The elimination of the Office of Research and Development means the EPA will lose its primary scientific research arm, which has historically provided the scientific foundation for regulatory decisions on air, water, and chemicals. The agency claims it will shift scientific expertise to program offices and create a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, but critics argue this reorganization will weaken the agency's ability to assess environmental and public health risks and could devastate public health protections[1].

The workforce reductions were part of a third round of the 'Deferred Resignation Program,' which offered employees incentives to leave the agency, along with early retirements and layoffs. This program was a key part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to downsize the federal government, and it resulted in over 3,700 job cuts from the EPA's total workforce[1].

The EPA states that the new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions will focus on eliminating backlogs in reviewing hundreds of chemicals and thousands of pesticides, as well as developing a new strategy for addressing 'forever chemicals' (PFAS). However, details on how this will differ from previous scientific review processes or whether the same level of independent research will be maintained have not been fully disclosed[1].

The changes have drawn strong backlash from both EPA employees and environmental advocates. Earlier this month, 139 employees were suspended after signing an open letter accusing Administrator Zeldin of endangering public health and the environment with these policies. Scientific communities and union representatives have expressed concerns that dismantling the research office will harm the EPA's ability to protect human health and the environment.

The EPA's reorganization and workforce cuts align with President Trump's broader agenda to aggressively downsize the federal workforce, deregulate environmental protections, and pursue what the administration calls 'streamlining' government operations. The Supreme Court recently cleared the way for mass federal layoffs, and the EPA is among the agencies implementing these cuts, with the White House seeking a 54% budget reduction for the agency by Fiscal Year 2026[1].