Lee Zeldin has laid off more than 4,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employees in what the Trump administration refers to as a Reduction in Force (RIF), claiming it will save $748.8 million.
The RIF impacts the Office of Research and Development the most. According to the EPA website, it is the “scientific research arm” of the agency. In July, the EPA announced the termination of the Office of Research and Development, claiming it would deliver $748.8 million in savings. The agency also claimed that the new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions would do the tasks of the ORD. But with fewer employees, it’s doubtful that will happen.
The federal agency claims that “extensive enhancement” of expertise and research in the agency’s offices that handle “statutory obligations and mission essential functions” will make up for the loss of many employees. But without enough employees, how is research conducted?
The agency also brags about the added lab functions and the hundreds of experts in the agency’s air, water, and chemical offices. If these experienced EPA employees are laid off, who will fill the void of their expertise?
Doublespeak: Lee Zeldin’s EPA
The remarks by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin amount to the same doublespeak propaganda found in George Orwell’s novel, 1984. His statement that the RIF “will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars” is a clear attempt at manipulation and deception.
In March, the EPA announced the termination of the agency’s Environmental Justice and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program. In another fit of doublespeak, the announcement proclaimed that the termination of the program will position the agency to “meet its core mission of protecting human health and the environment, and Powering the Great American Comeback.”
Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, wrote a letter to Zeldin about reducing the EPA workforce. “Any efforts by the EPA to purge these employees undermine the Agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment, putting communities and individuals across the country at great risk,” the letter stated.
Trump Administration Deregulating Pollution Control
In March, the EPA declared the “greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history.” The federal agency tasked with protecting the environment repealed the regulations on power plants, the automobile industry, manufacturing, energy, coal, and the oil and gas industry.
The Trump administration’s deregulation of the most polluting industries is a clear indication that it doesn’t prioritize the health of the American people. The reconsideration of the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards is a prime example. Last year, the Biden administration issued a rule for stricter standards for particulate matter pollution (PM2.5).
PM2.5 can be inhaled and enter the deeper parts of the lungs. Short-term exposure can cause increased hospital visits for heart and lung issues, bronchitis, and asthma attacks. It is associated with the biggest proportion of health effects from air pollution, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Project.
Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been associated with premature death and reduced lung capacity growth in children. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found in 2015 that PM2.5 exposure can cause lung cancer.
One thing is certain. Trump and his cronies, including Lee Zeldin at the EPA, will only do what is best for the wealthiest Americans, leaving the rest of us to suffer.
