EPA Announces Elimination of Research and Development Office

The EPA on Friday said it’s eliminating its research and development arm and will be sending reduction in force notices to individual employees.

The changes will deliver $748.8 million in savings, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

At the same time, the EPA announced it’s creating a new Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions, which it said will allow it to “prioritize research and science more than ever before and put it at the forefront of rulemakings and technical assistance to states.”

The move comes after months of speculation that the EPA would make deep cuts to ORD, which provides ...