EPA To Slash Climate Programs, Promises Return To Reagan-Level Staffing

The Environmental Protection Agency will save $300 million per year through a massive reorganization by completely slashing unnecessary climate programs and reducing staffing levels to levels not seen since the Reagan administration, the agency announced Friday.

Administrator Lee Zeldin said the streamlined reorganization is oriented towards focusing on the agency’s “core mission,” which he defines as “protecting human health and the environment.” Rather than focusing on environmental justice, it will focus on its statutory responsibilities such as air quality and safety of the water supply.

“With these organizational improvements, we recommit to fulfilling all of our statutory obligations and exceptionally delivering on EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment,” said Zeldin. “This reorganization will bring much needed efficiencies to incorporate science into our rule makings and sharply focus our work on providing the cleanest air, land, and water for our communities. It will also save at least $300 million annually for the American people.”

A source familiar with the restructuring told The Daily Wire that the reorganization could lead to future cuts amounting to around 10% of the current workforce. In the ongoing round of the Deferred Resignation Program, better known as the “fork in the road” option for federal employees to leave government, there has been significant interest.

The agency has already received about 1,300 applications to leave, a source told The Daily Wire. The first “fork in the road” offer months ago yielded around 545 early resignations.

With the ongoing restructuring, more employees could soon be taking up the offer to leave. Over 8,300 EPA employees hopped on a briefing this week to learn about the agency’s ongoing Deferred Resignation Program and the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority.

Side by side of current and proposed EPA Administrator Office restructuring.

The changes will primarily impact the Office of the Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), and Office of Water as the agency will seek to focus on its core statutory duties. Specifically, climate and atmospheric focused programs inside the Office of Air and Radiation are expected to be on the chopping block.

In some cases, the agency will also be incorporating more modern issues into the departments. For example, the Office of Water will now have more of a focus on cybersecurity to protect the water supply and water reuse issues. The agency will also be looking to form the Office of State Air Partnerships within the Office of Air and Radiation.

Earlier this year, the EPA ended the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion office and its Office of Environmental Justice. With this move, the agency cut 280 employees and moved another 175 to perform tasks for other offices.