EPA to Disband Its Scientific Research Division Officially
US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development Shut Down
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially closed its Office of Research and Development (ORD), marking a significant shift in the agency's approach to environmental research and regulation.
The closure, which took place in July 2025, is part of a broader reorganization effort by the EPA under the Trump administration. The reorganization aims to reduce the EPA's workforce by nearly 25%, with the ORD being one of the hardest hit units.
The administration justifies the closure by proposing to save $748.8 million and intends to replace ORD with a new, smaller Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. This new office will house some displaced staff, aiming to align with goals of efficiency and "putting science at the forefront" in a different organizational form.
However, the shutdown of ORD has been widely criticized. ORD's scientists conducted crucial environmental and health risk research, including assessing pollutants' effects on drinking water, wildlife, ecosystems, and public health through programs like the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). With ORD abolished, critics warn that the EPA’s ability to produce independent scientific research to support evidence-based policy and regulations under laws like the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act will be severely compromised.
Potential impacts of the ORD closure include reduced scientific capacity, weakened public health protections, diminished climate and ecosystem research, economic consequences, and increased political and industry influence.
The EPA maintains that its recent efforts have enhanced 'the scientific expertise and research efforts within its program offices'. However, critics argue that the closure puts into question how the EPA will deliver the same unbiased, comprehensive scientific research and analysis to meet the needs of local, state, and tribal governments.
The ORD funded many of the EPA's external research grants awarded to academic researchers and evaluated industry claims and technologies. It also provided local communities and state governments with independent assessments and scientific briefings. The EPA's total staffing will decrease by roughly 23%, falling from over 16,150 employees in January this year to less than 12,450.
The move to close ORD is causing concern among many observers, who fear it will weaken the EPA's ability to protect the environment and public health. Notable critics include Christine Todd Whitman, who led the EPA from 2001 to 2003 under former president George W Bush, and Paul Anastas, a chemist at Yale University who headed the ORD from 2009 to 2012 and served as the agency’s science adviser. Anastas states that "you can't do research without research infrastructure, science without scientists, find contamination that you're no longer looking for, or produce solutions if you don't understand the problems."
In response to the criticism, the EPA is creating a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions to prioritize research and science. The agency estimates that such 'organisational improvements' will result in savings of nearly $750 million (£556million).
References:
- New York Times
- Science Magazine
- Nature
- The Guardian
The closure of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD) raises concerns about the future of environmental science and research, as ORD conducted crucial studies on pollutants' effects on drinking water, wildlife, ecosystems, and public health. Moreover, the new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, set to replace ORD, may face challenges in financing extensive research projects, given the limited resources previously allocated to ORD.
