Washington, D.C. – Nearly 300 employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have signed a letter of dissent published on Monday, expressing strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s rollback of environmental regulations.
The employees argue that these actions not only threaten public health but will also cost lives, as the Trump administration continues to cut the EPA’s budget and undermine scientific research critical to addressing environmental and health issues.
A Bold Stand Against Regulatory Rollbacks
The letter, which includes around 270 EPA employees, warns that the administration’s regulatory rollbacks, including pollution exemptions for industrial plants and the halt of environmental projects in minority communities, will have dire consequences for public health.
The dissenters claim these actions directly contradict the agency’s founding mission, which has been centered around using science to protect the environment and public health.
The letter reads:
“Since the Agency’s founding in 1970, EPA has accomplished its mission by leveraging science, funding, and expert staff in service to the American people. Today, we stand together in dissent against the current administration’s focus on harmful deregulation, mischaracterization of previous EPA actions, and disregard for scientific expertise.”
Experts Warn of Dangerous Consequences
Carol Greider, a professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, was one of the scientists speaking out. She told The Associated Press, “People are going to die,” warning that without scientific oversight at the EPA, there will be serious consequences for public health.
The pollution exemptions and cuts to environmental protections could lead to worsening air quality, which would affect respiratory health and lead to premature deaths, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Amelia Hertzberg, an EPA environmental protection specialist, also spoke to the gravity of the situation, stating, “Americans should be able to drink their water and breathe their air without being poisoned. And if they aren’t, then our government is failing.”
The Larger Trend of Scientific Dissent
This letter from EPA employees echoes a similar protest from hundreds of scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who raised alarms about cuts to their funding and mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This growing movement of scientific dissent highlights mounting concerns about the Trump administration’s policies, which critics argue are undermining critical research and public health protections in favor of industry-friendly deregulation.
At a House Subcommittee on Health hearing last week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was questioned about whether the administration would retaliate against scientists who speak out. He refused to commit to not taking action against these dissenters, raising further concerns about the silencing of scientific voices.
The Broader Impact on Climate Change and Environmental Protection
The letter signed by EPA employees also points to the long-term dangers of the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory stance, particularly in the fight against climate change.
By weakening the EPA and curbing critical environmental protections, experts argue that the U.S. will be ill-equipped to address the existential risks posed by climate change, such as extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and widespread environmental degradation.