How Trump's EPA Chief Lee Zeldin Turned the Agency Against Science and Public Health

The Environmental Protection Agency, once a bulwark for public health and environmental science, is now a shadow of itself thanks to Lee Zeldin, President Trump's EPA chief. As detailed in a recent NPR interview with Pulitzer-winning journalist Elizabeth Kolbert, Zeldin has overseen a systematic purge of scientists, slashed research departments, and prioritized industry interests over clean air and water.

More than 150 EPA staffers sent a letter last summer condemning Zeldin's leadership as overtly partisan and hostile to science. They highlighted his efforts to dismantle the Office of Research and Development (ORD), the EPA’s vital scientific arm responsible for everything from chemical risk assessments to setting cleanup standards for toxic sites. The ORD’s 1,500 scientists, scattered across labs nationwide, were deliberately kept independent to shield their work from political interference. Zeldin’s assault on this office is nothing short of a direct attack on the agency’s core mission.

The backlash from staff was met with retaliation: many scientists were placed on administrative leave, suspended without pay, or outright fired. Zeldin defended these moves by claiming a zero-tolerance stance on “agency bureaucrats unlawfully undermining” the Trump agenda — a thinly veiled threat to anyone prioritizing public health over corporate profits.

Kolbert underscores that the EPA’s job is to protect human health and the environment, not to serve as a rubber stamp for polluters. Traditionally, the agency balanced industry demands with environmental safeguards, but under Zeldin, that balance has tilted sharply toward deregulation and corporate interests.

This transformation of the EPA is a stark example of how the Trump administration weaponized federal agencies to dismantle protections and silence dissent. The consequences are dire: weakened pollution controls, delayed action on climate change, and a demoralized workforce stripped of its scientific backbone.

For Americans concerned about clean air, safe drinking water, and a livable planet, the EPA under Lee Zeldin is not just failing — it is actively betraying its mission. We need to hold this administration accountable before the damage becomes irreversible.