Latest news with #ORD
E&E News
14-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
EPA research contractors prep to end work Wednesday
EPA student researchers were told to wrap up their work by Wednesday, when their contract ends, while a request for extension waits in limbo. 'They haven't approved or disapproved. To the best of my knowledge, it's just sitting there with no decision one way or the other,' Shaun House, an Office of Research and Development acquisition specialist, wrote in an email to staff obtained by POLITICO's E&E News. According to two employees granted anonymity to speak freely, ORD staff months ago submitted a request to extend the decades-long partnership between the agency and Oak Ridge Associated Universities, the organization that oversees the contractors. Advertisement EPA's research office funds more than 400 ORAU contracts each year under two programs: the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the National Student Services Contractors (NSSC) program, according to Chris Frey, who formerly led ORD.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EPA tells scientists to apply for new jobs within the agency
Political leaders at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have told scientists there to apply to new jobs, implying that those who do not may be fired, according to an official with a union representing the agency's employees. 'People in ORD [the Office of Research and Development] were told to apply for these positions,' said Joyce Howell, executive vice president of the union. Howell recalled that the comment came from political officials during a meeting with EPA staffers. Someone asked during the meeting what would happen to those who did not apply to new positions and was told 'these are your opportunities,' she said, adding that the implication was that those who did not apply to or get a new position would be fired. Howell said that employees were told 155 jobs were opening up in the agency's chemicals office, 300 were opening up in the administrator's office and 50 would open up in the air and radiation office, while an unspecified number would open up in the water office. But reports have indicated that some 1,500 people work in ORD. Howell warned that if the rest of these jobs are lost, the agency could be losing not only 'independent science' but also the 'expertise' of those staffers. Chris Frey, who led ORD under the Biden administration, raised concerns about the future of the research office — and what it may mean for the American people. 'Without the evolution of the science, …we would see a difference that EPA will do less to protect public health and the environment,' Frey said. 'We've seen announcements from the administrator of EPA to roll back basically all of the major standards that were set during the Biden administration for air pollution and water quality, contaminants in land and chemicals in commerce, and all of those decisions are made based on an assessment of what is the harm to public health and the environment,' he added. Asked about whether employees in the agency's science arm were instructed to apply for the new job openings, an EPA spokesperson said via email that 'All EPA employees were provided this opportunity via an internal hiring authority.' 'The May 2 announcement was the next phase of organizational improvements and part of a larger, comprehensive effort to restructure the entire agency,' the spokesperson said. 'The Office of Research and Development was not part of this announcement. EPA's Talent Hub went live Friday night (May 2) with new and open positions in offices impacted by this phase of reorganization … All EPA employees are eligible to apply,' continued the email. The Hill also obtained an internal email, first reported by E&E News, that appears to detail changes to the agency's Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, which conducts studies to examine the impact of exposures to chemicals on people and ecosystems. An email signed by the director and deputy director of the center says, 'Lab research will wind down over the next few weeks as we will no longer have the capability to acquire supplies and materials.' 'We requested for an exemption for journal articles but have not heard if that is approved,' the internal email states. 'ORD is shutting down their laboratory activities. We are unsure if these laboratory activities will continue post-reorganization.' The EPA, however, described this email as 'factually inaccurate.' 'No ORD funding requests to [the Office of Mission Support] have been denied. In fact, we have approved numerous contracts for ongoing ORD research dating back to January,' an agency spokesperson said. 'At ORD and throughout the agency, EPA is continuing research and labs to advance the mission of protecting human health and the environment,' the spokesperson continued. The alleged changes are coming in the wake of a broad reorganization announced by the agency earlier this month, part of sweeping changes enacted by the Trump administration. EPA said that it would be 'shifting its scientific expertise and research efforts' to its program offices, including those that make decisions about whether to protect air and water and how to regulate chemicals. The agency said at the time that this phase in its reorganization does not include layoffs, but that it hoped to eventually get staffing levels down to where they were in the Reagan era — meaning that around 1,000 to 3,000 of the agency's 15,000 positions could ultimately go. Democratic staff of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee reviewed a plan earlier this year indicating that the EPA has considered eliminating ORD entirely. The Trump administration has indicated that it wants to cut jobs at agencies across the board — and that it intends to carry out mass firings across the federal government. On Friday, a federal judge ordered a temporary pause in the administration's plans. An EPA spokesperson declined to say whether its reorganization efforts will be impacted by that order, saying the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
EPA tells scientists to apply for new jobs within the agency
Political leaders at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have told scientists there to apply to new jobs, implying that those who do not may be fired, according to an official with a union representing the agency's employees. 'People in ORD [the Office of Research and Development] were told to apply for these positions,' said Joyce Howell, executive vice president of the union. Howell recalled that the comment came from political officials during a meeting with EPA staffers. Someone asked during the meeting what would happen to those who did not apply to new positions and was told 'these are your opportunities,' she said, adding that the implication was that those who did not apply to or get a new position would be fired. Howell said that employees were told 155 jobs were opening up in the agency's chemicals office, 300 were opening up in the administrator's office and 50 would open up in the air and radiation office, while an unspecified number would open up in the water office. But reports have indicated that some 1,500 people work in ORD. Howell warned that if the rest of these jobs are lost, the agency could be losing not only 'independent science' but also the 'expertise' of those staffers. Chris Frey, who led ORD under the Biden administration, raised concerns about the future of the research office — and what it may mean for the American people. 'Without the evolution of the science, …we would see a difference that EPA will do less to protect public health and the environment,' Frey said. 'We've seen announcements from the administrator of EPA to roll back basically all of the major standards that were set during the Biden administration for air pollution and water quality, contaminants in land and chemicals in commerce, and all of those decisions are made based on an assessment of what is the harm to public health and the environment,' he added. Asked about whether employees in the agency's science arm were instructed to apply for the new job openings, an EPA spokesperson said via email that 'All EPA employees were provided this opportunity via an internal hiring authority.' 'The May 2 announcement was the next phase of organizational improvements and part of a larger, comprehensive effort to restructure the entire agency,' the spokesperson said. 'The Office of Research and Development was not part of this announcement. EPA's Talent Hub went live Friday night (May 2) with new and open positions in offices impacted by this phase of reorganization … All EPA employees are eligible to apply,' continued the email. The Hill also obtained an internal email, first reported by E&E News, that appears to detail changes to the agency's Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, which conducts studies to examine the impact of exposures to chemicals on people and ecosystems. An email signed by the director and deputy director of the center says, 'Lab research will wind down over the next few weeks as we will no longer have the capability to acquire supplies and materials.' 'We requested for an exemption for journal articles but have not heard if that is approved,' the internal email states. 'ORD is shutting down their laboratory activities. We are unsure if these laboratory activities will continue post-reorganization.' The EPA, however, described this email as 'factually inaccurate.' 'No ORD funding requests to [the Office of Mission Support] have been denied. In fact, we have approved numerous contracts for ongoing ORD research dating back to January,' an agency spokesperson said. 'At ORD and throughout the agency, EPA is continuing research and labs to advance the mission of protecting human health and the environment,' the spokesperson continued. The alleged changes are coming in the wake of a broad reorganization announced by the agency earlier this month, part of sweeping changes enacted by the Trump administration. EPA said that it would be 'shifting its scientific expertise and research efforts' to its program offices, including those that make decisions about whether to protect air and water and how to regulate chemicals. The agency said at the time that this phase in its reorganization does not include layoffs, but that it hoped to eventually get staffing levels down to where they were in the Reagan era — meaning that around 1,000 to 3,000 of the agency's 15,000 positions could ultimately go. Democratic staff of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee reviewed a plan earlier this year indicating that the EPA has considered eliminating ORD entirely. The Trump administration has indicated that it wants to cut jobs at agencies across the board — and that it intends to carry out mass firings across the federal government. On Friday, a federal judge ordered a temporary pause in the administration's plans. An EPA spokesperson declined to say whether its reorganization efforts will be impacted by that order, saying the agency doesn't comment on pending litigation.
E&E News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
EPA research center shutters lab activities
EPA's political leaders have hedged on reorganization plans for its stand-alone research office, but the office's managers are already warning staff of halting lab research and reassigning key duties. In an email sent Thursday morning to all staff in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, one of the Office of Research and Development's four research centers, center Director Wayne Cascio and deputy Kay Holt wrote, 'Lab research will wind down over the next few weeks as we will no longer have the capability to acquire supplies and materials.' 'ORD is shutting down their laboratory activities,' the email continues. 'We are unsure if these laboratory activities will continue post-reorganization. Time and funding would be needed to reconstitute activities.' Advertisement The research office's executives are already planning a future without ORD as a stand-alone office. Senior-level Office of Research and Development staffers were informed that management is considering moving up the date of a scheduled quarterly meeting from June 9 to the week of May 19 to discuss an 'orderly transfer of ORD's functions,' according to a source granted anonymity who is familiar with reorganization plans. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin last Friday announced reorganization plans for four offices that include new positions under the agency's chemicals, air, water and administrator offices. Zeldin has said the organizational shake-up is to get staff levels closer to those seen in the Reagan administration and to better align the agency's priorities with statutory mandates from Congress, such as reviewing new chemicals or permitting activities in the pursuit of 'energy dominance.' EPA did not respond to questions ahead of publication. Spokesperson Molly Vaseliou on Monday said 'ORD was not one of the offices reorganized in this phase. It was not touched.' Research office staff in a town hall Friday afternoon were encouraged to apply to the new positions available in other agency programs and told that plans for the future of ORD have yet to be finalized. Cascio and Holt in their email to CPHEA staff warned, 'given all these recent events, the Talent Hub opportunities should not be viewed as an opportunity to continue your current research.' CPHEA oversees multiple research divisions, from climate science to pollutant assessments. One of its divisions is the embattled Integrated Risk Information System, or IRIS, which conducts chemical risk assessments that industry lobbyists have for years challenged for overstating the dangers of certain substances. Similar functions are the mission of the newly established Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, under the Office of the Administrator. The new office's mission statement is the 'development of efficient and effective environmental solutions through the data, methods and tools to inform Agency risk assessments and risk management actions,' according to an image of the office's organizational structure shared with POLITICO's E&E News. EPA's plan to dissolve ORD has been expected by staffers for months, after draft plans to reassign or fire the research office's approximately 1,500 staffers leaked to the press. No employees have been laid off, Vaseliou said earlier this week. 'While Kay and I, along with many of you, are grieving the loss of the Center that you built, and its research, we are also laser focused on mitigating impacts on our federal staff,' Cascio and Holt wrote in the email. Reach this reporter on Signal at eborst.64.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
President Murmu virtually inaugurates home for senior citizens in Vellore
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday virtually inaugurated a home for senior citizens, who are mostly women, at Ariyur village on the outskirts of Vellore Corporation limits. Accompanied by senior officials of Department of Social Welfare, Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi inspected the new home, which is maintained by Organisation for Rural Development (ORD), a local NGO that works for aged people and children in the region. 'It is the first such facility in the district where the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has given funding. Such funding helps to provide better facilities to inmates,' R. Uma, District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), told The Hindu. Spread over two acres, the new home is spacious for inmates with a large dining hall, living room, and a library. Around 50 inmates are taken care of at the home. Most of them are in their 60s. The home has a capacity to accommodate at least 70 persons at a time. Officials said that the home has been selected under the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC) for better upkeep of the facility including providing timely healthcare to its inmates. The scheme provides grants to NGOs and other organizations to implement programs that cater to the basic needs of the elderly, including food, shelter, healthcare, and intergenerational bonding. At present, officials said that 11 homes for senior citizens including those run by the State government are located in Vellore. On an average, around 60 persons are accommodated in each home. Apart from shelter, food, healthcare and initiatives to lead a normal life are provided in the home. Collector and social welfare officials conduct surprise checks at these facilities including those run by NGOs regularly and interact with senior citizens.
