EPA research office shuttered Image By EPN staff Key Points The Trump administration announced plans to close the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, eliminating a division central to evaluating toxic chemicals, pollution, and climate risks. The move is part of a broader downsizing of the EPA workforce by 23%, with over 300 employees already departing under voluntary buyouts, projected to save $748.8 million. Supporters frame the change as cutting red tape and reducing regulatory burdens on energy and manufacturing, while critics argue it undermines science and favors fossil fuel interests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to close the Office of Research and Development (ORD), their leading scientific research arm that evaluates dangers posed by toxic chemicals, pollution and climate change and offers advice on environmental policymaking. The Trump administration has downsized the federal workforce, a core campaign promise he made in his 2024 bid. Over 300 employees have left the agency since January after accepting voluntary separation buyouts, which included a $25,000 lump-sum payment and several months of severance pay. Why it matters Agency officials say the move neither undermines science nor their core mission of environmental protection, but consolidates operations to spend taxpayer dollars more wisely. “Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA has taken a close look at our operations to ensure the agency is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment while Powering the Great American Comeback,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.” The bigger picture Supporters of the decision say the ORD supports regulations that are burdensome on the energy and automotive industries, while critics say the Trump administration is undermining science. Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), a nonprofit NGO advocating for free-market solutions to energy policy, said the EPA’s greenhouse gas emission regulations have “driven out manufacturing.” “The planned closure of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development is a step forward toward deregulation of domestic energy production and making energy more affordable for Americans,” said CFACT President, Craig Rucker. Greenpeace USA Climate Campaign Director, John Noël, slammed the decision, saying “there’s nothing reasonable or science-based about it.” “This announcement is just one more handout from Trump to Big Oil so that he can line the pockets of billionaires,” Noël said. Additional details This is part of a plan to eliminate 23% of the EPA’s staff, saving the EPA $748.8 million, according to the agency. The EPA is poised to create a new “Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions” that will “allow the EPA to prioritize research and science more than ever before and put it at the forefront of [sic] rulemakings and technical assistance to states.” SUGGESTED STORIES NASA climate research lab draws attention as spending slashed A NASA lab based for decades in New York City has shuttered its physical location in a budget saving move that has raised questions about the future of the agency’s climate research efforts. The Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), affiliated with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Read more EPA cuts 'Solar For All' program The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is rescinding $7 billion in funding for the “Solar for All” program, a decision that impacts 36 states that last year received grants to provide solar power to residents in low-income communities. They in Read more What states can expect from EPA admin Lee Zeldin Lee Zeldin, the former New York congressman and state senator known for working across party lines on environmental and energy projects, has taken the reins at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is promising change. Zeldin’s nomination to the post received Senate confirmat Read more
NASA climate research lab draws attention as spending slashed A NASA lab based for decades in New York City has shuttered its physical location in a budget saving move that has raised questions about the future of the agency’s climate research efforts. The Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), affiliated with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Read more
EPA cuts 'Solar For All' program The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is rescinding $7 billion in funding for the “Solar for All” program, a decision that impacts 36 states that last year received grants to provide solar power to residents in low-income communities. They in Read more
What states can expect from EPA admin Lee Zeldin Lee Zeldin, the former New York congressman and state senator known for working across party lines on environmental and energy projects, has taken the reins at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is promising change. Zeldin’s nomination to the post received Senate confirmat Read more
