The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday(local time) placed 139 employees on administrative leave after they signed a public letter sharply criticising President Donald Trump’s environmental policies. The letter, titled “Declaration of Dissent,” signed by the EPA employees accused the federal government of harmful deregulation, ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters, and promoting a culture of fear within the agency. The employees were soon informed that they had been moved to a “temporary, non-duty, paid status” for the next two weeks, pending an administrative investigation. In an internal email, the agency clarified that the measure was not a disciplinary action as reported by Associate Press. However, the EPA defended its decision by citing a “zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging and undercutting” the Trump administration’s agenda. More than 170 current and recently terminated EPA employees added their names to the letter, while nearly 100 others signed anonymously, citing fears of retaliation. The public version of the letter later removed the names of the signatories. The letter emerged amid an expected new round of staff reductions at the EPA and a major internal reorganisation, which includes the dismantling of the agency’s research office and the cancellation of billions of dollars in grants. An earlier version of the letter had been sent directly to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin before being made public. In a statement issued Thursday, the agency reiterated its stance, saying it would not tolerate actions that undermine the administration’s goals, and defended the leave of the employees as part of its commitment to upholding agency integrity.
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