Hundreds of EPA Workers Leave in Recent Days

[babylonsister]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-epa-workers-leave-in-recent-days-1504660207

Hundreds of EPA Workers Leave in Recent Days
Nearly 400 employees have left the agency since Aug. 31, with most of the departures coming through buyouts

By Timothy Puko
Sept. 5, 2017 9:10 p.m. ET


WASHINGTON—Nearly 400 workers have left the Environmental Protection Agency in recent days, the agency said Tuesday, a wave of departures that soon could take the agency’s staffing to its lowest point in almost 30 years.

The departures come primarily from buyouts offered as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to fulfill a campaign promise of “tremendous cutting” at the EPA. His budget proposal in March suggested a 31% funding cut that would result in approximately 3,200 fewer jobs at the agency.

The voluntary buyouts were offered in June to more than 1,200 workers. Almost a third of those eligible took the buyout and, coupled with a dozen retirements on Aug. 31, the agency trimmed its staff by about 2.5% in less than a week. Several dozen more workers could retire or opt to take the buyout later this month, which would cut EPA’s total number of employees to almost 14,400 workers, the lowest since 1988. Two years ago it had more than 15,500 employees nationwide.

“We’re giving long-serving, hardworking employees the opportunity to retire early,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in a statement. “We’re proud to report that we’re reducing the size of government, protecting taxpayer dollars and staying true to our core mission of protecting the environment and American jobs.”

Some of the agency’s critics among employee groups and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are skeptical of the agency’s ability to meet its regulatory responsibilities as it shrinks, while others question whether buyouts are an effective use of tax money.

Mr. Pruitt hasn’t laid out any plan for how to reshape the agency or its priorities, making it more difficult to improve its performance with fewer resources, said Jeff Ruch, executive director at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which represents government employees in environmental fields. It wasn’t immediately clear how the departures broke down among different departments within the EPA.

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-epa-workers-leave-in-recent-days-1504660207

[bronxiteforever]

1. Kick and recommend for visibility. This must be read.

[Achilleaze]

2. republicans prepping to PISS all over America and make sure it stays stanky & stinky

[sinkingfeeling]

3. So much for "JOBS, JOBS, JOBS".

[madokie]

4. methinks mr pruitt

along with the rest of that criminal crew known as the tRumpista's won't be around much longer

My hope anyway

[mucifer]

5. Lots of poisoning for us. Should be fun.

[Dustlawyer]

6. The EPA losing it's most experienced people is very very bad!

The agency has been short staffed and budget starved for decades. Refineries and chemical plants have been under "self reporting" of leaks and releases already for years due to this problem.

Inspecting plants? What a joke! None of the agencies responsible (OSHA, EPA and state agencies like our TCEQ) have the man-power to do that and have not for years either. They only do it after explosions/fires.

TPTB have sought deregulation and total freedom from the agencies for years. Not content to have a political appointee over these agencies they want them to die. By "they" I mean people like the Kochs and Rex Tillersons of the world!

We must stop their ability to control our government and fight to get the money out of our politics! Publicly Funded Elections and a requirement of truth in the news. The propaganda must be stopped as well.

[dalton99a]

7. The problem goes away when there is no inspector

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. Making America Toxic Again

Ah, the 'good old days' when America was white, businesses polluted freely, and the rivers burned.

[yonder]

9. K&R

[jalan48]

10. This is what Trump and the Koch Brothers want.

[spanone]

11. pruitt will go down in history as an ignorant science denier