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2w ago

EPA Issues Termination Notices to Environmental Justice Staff in Major Workforce Reduction

Nearly 200 employees have been notified their positions will end by July 31, as the agency advances a 65% budget cut and reorganization plan under Administrator Lee Zeldin.

The seal of the Environmental Protection Agency outside the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18, 2025.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a signing ceremony with members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation at the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Environmental Protection Agency has issued reduction-in-force notices to nearly 200 employees in its Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, effective July 31, 2025.
  • An additional 280 staff involved in environmental justice and diversity programs are expected to face termination, with 175 others reassigned to new roles.
  • Administrator Lee Zeldin has justified the layoffs and restructuring by citing inefficiencies in past environmental justice spending and aligning the workforce with a revised agency mission.
  • The move follows a February executive order from President Trump and precedes broader plans for a 65% agency budget cut and regulatory rollbacks.
  • Union leaders and environmental advocates have criticized the layoffs, warning of long-term harm to vulnerable communities and the agency’s ability to address pollution and equity issues.