The Trump administration’s push to shrink federal science programs could end up sabotaging its own efforts to fast-track energy and mining projects.
Michael Doyle and Ellie Borst report for E&E News.
In short:
- Federal agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey are losing scientists due to layoffs, retirements, and budget cuts, threatening their ability to conduct the environmental reviews necessary to permit energy projects.
- Experts warn that eliminating research infrastructure not only stalls permitting but may also undermine long-term planning, like in the past when basic permafrost research saved the Alaska pipeline from disaster.
- Morale is collapsing in science agencies, graduate students are leaving the field, and efforts to clear chemical backlogs may compromise research on air, water, and “forever chemicals.”
Key quote:
“There’s nothing to permit if you don’t know what the mineral potential is, or the oil and gas potential.”
— Mary Lou Zoback, former U.S. Geological Survey senior research scientist
Why this matters:
Retirements, political pressure, and plummeting morale are emptying out the ranks of scientists responsible for everything from reviewing the risks of new drilling sites to analyzing the spread of toxic chemicals. Without them, the legally mandated environmental reviews that these projects depend on grind to a halt. It’s like trying to build a pipeline with no engineers — except in this case, it’s also the air, water, and public health at stake.
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