#epa

#epa

Most EPA employees signed anonymously for fear of the type of retribution now seen in the Friday firings, which were widely anticipated after the agency moved to cancel employee bargaining and grievance rights agreements earlier in August. The employees had previously been placed on paid leave after the letter's release by the agency. This employment limbo was extended three times while they were under investigation for preparing the declaration during work hours, since extended into September for many of the remaining signatories.

Kennedy and the MAHA movement's rise to power is disorienting for scientists and advocates in environmental health who are focused on human exposure to toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants.

Last year the Environmental Protection Agency, under President Joseph R. Biden, adopted a ban on the use, manufacture and import of chrysotile asbestos.

"Unfortunately, right now, it looks like the polluters won," says Thomas Burke, the founder and emeritus director of the Johns Hopkins Risk Sciences and Public Policy Institute and a former deputy assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Research and Development.

"Gutting the [ORD] is a loss for health. EPA's air pollution rules work because they're based on science. This is the office that makes that possible."

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 has regained full eligibility for the $7,500 federal tax credit, making it accessible to cash buyers after a brief hiatus.

The agency's ability to hold polluters accountable is at stake, as Musk's actions threaten the EPA's enforcement capabilities and environmental regulation.