Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD):

Dismantling the EPA's Office of Research and Development is an unconscionable attack on science and public health. This so-called 'reorganization' is a thinly veiled attempt to extinguish the agency's world-renowned scientific expertise by shuffling scientists to process chemical reviews for industry.

EPA seems to be jumping at the chance to appease DOGE by eliminating federal programs that research new and emerging threats to America's air and water, jeopardizing public health for the sake of "efficiency."

 The administration's claim that this restructuring serves the public interest ignores the basic facts: More than 1,000 critical scientific positions face elimination, including irreplaceable chemists, toxicologists, and environmental biologists. This action violates both congressional intent and federal law. Congress explicitly appropriated funds for EPA's science and technology initiatives in the current budget—funds that cannot be legally impounded or diverted.

ORD's work is critical to addressing environmental hazards like PFAS contamination, assessing the health impacts of toxic chemicals, and responding to natural disasters. States rely on the expertise from ORD to meet their regulatory obligations, and dismantling this office will not only stall vital research but also strip the EPA and State partners of their ability to make informed, science-based decisions that protect public health. 

This move follows a disturbing pattern of politically motivated purges within the EPA, where allegiance to the president and his fossil fuel allies takes precedence over expertise and public service. We're witnessing the transformation of a vital regulatory agency into a rubber stamp for corporate polluters, with career scientists being displaced while industry influence expands. Such actions jeopardize the health and safety of all Americans, particularly those in vulnerable and underserved communities already bearing disproportionate environmental burdens.

I have formally opposed this reckless plan and urge Administrator Zeldin to reverse course immediately. The integrity of the EPA's scientific research must be preserved to ensure sound policymaking and the continued protection of public health and the environment. The American people will not stand by while their fundamental right to clean air, water, and a healthy environment is sacrificed for the profits of a few.

In March, Pingree, alongside Senate Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), sounded the alarm over the EPA’s plans to dismantle ORD. In a scathing letter to EPA Administrator Zeldin, the ranking members warned this proposal is not just illegal, but would have devastating consequences for human health and the environment.  

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