Trump administration terminates 388 EPA staff

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By Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday said it has terminated 388 employees hired over the last two years, saying this will align its workforce with President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” policy agenda.

The agency said it did a “thorough review” of its probationary staff, employees who have worked in their roles for less than two years.

“EPA has terminated 388 probationary employees after a thorough review of agency functions in accordance with President Trump’s executive orders,” EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said in a statement.

The announced layoffs came on the same day that thousands of probationary employees throughout the federal workforce received termination notices, affecting everything from nuclear safety to consumer protection to wildfire prevention.

Communication of the layoffs created confusion within the agency, three sources at the EPA said, as those affected were notified verbally.

The agency had already placed on administrative leave nearly 200 employees who worked on environmental justice and key websites used to track areas hardest hit by industrial pollution.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will lead the agency’s efforts to roll back regulations enacted under former President Joe Biden. The Biden-era rules focused on reducing carbon emissions, accelerating electric vehicle deployment and providing financial and technical support to low-income and minority communities that have suffered disproportionately from air and water pollution.

Among his key tasks will be assessing whether to revoke the scientific finding that gives the agency the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants and factories.

(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by David Gregorio)