The Environmental Protection Agency said it plans to create a new office that will allow EPA to prioritize research and science ‘more than ever before.’
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Friday that it will cut about 23 percent of its workforce and eliminate its research and development office as part of the agency’s restructuring effort.
The agency stated that it expects its workforce to reduce from 16,155 to 12,448 employees, noting that many have opted to resign through voluntary early retirement and a deferred resignation program.
The layoffs will affect the Research and Development Office, according to its statement. The agency said the restructuring effort is expected to help it save about $748.8 million after completion.
The EPA said it plans to create an Applied Science and Environmental Solutions Office that will enable it to focus on research and science “more than ever before,” placing them “at the forefront of rulemakings and technical assistance to states.”
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said the reorganization is intended 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” under the Trump administration.
“This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars,” he said.
The Office of Research and Development functions as the EPA’s scientific research arm, according to the agency’s website. The office carries out “leading-edge research” that “informs agency decisions and supports the emerging needs of EPA stakeholders, including the agency’s state, tribal, and community partners,” it stated.
Critics said cutting the office’s workforce will affect the EPA’s ability to respond to those risks properly.
Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.) said on March 18 that the office is “vital to understanding and addressing environmental risks.”
“The Trump Administration’s plan to dissolve the EPA’s Office of Research and Development and lay-off over 1,000 scientists is yet another step in their scheme to fully gut this agency,” Foushee said.
