EPA chief Zeldin proclaims overhauls to deliver company again to Reagan-level staffing

[ad_1] The federal Environmental Safety Company (EPA) is going through a large overhaul to slash staffing all the way down to Reagan-era ranges and save taxpayers a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} a yr, company chief Lee Zeldin announced on Friday.

"This reorganization will deliver much-needed efficiencies to include science into our rulemakings and sharply focus our work on offering the cleanest air, land, and water for our communities," Zeldin stated in a press launch on Friday.

Zeldin introduced that he's on a mission to avoid wasting taxpayers an estimated $300 million yearly by subsequent yr by an workplace overhaul that he stated will keep the EPA's deal with defending human health and the environment whereas "recommitting" the company to "frequent sense insurance policies."

The EPA employs roughly 15,000 full-time employees, which Zeldin stated he's working to deliver all the way down to ranges "close to these seen when President Ronald Reagan occupied the White Home," in response to a video announcement of the workplace overhauls. There have been 11,400 EPA staffers in 1984 beneath the Reagan administration, Reuters reported.

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Lee Zeldin on Capitol Hill for his Senate affirmation to function EPA administrator. (AP Picture/Mark Schiefelbein)

The EPA stated the Workplace of the Administrator, Workplace of Air and Radiation, Workplace of Chemical Security and Air pollution Prevention (OCSPP), and Workplace of Water will all face restructuring.

Zeldin stated he'll reorganize the company's analysis workplace to shift its deal with "statutory obligations and mission-essential features," together with by creating a brand new workplace referred to as the Workplace of Utilized Science and Environmental Options.

The brand new workplace will "prioritize analysis and put science on the forefront of the company's rulemakings and technical help to states. On the program degree, the Workplace of Chemical Security and Air pollution Prevention will add greater than 130 scientific, technical, bioinformatic and data know-how consultants to work immediately on the backlog of over 504 new chemical substances in assessment which are past the statutorily required timeframe. They usually're additionally going to handle the backlog of over 12,000 critiques which are properly past the anticipated assessment timelines within the pesticides program," Zeldin stated.

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President Ronald Reagan at Durenberger Republican conference rally, 1982 (Picture by Common Historical past Archive/Getty Photographs)

The EPA may also create the Workplace of State Air Partnerships throughout the Workplace of Air and Radiation, which Zeldin stated will streamline resolving air allowing issues throughout the state, native and tribal ranges.

"EPA can be creating the Workplace of Clear Air applications that may align statutory obligations and mission important features primarily based on facilities of experience to make sure extra transparency and concord in regulatory improvement. Equally, adjustments to the Workplace of Water will higher align the event of rules, steering and coverage with the science that underpins it," Zeldin added of one other new workplace within the company shakeup.

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Zeldin underscored that when he took the reins of the company earlier this yr, he "inherited a workforce that did not come into the workplace."

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a gathering with U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on Mar. 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. The 2 leaders met because the Trump administration has as soon as once more put the navy alliance between the USA and Western Europe in query. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs)

"In 2024, the file excessive day of attendance at EPA headquarters in D.C., clocked in round 37%. Upon President Trump's swearing in, we instantly ended COVID-era distant work," Zeldin stated.

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The previous New York congressman added that EPA's price range and awards in granted final yr alone, beneath the Biden administration, sat at $63 billion — although it had beforehand been funded to the tune of between $6 billion and $8 billion a yr, he stated.

The Environmental Safety Company (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Getty Photographs )

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"We're going to massively scale back this extra spending. We owe it to the American taxpayer to be as environment friendly as doable. We have already began to make vital progress by re-examining grants and contracts, actual property footprint, journey prices, workers and extra. With the assistance of DOGE, EPA has recognized and canceled greater than $22 billion in grants and contracts. These are direct savings for the American people ," Zeldin stated.