EPA begins layoffs of environmental justice staff

The Environmental Protection Agency sent termination notices on Tuesday to staff who work on environmental justice programs at its headquarters and across regional offices, saying their work no longer aligns with the mission of the agency.

The reduction-in-force letters were sent to nearly 200 employees of the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights who were placed on administrative leave in February. They were then reinstated pending legal challenges.

The RIF notices now served take effect on July 31.

"This action is necessary to align our workforce with the agency’s current and future needs and to ensure the efficient and effective operation of our programs," said the letter, seen by Reuters, that was sent to employees on Monday.

The environmental justice office had a mission of integrating equity and civil rights into environmental policymaking, and protecting low-income and minorities most at risk from air and water pollution.

"Decimating our agency and Environmental Justice workforce goes against our oath to protect human health and to keep our planet healthy and habitable for future generations," said Joyce Howell, Executive Vice President of AFGE Council 238 that represents over 8,400 EPA workers nationwide.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump, acknowledged "there are communities that have been left behind that need help," but said environmental justice programs at the agency were not effective.

"The problem is that in the name of environmental justice, a dollar will get secured and not get spent on remediating that environmental issue," he told reporters at EPA headquarters. "Instead, that dollar will get spent on a group to tell us that we should be spending a dollar to remediate environmental issues."

Zeldin said he and EPA staff are working on broader plans for the agency's reorganization and a target of cutting its budget by 65%.