The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is again offering voluntary resignations and early retirements as part of a broader White House push to cut the federal workforce and reduce the agency’s size.
Hannah Northey, Sean Reilly, and Ellie Borst report for E&E News.
In short:
- The EPA has reopened its Deferred Resignation Program, allowing employees to leave voluntarily with early retirement options, with applications due by May 5.
- The effort responds to President Trump’s directive to reduce federal "waste" and includes looming plans for large-scale layoffs and the elimination of entire offices, including the Office of Research and Development.
- Nearly 300 employees have already received layoff warnings, and EPA staff have expressed frustration at the lack of clear communication from agency leadership during this process.
Key quote:
“An undermanned, depleted EPA only serves [the] interests of polluters who look to profit from fouling our air, water and soil.”
— Nicole Cantello, head of a Chicago-area local of the American Federation of Government Employees
Why this matters:
The EPA plays a central role in safeguarding air, water, and soil quality, often acting as the federal check against industrial pollution and toxic chemical exposure. Reducing the number of staff — especially scientists and engineers — undermines the agency’s ability to conduct inspections, enforce laws, and research environmental hazards that affect public health.
Previous efforts to hollow out the agency’s workforce during Trump’s first term had long-lasting effects on regulatory enforcement and scientific integrity. This new round of downsizing could hit critical programs like environmental justice and climate research the hardest, leaving vulnerable communities with fewer protections. Cuts to the Office of Research and Development threaten the future of evidence-based policy just as new threats — from PFAS to microplastics — require robust federal science. The administration’s messaging emphasizes “efficiency,” but experts warn that diminished capacity could lead to regulatory blind spots, weaker oversight, and a rollback of environmental protections during a time of growing ecological and health crises.
Related: Scientists scramble to save climate and health data as government deletions escalate
