The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday it is dismantling its long-standing Office of Research and Development (ORD) and initiating a sweeping round of layoffs that will cut thousands of agency jobs.
The move follows a Supreme Court ruling last week that cleared the path for President Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce. The EPA said the decision would help streamline operations and shift scientific work to other parts of the agency.
The ORD has traditionally served as the EPA’s primary scientific body, supporting the agency’s mission to safeguard public health and the environment. The EPA claims its closure will allow for a “more efficient structure” through the launch of a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. Officials say the reorganization will ultimately save nearly $750 million.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement that the changes will make the agency “better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission” while contributing to what he called “the Great American Comeback.”
Alongside the restructuring, the EPA said staffing will be reduced by more than 3,700 positions — a 23% cut from employment levels when Trump returned to office in January. The workforce will shrink to 12,448 total employees.
“This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars,” Zeldin said, using the official term for mass layoffs.
Scientists and Lawmakers Push Back
The decision sparked swift criticism from scientists and lawmakers who say the elimination of ORD undermines the EPA’s ability to make science-based policy decisions.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the House Science Committee, called the move “a travesty.”
“The Trump administration is firing hardworking scientists while stacking the agency with political appointees whose job is to mislead Congress and the public,” Lofgren said. “Eliminating ORD will have long-term consequences for public health and safety.”
Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents EPA workers, called the ORD the “heart and brain” of the agency.
“Without it, we lose the capacity to properly assess risks to human health and the environment,” Chen said. “This is a direct attack on science that will have devastating consequences.”
According to internal agency records reviewed earlier this year by House Democrats, ORD employs around 1,540 people, including chemists, biologists, and toxicologists. As many as 1,155 scientific staff may be laid off. The office operates 10 research labs across the country, including in Oregon, North Carolina, and Florida.
An EPA spokeswoman said all existing lab work will continue under the new office structure. In addition to layoffs, the agency is offering a third round of deferred resignation packages for eligible staff, with applications open until July 25.
Retaliation Claims Follow “Declaration of Dissent”
The layoffs come just two weeks after the EPA placed 139 employees on administrative leave for signing a “declaration of dissent” criticizing Trump administration policies. The employees accused the agency of abandoning its mission and raised alarm over political interference in scientific decision-making.
The agency has claimed those employees were attempting to “undermine” the president’s agenda.
The June 30 letter — signed by scientists and staff from multiple departments — marked a rare internal revolt, warning that the agency was straying from its core mission. Many signatories are now among those facing dismissal.
Environmental and public health groups say the dismantling of ORD and the staff purge marks a turning point for the EPA — one that could diminish its scientific capacity for years to come.
