Latest news with #Vaseliou
Axios
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Worries grow that cuts could come to the EPA's Research Triangle Park office
Worries are growing that the Environmental Protection Agency could make deep cuts to its research offices in North Carolina. Why it matters: The EPA's campus in Research Triangle Park is the agency's largest, covering 1.2 million square feet of space and 15 offices. With around 2,000 local workers, the EPA was the 19th largest employer in Durham County last year, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. Threat level: In March, the New York Times reported that the EPA could dismantle its Office of Research and Development and cut more than 1,000 jobs. The ORD, which conducts the scientific research the agency uses to make its rulings, makes up the largest share of the EPA's Triangle workforce. What they're saying: The EPA did not comment specifically on plans for its RTP campus. In a statement, agency spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said the EPA plans to make "organizational improvements." "While no decisions have been made yet," Vaseliou added, "we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to better fulfill agency statutory obligations, increase efficiency and ensure the EPA is as up-to-date and effective as ever." State of play: Reps. Deborah Ross and Valerie Foushee, Democrats who represent the Triangle in Congress, both have made pleas to EPA administrator Lee Zeldin to maintain ORD staffing. Zeldin has said he wants to make deep budget cuts at the EPA as part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal government. Both Foushee and Ross highlighted the office's work in a letter to the EPA, including research that has revealed the extent of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water in recent years. "
The Hill
07-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Environmental justice staff put on leave at EPA
The employees were part of the agency's Office of Environmental Justice, which sought to help people in areas with significant levels of pollution — including minority neighborhoods. EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou confirmed 168 staff members in the office were placed on leave since 'their function did not relate to the agency's statutory duties or grant work.' Vaseliou also cited President Trump's executive order that directs all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff to be put on leave and said the EPA is 'in the process of evaluating new structure and organization to ensure we are meeting our mission of protecting human health and the environment for all Americans.' In addition to the suspensions, a tool known as EJScreen, which showed how pollution data intersected with demographic and income data, was offline as of Friday. Studies, including those conducted by the EPA in the past, have found that Black Americans in particular face high levels of pollution, and the disparities they face are even more pronounced than disparities faced by the poor.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EPA puts employees who tackle pollution in overburdened communities on leave
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put more than 160 workers who tackle pollution in overburdened communities on leave. The employees were part of the agency's Office of Environmental Justice, which sought to help people in areas with significant levels of pollution — including minority neighborhoods. EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou confirmed that 168 staff members in the office were placed on leave since 'their function did not relate to the agency's statutory duties or grant work.' Vaseliou also cited President Trump's executive order that directs all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff to be put on leave and said that the EPA is 'in the process of evaluating new structure and organization to ensure we are meeting our mission of protecting human health and the environment for all Americans.' According to an email sent to staff and obtained by The Hill, employees were told they would still receive salary and benefits, although they could not do their work. In addition to the suspensions, a tool known as EJScreen, which showed how pollution data intersected with demographic and income data, was offline as of Friday. Studies, including those conducted by the EPA, have found that Black Americans in particular face high levels of pollution, and that the disparities they face are more pronounced than disparities faced by the poor. Matthew Tejada, a former environmental justice official at the EPA, said the move shows 'this administration's chest thumping about clean air, clean water and clean land is being proven a lie right in front of us.' 'The communities in our country that face the greatest pollution challenges and that need the most help from their government to enjoy the same sort of clean environment that most of us take for granted are being cast aside,' he said. Tejada also noted that communities that are helped by the office are 'facing some of the most dangerous things that human beings can face' such as lead, toxic substances such as 'forever chemicals: and PCBs and radioactive wastes. The news comes after the Senate confirmed former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) to lead the agency late last month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
