The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday fired at least 8 staff members who signed a letter slamming the company’s management under Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump.
“Following a thorough internal investigation, EPA supervisors made decisions on an individualized basis,” an EPA spokeswoman said Friday in a statement.
The so-called declaration of dissent, signed by more than 170 employees in late June, “includes incorrect details created to deceive the general public about firm service,” spokesperson Molly Vaseliou stated. “Thankfully, this represents a small fraction of the thousands of hard-working, dedicated EPA employees who are not trying to mislead and scare the American public.”
The EPA “has a zero-tolerance policy for career officials using their agency position and title to unlawfully undermine, sabotage and undercut the will of the American public that was clearly expressed at the ballot box last November,” she added.
Vaseliou declined to say how many employees were disciplined, but the head of one of the agency’s largest unions said at least six probationary employees who signed the letter were fired, along with at least two career employees.
The union, part of the American Federation of Government Employees, condemned the firings, which come after 139 workers were put on administrative leave shortly after signing the dissent declaration. The EPA at the time accused employees of “unlawfully weakening” the Trump administration’s agenda.
“The Trump administration and EPA’s vindictive actions versus these employees was plainly an attack on labor and free-speech rights,” stated Justin Chen, president of AFGE Council 238, which represents countless EPA workers.
More than 150 employees who were disciplined – approximately and consisting of being fired – consisted of researchers, engineers, attorneys, agreement officers, emergency situation action workers “and a whole host of other jobs,” Chen informed the Associated Press. “They live and work in communities around the country, and all believe in the mission of the agency to protect human health and the environment on behalf of the American public.”
In a letter revealed June 30, the workers composed that the EPA is no longer measuring up to its objective to secure human health and the environment. The letter represented uncommon public criticism from firm staff members who understood they might deal with retaliation for speaking up versus a weakening of financing and federal assistance for environment, ecological and health science.
Workers at other firms, consisting of the National Institutes of Health and Federal Emergency Management Agency, have actually released comparable declarations. Some FEMA staff members who signed a public letter of dissent previously today were placed on administrative leave Tuesday, according to files examined by The Associated Press.
More than 180 present and previous FEMA staff members signed the letter revealed Monday. The declaration slams current cuts to company personnel and programs and alerts that FEMA’s capability to react to a significant catastrophe is alarmingly decreased.
The EPA stated last month it is removing its research study and advancement arm and minimizing company personnel by countless staff members. Authorities anticipate overall staffing to decrease to about 12,500, a decrease of more than 3,700 staff members, or almost 23%, from staffing levels when Trump took workplace in January.
