Background to the Campaign

Major Rollbacks

 Since January 2025

 Zeldin’s General Announcement (“the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history, to advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders and Power the Great American Comeback. Combined, these announcements represent the most momentous day in the history of the EPA. While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy…”)

Undoing Biden-era Power Plant Pollution Standards

• Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS): EPA has scrapped the stricter limits on mercury and toxic air emissions from coal plants put in place under Biden. (Source) 

• Greenhouse gas (GHG) caps: Elimination of GHG limits for both coal and gas-fired plants, effectively repealing the 2024 Clean Power Plan 2.0.

• Endangerment Finding reconsideration: EPA has moved to undo the 2009 finding that greenhouse gases pose threats to public health and welfare—undermining a foundational legal authority (Source) . For the steps that have to be taken, see here.

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Reevaluating 31 Key Environmental Rules ("largest deregularoy announcement")

In March 2025, EPA listed 31 rules for reconsideration, including:

• Engine emission standards (tailpipe rules for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles)

• Steam Electric Effluent Limitation Guidelines

• Coal ash cleanup and wastewater standards – affecting water protections and cleanup after coal use

• Risk Management Program standards for refineries and chemical plants

• Particulate Matter (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards

• Good Neighbor Plan under Clean Air Act regional haze requirements

• Environmental justice and DEI programs, scientific advisory priorities, and enforcement discretion. (Source) 

• All 11 environmental justice offices to be closed. (Source)

Dismantling Scientific Research Capacity

• EPA’s Office of Research & Development is being eliminated, cutting over 1,100 scientific jobs—chemists, toxicologists, study leadership—crippling the agency’s science base. (Source)  The directive was issued on July 18.  An in-depth story is here.

• EPA dismisses clean air and science advisory board. (Source) 

• EPA eliminates the “Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors” database, the third most viewed of more than 281,000 federal data sets on Data.gov (the lead scientist was terminated for signing the “dissidents” June letter, see here.)

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Delaying PFAS ("forever chemicals") Regulations

• EPA rolled back parts of Biden's tight drinking water limits on PFAS chemicals, rescinding or deferring standards for newer compounds (e.g., GenX), while extending compliance deadlines for PFOA/PFOS to 2031.  (Source)

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Grant and Climate Investment Freezes

• The halted "green bank" Climate United Fund – nearly $7 billion in Biden-era energy grants were frozen, triggering lawsuits. (Source)

• Termination of about 350 Environmental Justice and climate-related grants, with Houston groups filing suit seeking restoration. (Source)

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Coal-Plant Exemptions by Email

• EPA permitted nearly 70 coal plants to bypass mercury and other pollution limits by simply emailing the agency for exemptions—a workaround without formal rule changes. (Source)

Emissions Impacts

Emissions Impact

Repealing the 2024 power-plant CO₂ standards

Zeldin’s proposal withdraws Biden-era limits on CO₂ emissions from fossil-fuel power plants—standards projected to cut 1.38 billion metric tons (1.38 Gt) of CO₂ by 2047. [Source]

An independent estimate suggests these Biden rules would have prevented nearly 1 billion metric tons of CO₂ by 2047 .

Vehicle emissions rollbacks

• Additional rollbacks include weakening standards for cars, trucks, and heavy-duty vehicles. The EPA’s analysis shows these standards would’ve cut 7.9 Gt of CO₂ over the next 30 years.

• If fully reversed, those CO₂ savings are at risk.

Overall Estimate

• At minimum, Zeldin’s rollbacks threaten to reverse ~1 gigaton of planned CO₂ reductions from power plants by 2047.

• If vehicle and heavy-duty standards are also rolled back, that could jeopardize an additional ~7–8 Gt over the next 30 years.

• Total potential offset: Roughly 8–9 Gt of CO₂ emissions over the next few decades.

Why It Matters

• The power sector is the second-largest CO₂ emitter, and reducing it is critical to U.S. and global climate targets [Source]

• These rollbacks also eliminate projected climate and health benefits—including avoided air pollution, fewer deaths, and billions in economic savings.

Bottom Line

Zeldin's EPA is proposing to undercut roughly 1 Gt of CO₂ cuts from power plants and threaten up to 8–9T Gt more if vehicle rollbacks are finalized—effectively undoing a decade’s progress in U.S. climate policy.

The Environmental Data and Governance Initiative's report, "Burning Down the EPA: Documenting the Second Trump Administration’s

Historic Assault" ( Sept. 3, 2025),  goes into depth on many of these issues.

The EPA Dissidents

On 30 June 2025, employees of the EPA submitted the following letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin. The EPA responded by placing 144 signatories on leave. [Source] On August 29, 2025, seven of these dissidents were fired. [Source]

To: Administrator Zeldin,

CC: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Members of Congress

Declaration of Dissent

EPA employees join in solidarity with employees across the federal government in opposing this administration's policies, including those that undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment. Since the Agency's founding in 1970, EPA has accomplished this mission by leveraging science, funding, and expert staff in service to the American people.Today, we stand together in dissent against the current administration's focus on harmful deregulation, mischaracterization of previous EPA actions, and disregard for scientific expertise.

Since January 2025, federal workers across the country have been denigrated and dismissed based on false claims of waste, fraud, and abuse. Meanwhile, Americans have witnessed the unraveling of public health and environmental protections in the pursuit of political advantage. Today, we come directly to you, Administrator Zeldin and our elected officials, with the five concerns outlined below. We expect your deliberate consideration of these concerns and look forward to working with you to restore EPA's credibility as a premier scientific institution. Communities across America are counting on you to lead EPA in carrying out its mission.

Our Shared Commitment to Protecting Human Health and the Environment

Administrator Zeldin, at your Senate confirmation hearing, you committed to leading EPA in its "simple but essential" mission. You expressed gratitude that President-elect Trump had given you the opportunity to "do everything in our power to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship." You acknowledged the realities of climate change, the benefits of clean energy, the economic need for environmental justice, and the importance of protecting human health through smart regulation. Like you, EPA employees are committed to these principles. We call on you to reaffirm your testimony, honor your oath to the Constitution, and renew your commitment to become the environmental steward the public entrusted you to be.

Our Five Primary Concerns

Under your leadership, Administrator Zeldin, this administration is recklessly undermining the EPA mission, including in these five critical areas:

1. Undermining public trust. EPA's non-partisan nature ensures that all Americans—regardless of political affiliation—are served by an agency guided by scientific expertise, professional integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the public good. For over five decades, EPA's strength has come from its commitment to science-based decision-making. However, under this administration, the Agency's communication platforms have been used to promote misinformation and overtly partisan rhetoric. For example, EPA press releases and the "Call it a Comeback" newsletter have referred to EPA grants as “green slush funds” and praised “clean coal” as “beautiful.” The Office of the Administrator has used official EPA channels to liken climate science to a religion, issue attacks against individual members of Congress, and criticize former presidents. These communications are partisan and scientifically unsound. The Office of the Administrator may have violated the Hatch Act by using EPA’s official website and social media to promote political initiatives such as President Trump’s tariffs and the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” This politicized messaging distracts from EPA’s core responsibility: to protect human health and the environment through objective, science-based policy.

2. Ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters. This administration's actions directly contradict EPA's own scientific assessments on human health risks, most notably regarding asbestos, mercury, and greenhouse gases. Health-based regulatory standards are being repealed or reconsidered, including drinking water limits for four PFAS "forever chemicals" that cause cancer. Under your leadership, Administrator Zeldin, EPA is promoting the fossil fuel-powered auto industry while simultaneously stripping away support for cleaner electric vehicles. You are supporting new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), without addressing AI's intense consumption of environmental resources. The decisions of the current administration frequently contradict the peer-reviewed research and  ecommendations of Agency experts. Such contradiction undermines EPA's reputation as a trusted scientific authority. Make no mistake: your actions endanger public health and erode scientific progress--not only in America but around the world.

3. Reversing EPA's progress in America's most vulnerable communities. Research overwhelmingly shows that the country's most vulnerable communities, including Black communities and other communities of color, poor communities, disabled communities, LGBTQIA+ communities, and historically overburdened and underserved rural and urban communities are consistently exposed to disproportionate environmental and climate burdens. EPA's environmental justice program—one that you have effectively dismantled—was addressing this disparity by funding states, cities, and communities all around the country through extensive grant programs and technical assistance. Now these same communities are the ones most at risk for losing federal funding. Since January 2025, EPA has placed the vast majority of environmental justice staff on administrative leave, canceled billions of grant dollars to communities, and removed a valuable mapping analysis tool that enabled EPA and others to work towards environmental equity. Canceling environmental justice programs is not cutting waste; it is failing to serve the American people.

4. Dismantling the Office of Research and Development. EPA's research provides the scientific basis for its rulemaking, stakeholder needs, and other key decisions. U.S. Law (42 U.S.C. § 4363) states that the EPA Administrator shall "establish a separately identified program of continuing, long-term environmental research and development," which is currently led by the Office of Research and Development, or ORD. Your administration has proposed a reorganization that moves EPA's foundational research to the Administrator's Office and reassigns ORD's research staff to the program offices. A move that places ORD scientists in regulatory program offices will make EPA science more vulnerable to political interference. In addition, the gutting of staff and science and your proposed budget cuts for the coming year will leave ORD unable to meet the science needs of the EPA and its partners and will threaten the health of all Americans.

5. Promoting a culture of fear, forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being. OMB Director Russell Vought has stated that he wants EPA employees to be in a constant state of trauma and unable to do their jobs: "When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down so that the EPA can’t do all of the rules against our energy industry [...] We want to put them in trauma.” Administrator Zeldin, you have done your best to ensure that employees have no recourse against these assaults by nullifying bargaining agreements and refusing to negotiate. In addition, your administration has fired or forced onto administrative leave several categories of employees, including those responsible for environmental justice and those managing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. Your administration has also targeted probationary employees, including a range of students and recent graduates, whom U.S. District Judge William Alsup has called "the lifeblood of [the] government." Since January 2025, your administration has offered multiple rounds of resignation and retirement options. Of the employees who accepted your contractual agreements, few accepted without extenuating circumstances, such as immediate financial concern, fear of their position being eliminated, or concerns about changes to their retirement,among others.

These actions directly undermine EPA's capacity to fulfill its mission. We the undersigned call on you publicly today to honor your responsibility to EPA and to the American people by advancing our mission of safeguarding human health and the environment.

Delivering on your duty to EPA and the public

Your decisions and actions will reverberate for generations to come. EPA under your leadership will not protect communities from hazardous chemicals and unsafe drinking water, but instead will increase risks to public health and safety.

Administrator Zeldin, we urge you to honor your oath and serve the American people. Going forward, you have the opportunity to correct course. Should you choose to do so, we stand ready to support your efforts to fulfill EPA's mission.

Who We Are

This declaration was written and signed by EPA employees across Offices, Regions, and Labs in our personal capacity, on our own time, and without Agency resources. We are devoted to EPA's mission: to protect human health and the environment.

Administrator Zeldin, we share your stated goal of wanting every child in this nation, including your own, to "inherit a world with clean air, clean water, and a thriving economy." We are civil servants who are dedicated to responsibly managing public resources to drive innovative, high-impact research to create and implement the country's environmental regulations and solve environmental challenges. We want to work together, not to power the "Great American Comeback," but to launch America into a safer, healthier, and thriving future.

We sign this declaration both as concerned citizens and dedicated civil servants. In addition to the named signers, we include anonymous signers and speak for countless others at EPA who share our concerns, but who chose not to sign their names for fear of retaliation.

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