Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday afternoon that It’s ending Its scientific division, known as Research and Development Office.
A day after the agency, the step of shuttering Ord comes when it was undergoing a reorganization associated with several other EPA divisions.
Ord “conducts important research from environmental pollutants to protect human health and ecosystems,” According to its websiteMore than 1,500 employees, including scientists and researchers, are scattered across the country. 11 different placesBut wholesale is based on a large scientific feature at Washington, EPA headquarters in DC and research Triangle in North Carolina.
According to a news release from the agency, termination of the office will save $ 748.8 million.
The EPA had 16,155 employees in January 2025, but after the action of voluntary retirement, dismissal and other decrease in force (RIF), it is now below 12,488 employees, the agency said in its release on Friday, the lack of about 22% of its employees. Staffing cuts include 3,201 employees who so -called Trump administration “Born on the road“Definished resignation programs, as well as those who used to retire quickly.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement on Friday, “Under the leadership of President Trump, the EPA has taken a close watch on our operations to ensure that the agency has given strength to the great American return and better equipped to fulfill our main mission to protect human health and environment.” “This decrease in force will ensure that we can complete that mission better, while the dollar is responsible for your hard work.”
It was estimated that the Ord would be affected, According to the previous documents to underline the agency’s RIF schemesBack in March, the documents indicated that somewhere 50% to 75% ORD employees would not be retained, most of them prominently placed prominent scientists in their research field.
A source inside Ord told CBS News on Friday that the employees came to know about the lack of force through a press release that was sent to the public, and no formal communication from the agency has received what will happen next.
The source told CBS News, “A friend gave me a press release,” I came to know this way. ,
According to the source, most of the employees are eagerly checking their email, waiting to see if they will be re -assigned to another program office, or affected by the deficiency.
Some Ord employees have already received notification that they have been re -assigned, while most wait to learn their fate. In May, Ord employees were told that they would be contacted by other programs inside the agency to discuss potential, lateral tricks. But according to the source, now it appears that the affected persons will not get too much options: either revaluate if any offer is offered, or leave the agency.
“I don’t think I can live in America,” a source told CBS News, “There is no job here.”
Due to the cut in federal task force and scientific research cuts, very few scientific positions are available in the US, and some are now considering work abroad.
In a statement, EPA’s leading principal deputy assistant administrator Jennifer Omee-Javaleta said, “Today’s deduction is one of the most respected environmental health research organizations in the world.” “EPA’s science office has long been recognized internationally to pursue public health protection through rigorous sciences. Reduce your workforce under the guise of cost savings is both misleading and dangerous. No Save taxpayers’ money; This bus moves costs to hospitals, families and communities, which left to tolerate the health and economic consequences of increased pollution and weak oversight. The people of this country are not well served with these works. They remain more weak. ,
ORME-ZAVALETA said that the research of Ord touches many issues from PFAS, which is often referred to as “chemicals” forever.
According to its website, six major research programs are composed of offices, including Air, climate and energy, Chemical security for stability, Health and environmental risk evaluation, Homeland Security, Safe and durable water resources And Permanent and healthy community,
It also includes four major research laboratories. Computational toxic science and risk center (CCTE), Environmental Measurement and Modeling Center (CEMM), Environmental solution and emergency response center (CESER) And this Public Health and Environmental Assessment Center (CPHEA),
