Government shutdown means 90% of EPA staff won't be working

"The shutdown of the U.S. government could have ripple effects for human health and the environment as an already weakened Environmental Protection Agency will see nearly all of its staff furloughed and many of its operations paused. The first shutdown in six years went into effect late Tuesday and requires federal agencies to stop all nonessential work. Most EPA work is considered only partially essential under federal rules."

"Nearly 90% of EPA staff will be furloughed; only 1,732 of 15,166 employees will report to work, according to the agency's most recent shutdown contingency plan, issued in September. Immediate environmental hazard work is likely to continue, but longer-term efforts such as research, permitting, writing new rules and pollution enforcement will largely freeze. Experts note that the shutdown comes as the agency already has seen significant cuts as part of the Trump administration's efforts to restructure the federal government and save taxpayers money."

"About 4,000 EPA employees, or a quarter of its workforce, have been fired or have taken a buyout this year. "The shutdown has already been happening for months," said Marc Boom, a former senior policy advisor with the EPA who now serves as senior advisor with the Environmental Protection Network, a bipartisan group of more than 700 former EPA employees based in Washington, D.C."

Nearly 90% of EPA staff will be furloughed, leaving only 1,732 of 15,166 employees to work under the contingency plan. The shutdown requires federal agencies to stop nonessential work, and most EPA tasks are considered only partially essential under federal rules. Immediate hazardous-response work is likely to continue, but research, publication of results, issuance of new grants, contracts and permits, and civil enforcement inspections will pause. About 4,000 employees have left the agency this year through firings or buyouts, further reducing capacity. Many regulatory, permitting, and pollution enforcement activities will largely freeze, potentially affecting human health and the environment.

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