More than 1,100 Environmental Protection Agency employees were blindsided with emails warning of immediate termination, fueling fear and frustration within the agency.
Tracy J. Wholf reports for CBS News.
In short:
- Over 1,100 EPA employees received abrupt termination warnings due to their probationary status, including seasoned staff recently moved to new roles.
- The emails, tied to the implementation of Trump administration executive orders, have left workers demoralized, with many afraid to even open their emails.
- A freeze on government funds further complicates operations, leaving grantees unable to maintain critical environmental projects.
Key quote:
"Hundreds of EPA grantees are completely locked out of the grant system. They are unable to process payroll, they are unable to pay invoices, they're unable to do the critical work that they were granted to do."
— Michelle Roos, president of the nonprofit Environmental Protection Network
Why this matters:
The timing couldn’t be worse — a funding freeze has already stalled critical projects, leaving communities without the environmental oversight they depend on. Many legal experts say the Trump administration's actions are unconstitutional, because the funding has already been appropriated by Congress.
