EPA Workforce Reshaped to Align with Trump's Energy Agenda

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has terminated 388 employees, aligning its workforce with President Trump's energy policies. The move followed a thorough review of probationary staff and created confusion with verbal layoff notices. Administrator Lee Zeldin will lead regulatory rollbacks focused on carbon emissions and environmental justice.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Friday the termination of 388 employees, part of a realignment under President Donald Trump's 'energy dominance' policy. The agency conducted a detailed review of its staff probationary status, ultimately deciding to let go employees with less than two years of service.

The decision aligns with executive orders from the Presidency, according to EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou. On the same day, similar actions impacted thousands of federal probationary employees, affecting nuclear safety, consumer protection, and wildfire prevention sectors.

Sources from within the EPA indicated confusion over the communication process, with affected individuals receiving verbal notifications. Notably, the agency had already placed nearly 200 environmental justice staffers on administrative leave, whose work focused on areas heavily impacted by industrial pollution. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will oversee efforts to dismantle Biden-era regulations, notably those targeting carbon emissions and environmental injustice.

(With inputs from agencies.)