E.P.A. Officials, Disheartened by Agency's Direction, Are Leaving in Droves

[DonViejo]

Source: The New York Times



By LISA FRIEDMAN, MARINA AFFO and DEREK KRAVITZDEC. 22, 2017

This article was written through collaboration between The New York Times and ProPublica, the independent, nonprofit investigative journalism organization.

WASHINGTON — More than 700 people have left the Environmental Protection Agency since President Trump took office, a wave of departures that puts the administration nearly a quarter of the way toward its goal of shrinking the agency to levels last seen during the Reagan administration.

Of the employees who have quit, retired or taken a buyout package since the beginning of the year, more than 200 are scientists. An additional 96 are environmental protection specialists, a broad category that includes scientists as well as others experienced in investigating and analyzing pollution levels. Nine department directors have departed the agency as well as dozens of attorneys and program managers. Most of the employees who have left are not being replaced.

The departures reflect poor morale and a sense of grievance at the agency, which has been criticized by President Trump and top Republicans in Congress as bloated and guilty of regulatory overreach. That unease is likely to deepen following revelations that Republican campaign operatives were using the Freedom of Information Act to request copies of emails from E.P.A. officials suspected of opposing Mr. Trump and his agenda.

The cuts deepen a downward trend at the agency that began under the Obama administration in response to Republican-led budget constraints that left the agency with about 15,000 employees at the end of his term. The reductions have accelerated under President Trump, who campaigned on a promise to dramatically scale back the E.P.A., leaving only what he called “little tidbits” in place. Current and former employees say unlike during the Obama years, the agency has no plans to replace workers, and they expect deeper cuts to come.



Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/22/climate/epa-buyouts-pruitt.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&mtrref=www.nytimes.com&_r=0

[dalton99a]

1. The Trump gang is literally dismantling our government

[NurseJackie]

2. It will take DECADES to recreate, restore, and reestablish all that Trump has destroyed in a year.

[dalton99a]

4. +1. The "great builder" is nothing but a serial arsonist

[not fooled]

6. And the thing is

it's the kook and mercer agenda being enacted. Destroy the environment and wreck the government so these assholes can hoard more money and fulfill their crackpot fantasies.

[exboyfil]

3. I am thinking more work

should be done by researchers outside the EPA to call their failures to account under the Trump administration. For example an external researcher found the lead issue in Flint.

The federal government really should be doing it, but one of the large foundations may want to take it up as a cause. Combine with a slick marketing campaign.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. I have a friend who worked for the EPA.

She said in January 2017, there was an absolute mad rush at the agency to preserve as much data as possible for fear it would be discarded once Trump took office.

[msongs]

7. those leaving will be replaced by right wing nutters who'll be there the next 20 yrs nt

[byronius]

8. Vlad gets what Vlad wants, until we strike back.

And we will strike back.