- Over 1,000 employees at the EPA have been warned they could lose their jobs.
- The President of the US has frozen EPA access to grants awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Many federal employees are being offered buyouts from the new administration.
President Donald Trump is following through with his pre-election promise to cut spending, and alongside plans to potentially abolish the Education Department, he is looking to gut the Environmental Protection Agency from the inside out. More than 1,000 workers from the EPA have been told they could be sacked at any moment.
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Many EPA employees who have worked at the agency for less than one year have been notified via email that they’re likely on a “probationary/trial period,” and, as such, could have their roles terminated immediately.
Read: Automakers Breathe Easier As Trump Freezes Tariffs For 30 Days
Speaking with NBC News, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, which represents roughly 8,500 EPA staff, approximately 1,100 workers received this email last year. However, she confirmed that as of this week, none of these probationary employees have been let go.
“It was scary for people to receive the message, as you can imagine, and we’re inundated with questions from those folks. The agency obviously can dismiss probationary employees, but it has to be for cause.”
There’s no word on precisely how many EPA jobs the Trump administration plans to cut, but they are among many other federal employees to have been offered buyouts from the government. EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou indicated the agency is looking to do its part to improve government efficiencies.
“The EPA is diligently implementing President Trump’s executive orders and associated guidance,” she said. “Our goal is to be open and transparent. As we work to improve efficiencies across the government, it is essential that all staff understand the law and how policy decisions may impact them. Ultimately, the goal is to create a more effective and efficient federal government that serves all Americans.”
It’s not just EPA employees that are in the crosshairs of the new President. Trump has frozen EPA access to grant awards funded through Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The impact of this freezing fund is already being felt.
Speaking with Politico, many recipients say they have had to lay out money for expenses, including payroll and rent, and don’t know if or when they will be reimbursed.
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