EPA Announces Elimination of Prominent Office and Slashes Thousands of Jobs

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Friday a sweeping plan to eliminate its Office of Research and Development and cut thousands of jobs, aiming to save taxpayers nearly $749 million.

This move comes after the Supreme Court recently cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s workforce downsizing initiative.

The agency said the reduction in force (RIF) will focus on the Office of Research and Development, the EPA’s scientific research division responsible for providing data and analysis to inform decision-making.

The EPA expects these cuts to result in $748.8 million in savings.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin emphasized that the changes will strengthen the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission, according to the New York Post.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA has taken a close look at our operations to ensure the agency is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment while powering the Great American Comeback,” Zeldin said in a statement.

He added, “This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.”

The EPA previously announced plans to reallocate scientific expertise and research functions from the Office of Research and Development to various program offices focused on “statutory obligations and mission essential functions.”

These functions include critical tasks such as ensuring clean air and water.

In addition, the agency said it will create a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions.

This office is designed to “allow EPA to prioritize research and science more than ever before and put it at the forefront of rule-making and technical assistance to states,” according to EPA documents.

Despite these plans, EPA union leadership voiced strong opposition. Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, called the decision to cut the Office of Research and Development “devastating.” He described the office as “the heart and brain” of the agency.

“Without it, we don’t have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,” Chen said. “Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.”

The Office of Research and Development currently employs approximately 1,540 staff members spread across 10 facilities nationwide, according to agency records. However, an EPA spokesperson assured that laboratory functions presently conducted by the office will continue despite the job cuts.

The EPA is planning a total workforce reduction of about 23% following the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this month that allowed President Trump’s plan to downsize the federal workforce to proceed.

Since January, more than 3,700 employees have either resigned, taken early retirement, or been laid off, the agency reported. This downsizing will bring the EPA’s workforce down to 12,448 employees, compared to 16,155 when President Trump took office.

EPA officials maintain that the restructuring and staffing cuts will lead to a leaner, more focused agency. Zeldin said the changes will position the EPA to “better fulfill our mission of protecting human health and the environment.”

Still, critics argue that eliminating the research arm undermines the agency’s scientific foundation, potentially threatening its ability to safeguard environmental and public health.

The restructuring is part of a broader Trump administration effort to cut federal workforce size and reduce government spending. The EPA’s planned cuts are among the largest federal workforce reductions in recent history.

As the agency moves forward, the impact of these changes on environmental research and policy remains a subject of intense debate among experts, employees, and public health advocates.

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