EPA without science is just a shell. That’s the point.
You can’t protect what you refuse to measure
News Flash! Well, not really. It’s not news that President Trump is no friend of science and the science community. And he’s certainly no friend of our federal agencies and the public servants who work there. Especially those agencies and staff members whose primary missions are the protection of public health, worker health and safety, and the health of the environments that sustain us. Beyond mass government layoffs and resignations, our anti-science president has:
· Disbanded or stacked federal science advisory committees with members skeptical of well-established science.
· Cancelled scientific research studies and grants.
· Proposed budget changes to slash NIH and NSF research funding.
· Dismantled agency offices and shifted power structures away from traditional expertise.
· Sought to remove indirect-cost reimbursements critical to university labs.
More than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter to the American people warning them about the “danger” of the Trump administration’s attacks on science. You can read it for yourself here.
And the Union of Concerned Scientists just released an analysis documenting the chaos and damage of President Trump’s second term… “characterized by destruction of democratic processes, divisive and vindictive actions, and immeasurable losses in scientific expertise and investments in the federal government…” Check out the report here.
The Actual News Flash
Just a few days ago (July 18 to be exact), the EPA announced its plan to eliminate its scientific research arm – the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and to begin firing hundreds of its scientific experts – biologists, chemists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, climate scientists, and others whose experience and expertise helps protect and promote public and environmental health. Along with staff job losses, the demise of ORD includes loss of extramural grants, traineeships, and post-doctoral fellows; epi, tox, and sustainability research; emergency response capabilities; capacities for science-informed decisions; mandated science assessments under the Clean Air Act…. and its (our) global reputation for excellence in environmental science research. Read some of the press here, here, and here.
The EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, is crowing about cutting environmental regulations and reframing the agency’s purpose to make it easier on industry. He has said that the agency’s mission was to make it cheaper to buy cars, heat homes and run businesses. Hmmm…. That seems different than the mission noted on its own website which says “The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.” Perhaps Administrator Zeldin should familiarize himself with the origins of the EPA.
You don’t need science if you have no intention of regulating pollution. You don’t need research if you’re not interested in understanding and assessing environmental health risks. You don’t need toxicologists, epidemiologists, or climate scientists if your goal is to ignore the damage caused by industrial activity and deregulation.
The EPA’s plan to dismantle its Office of Research and Development isn’t just budget-cutting; it’s a feature of a broader political strategy. By eliminating scientific expertise, this administration strips away the evidence base that would otherwise compel regulatory action. If there’s no data, there’s no problem. If there’s no research, there’s no accountability. And ultimately, there’s no action.
This is science suppression by design. And it’s dangerous.
Bottom Line
The elimination of ORD is just another assault on our nation’s federal agencies…. Adding EPA to the list that already includes NIOSH, NIEHS, CDC, FDA, and even the National Academy of Sciences. It is short-sighted. And its implementation has been clumsy, callous, and often just plain cruel. Call me crazy, but it sure looks like this administration wants to weaken, diminish, or even destroy the infrastructure that protects and promotes our health and safety. We need to do all we can to call it out, resist, and then hold Trump and his sycophants in Congress to account.
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