1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

The plan by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin to guy the Office of Research and Development and fire most of its scientists will have far reaching consequences that will outlive this administration. Eliminating 75 percent of biologists, chemists, toxicologists, and other experts at ORD is sickening. The department conducts essential research to inform federal policies and plays a critical role in the agency’s mission to safeguard public health and the environment. Laying off most off the staff, many whom are career scientists would leave the EPA without the independent and rigorous science needed to keep our environment safe. Not only are they firing expert scientists that are required to carry out the mission they asked to do it in 30 days. Russel Vought of OMB a lead author of Project 2025 is behind this. Theses actions were foreshadowed in his blueprint. The functions of the ORD are protected by federal law and eliminating them is illegal. The ORD supports 6 research programs in through offices in 10 facilities. It works alongside EPA offices that oversee air and water quality, chemical safety, toxic chemicals and children’s health. Its research division is responsible for answering key questions that others rely on to develop policies. This split of duties allowed its researchers to produce independent research on topics like the health impacts of algal blooms, soot exposure, and toxic chemicals such as ethylene oxide or hexavalent chromium. This work provides the foundation for many of the environmental and public health regulations safeguarding people nationwide. One example is the work on PFAS known as forever chemicals because they don’t degrade. ORD has developed methods to identify and measure PFAS, understand the risks of exposure and develop technologies that would destroy them. Without the research office it is unclear where the EOA would turn for scientific analysis. The administration can rely on science funded by the industries it regulates that is not peer reviewed or reliable. They can increasingly classify decisions as policy rather than science based or skip research altogether. It is disturbing and sickening we are letting a billionaire who would profit off of no regulations gut the scientific research that protects or environment and health. This will reverberate for generations to come. The EPA was established by law and is popular among Americans. The majority of Americans are against Project 2025. Those that voted for Trump believed the lie that he had no idea about the plan. Do not allow our constitution to be trampled on by allowing the needed research to be gutted.