Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin has dramatically reshaped the federal environmental watchdog agency through sweeping changes that have drawn criticism from environmental advocates, according to a new report.
New Yorker journalist Elizabeth Kolbert reports that Zeldin has rolled back numerous environmental protections, dismantled or significantly reduced various agency departments, and laid off substantial numbers of scientific personnel since assuming leadership of the EPA.
The changes represent a significant shift in the agency’s operations and priorities under Zeldin’s leadership. President Trump has praised Zeldin’s work, referring to him as “our secret weapon” in the administration’s approach to environmental policy.
The restructuring has affected multiple areas of the agency’s work, with particular impact on the scientific workforce that conducts environmental research and analysis for federal policy decisions.
