EPA employees stream for the exit
More than 1,300 EPA employees are poised to leave the agency in what may be the single largest exodus in its history.
As of Friday morning, 1,334 staffers had followed through on 'early out' offers that require them to start paid administrative leave Monday, according to figures provided by the agency. That number is about half of those who initially applied in April for early retirement as well as a second deferred resignation offer. Employees older than 40 have more time to mull their options.
Those leaving make up more than 8 percent of EPA's current workforce of almost 15,700 employees, which includes about 550 who are already on leave following an earlier deferred resignation offer. The latest wave reportedly includes numerous mid-level and senior managers who will take decades of experience with them as they go out the door.
Advertisement
'It's a tremendous loss for the agency and for ORD,' said Chris Frey, who served as assistant administrator of the Office of Research and Development during President Joe Biden's administration, adding that he's been 'gobsmacked' at the names of some of those who are exiting.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Wire
40 minutes ago
- Geek Wire
Fresh produce with your package: Amazon testing tighter grocery bundling for same-day deliveries
Blueberries, apples, and cucumbers showed up in my recent order that included a micro SD card and dishwasher detergent. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) Amazon is making a more concerted effort to get customers buying groceries online as they shop on the tech giant's main shopping storefront. I've noticed this lately after loading up my online cart on and clicking 'proceed to checkout.' Instead of taking me to checkout, Amazon shows me a page with more than 100 grocery items that can be delivered same-day. Most of the items I saw were fresh produce or meat, with some packaged foods. ( screenshot) I tested this out a few days ago — adding some apples, cucumbers, and blueberries to my online cart that already included a micro SD memory card and dishwasher detergent. After ordering late one evening, everything arrived at my Seattle doorstep the next morning — non-grocery items in one package, groceries an hour later. 'We are currently iterating on new experiences that make it easier for customers to shop for fresh groceries alongside the millions of items available for same-day delivery,' Amazon said in a statement to GeekWire. Amazon said in October that it was running a trial in Phoenix that let customers bundle perishable items with other products for same-day and overnight delivery. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy talked about the new initiative during the Q&A portion of Amazon's shareholders meeting last month: 'We've experimented in Phoenix, in Kansas City, in Orlando at this point. And so now, when you're getting those items that you get same day, you can add perishables, like eggs or milk, or bread, or yogurt. That experience is really resonating with customers. We're seeing very significant adoption, and I'm optimistic as we roll that out to many more of our same day facilities, that that will lead to more of our customers buying perishables from us.' Personally I've had a hard time keeping track of Amazon's various grocery delivery services — from Amazon Fresh to Whole Foods to the same-day platform (which was called Prime Now in a previous incarnation). That's partly why the tighter integration with the shopping experience caught my attention. It was baked directly into the traditional e-commerce shopping flow, and made everything feel like one process versus buying products off and then making a separate grocery order. There were no extra fees or subscriptions required (I am a Prime member), and everything came within the same delivery window. I'm surprised it took Amazon so long to roll this out. But I'm not sure I'll keep using it. I'm not a big online grocery shopper — I prefer to pick my own produce if possible. The items came inside insulated bags and were somewhat cool on arrival, but the cucumbers had a weird look and weird smell. I ended up throwing them out, and reminded myself why I still like grocery shopping the old fashioned way. In another sign of grocery-related consolidation at Amazon, the company is reorganizing its grocery unit leadership ranks and bringing Whole Foods corporate staff under Amazon's employee programs, Business Insider reported this week. It's the first big structural change for the company's grocery arm under new leader Jason Buechel, the CEO of Whole Foods who expanded his role earlier this year to also oversee Amazon's Worldwide Grocery Stores business. From the initial launch of Amazon Fresh in 2007 to the $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017 and beyond, Amazon has had mixed results in grocery. Over the past few years the company introduced new store formats, closed some stores, paused and restarted expansion, and shifted away from its 'Just Walk Out' checkout-free technology in its large format Amazon Fresh stores. More recently Amazon has launched small format 'Daily Shop' Whole Foods stores and an automated micro-fulfillment center co-located within a Whole Foods store. 'I think that the way people buy groceries is going to continue to evolve over time,' Jassy said at the shareholders meeting. 'So I continue to be very, very bullish on our grocery business. It's large today and has a chance to be much larger in the future.' Amazon said it had more than $100 billion in gross sales of groceries and household essentials in 2024, excluding sales from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. Amazon still has a small slice of the U.S. grocery market, at just 1.4%, with Whole Foods at 1.6%, according to data cited by Business Insider.
Wall Street Journal
42 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
These Charts Show Why Wall Street's Gloom Over Deals Is Overblown
Wall Street bankers who were bemoaning a slowdown in deals are finding themselves now looking at a reasonably solid year. Maybe. The mood in M&A circles has been lukewarm under President Trump despite a number of megadeals this year, including Google's $32 billion agreement to purchase the cybersecurity startup Wiz and Charter Communications's $22 billion deal for Cox Communications. The damped enthusiasm is partly a result of dashed hopes: Many bankers had believed the Trump administration would usher in a surge in mergers and acquisitions after a relative lull in the past few years.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Refrigeration Oil Market to Reach USD 2.01 billion by 2032
Rising eco-friendly refrigerant adoption, stringent emission norms propel Refrigeration Oil demand; digitization in cold-chain bolsters market growth. Austin, June 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Refrigeration Oil Market Size was valued at USD 1.38 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 2.01 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4.86% over the forecast period of 2025-2032. Global Shift Toward Eco-Friendly Cooling Fuels Refrigeration Oil Demand Across Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Applications Increasing use of sophisticated cooling systems and rising environmental regulations are the factors driving the Refrigeration Oil Market. Demand for high-efficiency synthetic options is being driven by the U.S. EPA 2023 requirement to phase down high-GWP oils. A growing industrial sector in Asia Pacific and a 15% increase in synthetic oil production in China in 2023 are driving growth. Yet domestic consumption in the U.S. DOE report showed a 12% overall increase in oil used for HVAC, and Carrier's 2024 forecast projects increased shipments of biodegradable PDF Sample of Refrigeration Oil Market @ The U.S. Refrigeration Oil Market had the highest CAGR of 6.25% in the forecast period of 2025-2032, with a market size of USD 244 million. In the U.S., rising energy-efficient HVAC retrofits supported by the Department of Energy's (DoE) 2023 Green Building Initiative is driving the use of Refrigeration Oil. In late 2023, major carriers such as Honeywell and Emerson introduced low-GWP synthetic oils to meet the increasingly stringent EPA regulations and growing healthcare sector refrigeration demand. Key Players: Shell plc ExxonMobil Corporation Phillips 66 Company Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC Rompetrol Rafinare S.A. Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. Honeywell International Inc. Junyuan Petroleum Group Merck KGaA Indian Oil Corporation Limited. Refrigeration Oil Market Report Scope: Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2024 USD 1.38 Billion Market Size by 2032 USD 2.01 Billion CAGR CAGR of 4.86% From 2025 to 2032 Base Year 2024 Forecast Period 2025-2032 Historical Data 2021-2023 Report Scope & Coverage Market Size, Segments Analysis, Competitive Landscape, Regional Analysis, DROC & SWOT Analysis, Forecast Outlook Key Drivers • Growth In Cold Chain Logistics and Food Storage Drives the Market Growth. If You Need Any Customization on Refrigeration Oil Market Report, Inquire Now @ By Type, Synthetic Type Refrigeration Oil Dominated the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2024 with a 48% Market Share. The dominance is owing to their thermal stability, environmental compatibility and EPA conformability. Chevron Phillips Chemical developed enhanced PAO blends that increased compressor efficiency and decreased loss. The U.S. Energy Information Administration found a 22% increase in the use of synthetic oil in hospitals and data centers, pointing to increasing demand for precise cooling. Mineral oils are being gradually replaced by biodegradable synthetic oils, due to the R&D dedicated to low-GWP refrigerant compatibility and long-term performance. By Application, the Refrigerators dominated the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2024 with a 32% Market Share. The dominance is attributed to the market is determined by the adoption of energy efficient models in North America and Asia Pacific. U.S. sales of refrigerators increased by 8%, and makers of brands like Whirlpool and LG began to install inverter compressors, which need high-performance lubricants. With consumers looking to conserve energy, reduce cost, and extend the life of their appliances, there is a heightened demand for specifically formulated refrigeration oils that combat wear and sludge throughout the category. Asia Pacific dominated the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2024, Holding a 39% Market Share. The dominance of the region is on account of fast industrialization and growing cold-chain industry in China and India. China turned out 18 percent more synthetic oil and India exported 12% more to Southeast Asia. Government incentives also contributed, including tax breaks in Thailand for energy-efficient storage that helped generate investments in chillers. Regional OEM activity also increased with Daikin opening the first dedicated synthetic oil plant in Malaysia in 2024, continuing the dominance of the region in refrigeration oil demand and production. North America is the fastest-growing region in the Refrigeration Oil Market in 2024, holding the Highest CAGR. Growth is the result of EPA regulations requiring the reduced use of high-GWP oils and a retro fit wave in commercial refrigeration. Emerson introduced chlorine-free PAOs in response, as U.S. commercial HVAC oil use rose 18% compared to last year. Consumption of synthetic oil in the data center market in Canada also increased by 10%, indicating a broader regional trend towards more sustainable, higher performing refrigeration oil solutions across critical infrastructure Full Research Report @ About Us: SNS Insider is one of the leading market research and consulting agencies that dominates the market research industry globally. Our company's aim is to give clients the knowledge they require in order to function in changing circumstances. In order to give you current, accurate market data, consumer insights, and opinions so that you can make decisions with confidence, we employ a variety of techniques, including surveys, video talks, and focus groups around the world. CONTACT: Jagney Dave - Vice President of Client Engagement Phone: +1-315 636 4242 (US) | +44- 20 3290 5010 (UK)Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
