Trump Risks Integrity of EPA Science by Removing Research Office

The EPA’s elimination of its scientific research arm has drawn immediate warnings from environmentalists and former officials who worry the move will politicize findings and weaken the integrity of the agency’s work.

“This administration is really calling into question what the role of the federal government is going to be,” said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, the EPA’s former principal deputy assistant administrator for science.

Traditionally, the EPA’s Office of Research and Development has enjoyed significant independence, largely shielded from the policy offices led by political appointees. But the Trump administration has said it wants to make government more efficient, either by trimming ...