EPA Employees Still in the Dark as Agency Dismantles Scientific Research Office
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Summary
A potential wind down at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) research arm is causing worry among employees of the agency’s Office of Research and Development (ORD).
On Friday, the EPA announced cuts at ORD, saying it would help the agency save $748.8m; however, employees learned via email on Monday that they had been reassigned to new positions within the EPA, and they were not given the option to turn down the offer.
Speaking to WIRED, an EPA spokesperson said that a third voluntary resignation period will end on 25 July, after which the agency will issue individual redundancy letters.
The spokesperson added that this is not an elimination of science or research at the EPA, and the agency is confident it has the resources to protect human health and the environment.
ORD contains a number of teams and initiatives central to the EPA’s mission, including a group that evaluates the health risks associated with chemicals.
