The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will proceed with a reduction in force targeting its environmental justice staff, according to an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg Law. The memo, dated Monday and signed by Assistant Deputy Administrator Travis Voyles, states that the staff reductions will take effect on July 31st.
This announcement marks the second attempt by the agency to decrease its environmental justice workforce in recent months. According to Politico, in February, the EPA placed 168 employees within its environmental justice office on administrative leave.
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However, an unspecified number of these employees were later reinstated following a March 13th ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, which deemed the termination of probationary employees across 18 agencies unlawful.
In the memo addressed to the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, as well as regional environmental justice divisions, Voyles stated that the July 31st reduction in force is “necessary to align our workforce with the agency’s current and future needs and to ensure the efficient and effective operation of our programs.” The memo did not specify the number of positions that would be eliminated.
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“With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment,” Voyles wrote.
When questioned by reporters on Monday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin acknowledged the reorganization plans but did not provide a specific timeline for their completion. “We’re just trying to get it right,” Zeldin commented, adding, “We’re speaking to political and career staff in all of these different offices.”
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The move is likely to raise concerns among environmental advocates and communities disproportionately affected by pollution, who rely on the EPA’s environmental justice initiatives to address these disparities. The reduction in staff could potentially impact the agency’s capacity to engage with these communities, enforce environmental regulations in vulnerable areas, and advance environmental equity.
The EPA has yet to release further details regarding the specific roles and number of staff members that will be affected by the upcoming reduction in force. The agency’s reorganization plans and their potential impact on environmental justice efforts will likely be closely monitored in the coming months.
Correction: The original headline read ‘second round’ of cuts. This was incorrect. The original announcement was made in February; however, the EPA placed some employees within its environmental justice office on administrative leave, and an undisclosed number of them returned to work after a ruling from a Maryland Judge.
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