A web page from the EPA workers’ Declaration of Dissent social media announcement on June 30, 2025. Stand Up for Science! / @standupforscience.bsky.social
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A gaggle of greater than 170 workers of america Environmental Safety Company (EPA) on Monday printed a Declaration of Dissent from insurance policies underneath the Trump administration.
The staff mentioned the administration’s insurance policies “undermine the EPA mission of defending human well being and the setting.”
“For the reason that Company’s founding in 1970, EPA has achieved this mission by leveraging science, funding, and skilled employees in service to the American individuals. At present, we stand collectively in dissent in opposition to the present administration’s deal with dangerous deregulation, mischaracterization of earlier EPA actions, and disrespect for scientific experience,” the declaration states.
🔥🔥>400 courageous EPA signatories & 3,500+ Supporters have voiced assist for preserving the EPA’s mission to guard well being and the setting.
We’d like everybody on this combat. Take motion:
Learn the EPA Declaration of Dissent right here ➡️zurl.co/l3zMU
Signal your assist right here ➡️zurl.co/Ygcq7
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— Stand Up for Science! (@standupforscience.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Jeremy Berg, former editor-in-chief of Science journal and one of many signatories to the letter, mentioned that, along with the 170 named scientists and teachers, there have been roughly 100 others who signed anonymously for concern of retaliation, together with 20 Nobel laureates, reported The Guardian.
The letter is a uncommon rebuke by EPA workers who may face repercussions for criticizing the weakening of federal assist and funding for environmental, local weather and well being science.
“I’m actually unhappy. This company, that was a superhero for me in my youth, we’re not residing as much as our beliefs underneath this administration. And I really need us to,” mentioned Amelia Hertzberg, an EPA environmental safety specialist who was placed on administrative go away in February, as The Guardian reported.
The administration is working to close down Hertzberg’s division on the Workplace of Environmental Justice and Exterior Civil Rights. The work Hertzberg did for the division was centered on susceptible teams impacted by air pollution, comparable to younger youngsters, the aged, individuals residing in communities with greater air pollution ranges, pregnant and nursing individuals and people with persistent and pre-existing situations.
“People ought to be capable of drink their water and breathe their air with out being poisoned. And in the event that they aren’t, then our authorities is failing,” Hertzberg mentioned.
The EPA responded to the letter with a press release saying the coverage selections “are a results of a course of the place Administrator (Lee) Zeldin is briefed on the most recent analysis and science by EPA’s profession professionals, and the overwhelming majority who’re consummate professionals who take satisfaction within the work this company does day in and day trip,” reported The Related Press.
The assertion from the EPA denounced what it mentioned have been the Biden administration’s “makes an attempt to close down American power and make our residents extra reliant on overseas fossil fuels.”
Berg, who was director of the Nationwide Institute of Common Medical Sciences from 2003 to 2011, mentioned partisan criticism was not the motivation for the staff’ declaration, The Guardian reported. Moderately, they hoped their dissent would assist the EPA in getting again to its mission, which, Berg mentioned, “solely issues when you breathe air and drink water.”
Within the declaration, the EPA workers outlined 5 main considerations: the disregard of scientific consensus with the aim of benefiting polluters; dismantling the analysis and improvement workplace; reversing EPA progress within the nation’s most susceptible communities; undermining public belief; and “selling a tradition of concern” that forces employees to choose between their well-being and livelihoods.
Zeldin’s push to reorganize the company’s analysis and improvement workplace was a part of a broader effort to intestine its environmental justice and local weather change wings and slash its funds. He’s additionally trying to repeal air pollution guidelines that have been present in an examination by The Related Press to avoid wasting roughly 30,000 lives and $275 billion yearly.
“Your selections and actions will reverberate for generations to come back,” the authors of the declaration wrote, addressing Zeldin. “EPA underneath your management won’t shield communities from hazardous chemical compounds and unsafe consuming water however as a substitute will enhance dangers to public well being and security.”
“Administrator Zeldin, we urge you to honor your oath and serve the American individuals. Going ahead, you have got the chance to right course. Must you select to take action, we stand able to assist your efforts to satisfy EPA’s mission.”
Nobel laureate Carol Greider, one of many letter’s signatories who’s a professor of molecular and mobile biology at College of California, Santa Cruz, described the warmth wave on the East Coast final week as proof of local weather change.
“And if we don’t have scientists on the EPA to grasp how what we do this goes into the air impacts our well being, extra individuals are going to die,” Greider mentioned, as reported by The Guardian.
When requested about fears of retaliation or repercussions, Greider mentioned she was “residing the repercussions of every part.”
As labs lose funding, graduate college students who Greider meets with regularly mentioned they’re involved about pursuing careers in science. It turns into a long-term drawback if assist is taken away from the following technology of scientists, Greider mentioned.
“That’s many years price of loss,” Greider mentioned.
