These staffers worked in an area known as environmental justice, which helps communities that face a disproportionate amount of pollution, especially minority or low-income communities.
The EPA has framed its efforts to cut these programs — including its previous closure of environmental justice offices — as part of a push to end diversity programming in the government.
Supporters of the agency’s environmental justice work have pointed out that Black communities face particularly high pollution levels and the programs also help white Americans, especially if they are poor.
“EPA is taking the next step to terminate the Biden-Harris Administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Environmental Justice arms of the agency,” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement.
“Today, EPA notified diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmental justice employees that EPA will be conducting a Reduction in Force,” the spokesperson said. “The agency also notified certain statutory and mission essential employees that they are being reassigned to other offices through the ‘transfer of function’ procedure also outlined in [the Office of Personnel Management’s] Handbook and federal regulations”
Read more at TheHill.com.
