Joyce Howell, the executive vice president of the union representing the Environmental Protection Agency's employees, says scientists in the ORD [the Office of Research and Development] were told to apply to new jobs and informed "these are your opportunities," reports the Hill.
The report comes a week after the EPA announced it would split up ORD, the agency's main arm devoted to scientific research.
Howell said if the rest of the jobs are lost, the EPA could be losing not only "independent science" but also the "expertise" of those staffers.
An EPA spokesperson told the Hill that "all EPA employees were provided this opportunity via an internal hiring authority."
"The May 2 announcement was the next phase of organizational improvements and part of a larger, comprehensive effort to restructure the entire agency," the spokesperson added.
"The Office of Research and Development was not part of this announcement. EPA's Talent Hub went live Friday night (May 2) with new and open positions in offices impacted by this phase of reorganization … All EPA employees are eligible to apply," continued the email.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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