More than 160 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employees have been placed on extended administrative leave and ordered to disclose whether they signed a letter criticizing the agency’s direction under the Trump administration.
Lisa Sorg reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The EPA is requiring employees on leave to answer a survey about whether they signed a “declaration of dissent” during work hours or using government devices, with possible termination for noncompliance.
- The agency plans to dismantle its Office of Research and Development, which employees say would expose science to political interference and weaken public health protections.
- Union leaders say the survey violates workers’ rights and that some were wrongly placed on leave due to mistaken identity from partial signatures.
Key quote:
“They’re being put on administrative leave for investigatory purposes. The survey was an investigatory tool.”
— Holly Wilson, president of AFGE Local 3347
Why this matters:
The EPA is charged with protecting public health and the environment, but its internal actions are raising alarms about scientific independence and political interference. Scientific dissent has long played a role in shaping public health safeguards — from air and water protections to chemical safety standards. Silencing or sidelining federal scientists for voicing concern risks undermining the agency’s credibility and its ability to respond to environmental threats. The planned closure of the EPA’s research office is particularly significant: These centers conduct critical studies on toxic exposures, air pollution, and disaster response. Disbanding or scattering them could weaken scientific oversight just as climate change accelerates pollution risks.
Learn more: EPA union demands reinstatement of staff punished for calling out political interference
