of public interest. Jones urged Congress to ensure that EPA scientists remain at their posts to secure the environment and public health, advocating the necessity of clean air and water for everyone.
