The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently placed 144 employees on administrative leave while it investigates letters of objection related to actions and policies from the Trump administration concerning the agency’s work.
It’s not entirely certain if these staff members will face additional consequences after the investigation concludes.
“The Environmental Protection Agency has a zero-tolerance policy for bureaucrats who illegally obstruct and undermine the administration’s agenda,” said Brigit Hirsch in a formal statement.
In a letter made public on Monday, both current and former EPA employees expressed that Trump’s policies “threaten the EPA’s mission to safeguard human health and the environment.”
They raised particular concerns over five main issues, claiming that the administration disregards scientific consensus, harms public trust, benefits polluters, reverses progress in vulnerable communities, dismantles research labs, and fosters a climate of fear.
“Your decisions will affect generations. The EPA, under your leadership, will fail to protect communities from hazardous chemicals or unsafe drinking water, increasing risks to public health,” the staff members addressed to manager Lee Zeldin.
In response, the EPA stated on Monday that it will “continue its collaboration with states, tribes, and communities to uphold the core mission of protecting human health and the environment.”
Zeldin commented to reporters back in January that employees who haven’t “committed” to President Trump’s directives shouldn’t be working there. “I believe no one should be at the EPA unless they are fully supportive of the agency’s mission and the legal mandate from the democratically elected president,” he noted.
Previously, the EPA had dismissed staff who focused on environmental justice issues—particularly concerning pollution in underserved communities—arguing that their views did not align with the administration’s stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
