WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research office and could fire more than 1,000 scientists and other employees who help provide the scientific foundation for rules safeguarding human health and ecosystems from environmental pollutants.
As many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists 鈥 75% of the research program's staff 鈥 could be laid off, according to documents reviewed by Democratic staff on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
The planned layoffs, cast by the Trump administration as part of a broader push to shrink the size of the federal government and make it more efficient, were assailed by critics as a massive dismantling of the EPA's longstanding mission to protect public health and the environment.
The plans were first reported by The New York Times.
EPA Administrator has said he wants to a huge spending cut that would require major staffing reductions for jobs such as monitoring air and water quality, responding to natural disasters and lead abatement, among many other agency functions. The EPA has also issued guidance directing that require approval from Elon Musk鈥檚
The Office of Research and Development 鈥 EPA's main science arm 鈥 currently has 1,540 positions, excluding special government employees and public health officers, according to the memo. A majority of staff 鈥 ranging from 50% to 75% 鈥 "will not be retained,'' the memo said.
The research office has 10 facilities across the country, stretching from Florida and North Carolina to Oregon.
The plan calls for dissolving the research office and reassigning remaining staff to other parts of the agency 鈥渢o provide increased oversight and align with administration priorities," the memo says. EPA officials have presented the plan to the White House for review.
Molly Vaseliou, an EPA spokeswoman, said the agency 鈥渋s taking exciting steps as we enter the next phase of organizational improvements,鈥 but said changes had not been finalized.
鈥淲e are committed to enhancing our ability to deliver clean air, water and land for all Americans,鈥 she said, adding, 鈥淲hile no decisions have been made yet, we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to increase efficiency and ensure the EPA is as up to date and effective as ever.鈥
California Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the science committee, said in a statement that the agency's research office was created by Congress and 鈥渆liminating it is illegal.鈥
Every decision the EPA makes 鈥渕ust be in furtherance of protecting human health and the environment, and that just can鈥檛 happen if you gut EPA science,鈥 Lofgren said.
鈥淓PA cannot meet its legal obligation to use the best available science without (the Office of Research and Development) and that鈥檚 the point,'' she added. President and his billionaire adviser, Musk, 鈥渁re putting their polluter buddies鈥 bottom lines over the health and safety of Americans,鈥 Lofgren said.
In his first term, 鈥淭rump and his cronies politicized and distorted science,'' she said. 鈥淣ow, this is their attempt to kill it for good."
Ticora Jones, chief science officer at the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, said Trump's EPA 鈥測et again is putting polluters over people."
She called on Congress to 鈥渟tand up and demand that EPA keep its scientists on the beat so that we all can get the clean air and clean water we need and deserve.鈥