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Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration is gutting EPA's research arm. Can California bridge the gap?
In the wake of the Trump administration's decision to dismantle the research arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a robust if little-known California agency known as the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is poised to take on an even bigger role to bridge the gap. The EPA this month announced that it was eliminating nearly 4,000 employees as part of a cost-saving 'reduction in force,' the majority of which are staffers from its Office of Research and Development — whose research into environmental risks and hazards underpins nearly all EPA rules and regulations. The reduction will save the agency $748.8 million, officials said. '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,' read a statement from EPA administrator Lee Zeldin. 'This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.' The ORD had been in operation since the EPA was established by President Richard Nixon in 1970 and was focused on conducting scientific research to help advance the EPA's goals of protecting human health and the environment. Experts said the decision to break up the research office sends a chilling signal for science and will leave more communities exposed to environmental hazards such as industrial chemicals, wildfire smoke and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAs — in drinking water, all of which are subject to the department's analysis. 'The people of this country are not well served by these actions,' read a statement from Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science. 'They are left more vulnerable.' It also shifts the onus onto California and other states to fill the void left by the federal government. ORD's research supported work around Superfund site cleanups and environmental disasters such as the Los Angeles wildfires or the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment. 'There will be another East Palestine, another Exxon Valdez [oil spill] — some disaster will happen ... and those communities will be hurt when they don't have to be,' said Tracey Woodruff, a professor at UC San Francisco and a former senior scientist and policy advisor with EPA's Office of Policy. The Golden State appears better positioned than many others carry on the work — particularly through the small but mighty department Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, or OEHHA, located within the California Environmental Protection Agency. 'California has for some time developed a pretty robust infrastructure of assessing the health harms of toxic chemicals and pollutants,' Woodruff said. 'So in that way, we're better off than almost any other state because we have such a stellar group of scientists.' Indeed, California is known for some of its more rigorous health-based standards and regulations, such as the Proposition 65 warnings posted by businesses across the state to advise people of the presence of cancer-causing chemicals, which are overseen by OEHAA. By dismantling ORD, the EPA is further politicizing the independent science and research that underpins so many of the nation's regulations, said Yana Garcia, California's Secretary for Environmental Protection. While California remains dedicated to such science, she said other states may not be so lucky. 'We will continue to keep the work of OEHHA strong and remain committed to it, but we're still getting a handle on what this loss really means,' Garcia said. 'It is a huge loss to California. It is an even bigger loss to so many other states that don't have an Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessments like we do.' Kris Thayer, OEHHA's director, came to agency from ORD, where she directed its IRIS program for identifying and characterizing the human health hazards of chemicals. She said the state is 'absolutely going to be looking at every way that we can fill the void given our resources, but we are going to feel the pinch of this.' 'It's not only that the quantity of assessments will be reduced, but the credibility of the assessments will be reduced, because they will be developed by programs where there's a lot more opportunity for political interference in terms of the science that gets shaped,' she said. Chemical industry and other anti-regulatory groups have lobbied for the EPA to limit ORD's influence. A January letter addressed to Zeldin spearheaded by the American Chemistry Council and 80 other organizations said risk assessments developed by ORD were 'being used to develop overly burdensome regulations on critical chemistries essential for products we use every day.' In particular, they cited the government's evaluation of chemicals including formaldehyde, inorganic arsenic and hexavalent chromium, which can be used or created by industrial processes. The groups charged the agency with a lack of impartiality and transparency, a slow process and limited peer review. Thayer noted that a lot of assessment work conducted by ORD is used in California. On the other hand, a number of states and EPA programs also look to California's assessments. 'We're going to be monitoring how this unfolds, but we're certainly going to be looking to do everything we can to meet capacity — we're not going to be able to fully meet it — and recognizing that our work will not only impact California, but can be used by other states,' she said. Garcia said California has hired a number of people from the federal government over the past year and is open to absorbing more EPA employees who were recently laid off. OEHHA has a number of open positions. 'California remains open for [a] rigorous, science-based approach to health and environmental protections,' Garcia said. Woodruff, of UCSF, said she hopes to see California and other states invest more in OEHAA and other scientific agencies by offering better salaries and bolstering staff numbers. But ultimately, she said the Golden State can use this moment to become an example for others to follow. 'California could be a real leader for all the other states who also want to keep doing right by their by their constituents and continuing to address toxic chemical exposure,' she said.
The Herald Scotland
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump EPA cuts research and development office
"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," Lee Zeldin, the agency's administrator, said in a statement. "This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars." Officials said the creation of the applied science and environmental solutions office would allow EPA to prioritize research and science while putting it "at the forefront of rulemakings and technical assistance to states." EPA said organizational changes are saving nearly $750 million. The agency had already been subject to cuts in the new administration. A July 8 Supreme Court ruling allowed the Trump administration to implement sweeping reductions by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. In January, EPA had 16,155 employees, but the agency said it will now have 12,448 workers. It's unclear how many staff are affected by the July 18 announcement, while some will be reassigned in the agency. In an email, an EPA spokesperson said the next step would be sending notices to individual employees. The office includes biologists, chemists, epidemiologists and toxicologists. Scientists deal with emerging pollutants, including researching environmental emergencies such as floods, train derailments and wildfires, according to Nicole Cantello, legislative and political director for the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents EPA workers. "EPA is hellbent on destroying the foremost environmental research organization in the world," Cantello said. "That will only result in dirty air, dirty water and more health risks for the American people." Justin Chen, the union president, said the research and development office also sets regulatory guidelines for measuring pollutant levels. The restructuring places scientific research closer to the administrator, a political appointee, who "you can very well see turning a blind eye on things that may be inconvenient to friends of the administration," Chen said. In March, Democrats on the House science committee said there were about 1,540 employees across the country in EPA's reorganization plan of the Office of Research and Development. Lawmakers warned the plans would eliminate the EPA research and development office staffing by about 50-75%. The New York Times first reported on the plans. "The obliteration of (the Office of Research and Development) will have generational impacts on Americans' health and safety," Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California, the committee's ranking chair, said in a July 18 statement. "This is a travesty." The research and development office had been in the crosshairs of organizations allied with Trump, as the Times reported. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, specifically cited the EPA science office in Project 2025, the blueprint for Trump to reconfigure and downsize the federal government. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
EPA cuts its scientific research office, as layoffs set to take effect
The research and development office had been in the crosshairs of organizations allied with President Donald Trump. The Environmental Protection Agency eliminated its scientific research office in the Trump administration's latest cuts to the federal workforce. The change, announced July 18, affects the Office of Research and Development, which provided EPA with information to make decisions on standards for human health and the environment. EPA will now have a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, according to an agency news release. '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,' Lee Zeldin, the agency's administrator, said in a statement. 'This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.' Officials said the creation of the applied science and environmental solutions office would allow EPA to prioritize research and science while putting it 'at the forefront of rulemakings and technical assistance to states.' EPA said organizational changes are saving nearly $750 million. The agency had already been subject to cuts in the new administration. A July 8 Supreme Court ruling allowed the Trump administration to implement sweeping reductions by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. In January, EPA had 16,155 employees, but the agency said it will now have 12,448 workers. It's unclear how many staff are affected by the July 18 announcement, while some will be reassigned in the agency. In an email, an EPA spokesperson said the next step would be sending notices to individual employees. The office includes biologists, chemists, epidemiologists and toxicologists. Scientists deal with emerging pollutants, including researching environmental emergencies such as floods, train derailments and wildfires, according to Nicole Cantello, legislative and political director for the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents EPA workers. "EPA is hellbent on destroying the foremost environmental research organization in the world," Cantello said. "That will only result in dirty air, dirty water and more health risks for the American people." Justin Chen, the union president, said the research and development office also sets regulatory guidelines for measuring pollutant levels. The restructuring places scientific research closer to the administrator, a political appointee, who "you can very well see turning a blind eye on things that may be inconvenient to friends of the administration," Chen said. In March, Democrats on the House science committee said there were about 1,540 employees across the country in EPA's reorganization plan of the Office of Research and Development. Lawmakers warned the plans would eliminate the EPA research and development office staffing by about 50-75%. The New York Times first reported on the plans. 'The obliteration of (the Office of Research and Development) will have generational impacts on Americans' health and safety,' Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California, the committee's ranking chair, said in a July 18 statement. 'This is a travesty.' The research and development office had been in the crosshairs of organizations allied with Trump, as the Times reported. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, specifically cited the EPA science office in Project 2025, the blueprint for Trump to reconfigure and downsize the federal government. Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@ or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EPA announces 23% workforce reduction and closure of research office as part of federal streamlining
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday it plans to reduce its workforce by 23% and close its research and development office. The loss of more than 3,000 employees comes after layoffs and incentives to leave the agency amid the Trump administration's broad effort to streamline the federal government. "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," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. Usda Fires Foreign Workers Form Adversarial Countries, Including China, In National Security Protection Move "This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars." The EPA said the cuts will save the government $748.8 million. Read On The Fox News App As part of the restructuring, the EPA said it plans to open a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions to replace the Office of Research and Development, saying the new office would allow it to focus on research "more than ever before." This comes a week after the Supreme Court issued a ruling clearing the way for the administration to conduct mass layoffs. Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees, called the research and development office the "heart and brain of the EPA." State Department To Begin Mass Layoffs Of About 1,800 Employees In Coming Days "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." Fox News Digital has reached out to the EPA for comment. This announcement also comes two weeks after 139 employees signed a "declaration of dissent" claiming the Trump administration was hurting the agency's mission. The administration claimed the employees were "unlawfully undermining" the president's agenda. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: EPA announces 23% workforce reduction and closure of research office as part of federal streamlining
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EPA shutters its scientific research arm, with hundreds expected to be impacted
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday afternoon that it is eliminating its scientific division, known as the Office of Research and Development. The move to shutter the ORD comes one day after the agency said it was undergoing a reorganization involving several other EPA divisions. ORD conducts critical research to "safeguard human health and ecosystems from environmental pollutants," according to its website. More than 1,500 employees, including scientists and researchers, are dispersed across the country at 11 different locations, but the bulk are based at the EPA's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and at a large scientific facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Eliminating the office will bring $748.8 million in savings, according to a news release from the agency. The EPA had 16,155 employees back in January 2025, but following voluntary retirements, dismissals, and other reduction in force (RIF) actions, it is now down to 12,488 employees, the agency said in its release Friday, a reduction of about 22% of its staff. The staffing cuts include 3,201 employees who took the Trump administration's so-called "Fork in the Road" deferred resignation program, as well as those who took early retirement. "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," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement Friday. "This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars." It was anticipated that ORD would be impacted, according to earlier documents that outlined the agency's RIF plans. Back in March, the documents indicated that somewhere between 50% to 75% of ORD employees would not be retained, the majority of them leading scientists in their field of research. A source inside ORD told CBS News Friday that employees found out about the reduction in force via the press release that was sent out to the public, and has not received any formal communication from the agency about what will happen next. "A friend texted me the press release," the source told CBS News, "that is how I found out." According to the source, most employees are anxiously checking their email, waiting to see if they'll be reassigned to another program office, or impacted by the reduction. Some ORD employees have already received notification that they have been reassigned, while most wait to learn their fate. In May, ORD employees were told they would be contacted by other programs inside the agency to discuss potential, lateral moves. But according to the source, it now appears that impacted individuals won't get much of a choice: either take the reassignment if one is offered, or leave the agency. "I don't think I can stay in the U.S.," one source told CBS News, "there are no jobs here." Because of cuts to the federal workforce and cuts to scientific research, there are very few scientific positions available in the U.S., and some are now contemplating work abroad. "Today's cuts dismantle one of the world's most respected environmental health research organizations," said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former EPA principal deputy assistant administrator for science, in a statement. "EPA's science office has long been recognized internationally for advancing public health protections through rigorous science. Reducing its workforce under the guise of cost savings is both misleading and dangerous. This does not save taxpayers money; it simply shifts costs to hospitals, families and communities left to bear the health and economic consequences of increased pollution and weakened oversight. The people of this country are not well served by these actions. They are left more vulnerable." The ORD's research touches on a range of issues from PFAS, often referred to as "forever chemicals," to water-bourne diseases, soot in the air, and environmental factors that contribute to childhood asthma, Orme-Zavaleta said. It is made up of six major research program offices, per its website, that include Air, Climate, and Energy, Chemical Safety for Sustainability, Health and Environmental Risk Assessment, Homeland Security, Safe and Sustainable Water Resources and Sustainable and Healthy Communities. It also includes four major research labs including the Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), the Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER) and the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA). Wall Street Journal reports Trump sent "bawdy" birthday letter to Epstein, Trump threatens to sue Medical expert on Trump's chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis Americans on whether the U.S. should return to the moon, travel to Mars Solve the daily Crossword
