a day ago
EPA cuts could stall ‘forever chemicals' progress
The Trump administration's planned cuts to EPA research and science could make it harder to discover new 'forever chemicals' and understand their risks to human health, three researchers who study the toxic compounds said last week.
On a call with reporters, the researchers — Carla Ng, Julia Varshavsky and Alissa Cordner — criticized the administration's proposed reconfiguration of the Office of Research and Development and its plans to move EPA scientists into different agency offices.
'I think everybody agrees it would be devastating,' said Ng, an associate professor of engineering at the University of Pittsburgh.
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EPA has released few details to the public regarding its plans for the Office of Research and Development since March, when House Democrats leaked a memo indicating the Trump administration's plans to eliminate it. But agency officials told staff last month that the office — which had over 1,500 staffers at the start of the year — will soon be 'much smaller.'
