The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making some significant changes. They plan to replace long-time career scientists and staff with political appointees. This shift is said to enhance the influence of Trump administration loyalists over the agency’s critical functions, like pollution control and human resources.
This change would allow the agency to bypass the usual Senate approval process that comes with appointing new department heads. Instead, political appointees could assume acting roles quickly and easily.
According to an EPA spokesperson, these updates to the organizational structure align the agency with other federal entities, responding to changes in administration practices.
The EPA’s current situation reflects lessons learned from Trump’s first term. During that time, career staff had successfully resisted attempts to undermine scientific integrity and roll back environmental protections. In a potential second term, Trump supporters plan to act more decisively to dismantle the EPA, which has been pivotal in tackling climate change under the Biden administration.
Many of the new appointments at the EPA come from backgrounds in the oil and chemical industries. Notable figures include David Fotouhi, who recently campaigned against an asbestos ban, and Aaron Szabo, who has connections to multiple lobbying firms in those sectors.
This realignment at the EPA could shift how environmental policies are developed and enforced, raising concerns about the future of regulations designed to protect air and water quality.
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Source linkGlobal Warming,Greenhouse Gas Emissions,United States Politics and Government,Appointments and Executive Changes,Environment,Air Pollution,Hazardous and Toxic Substances,Presidential Election of 2024,Pollution,Environmental Protection Agency,Trump, Donald J
