WRAL by Liz McLaughlin

The Trump administration is pushing to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, a move that could eliminate more than 1,000 science jobs nationwide and hit North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park especially hard.

ORD provides critical research on air and water pollution, toxic chemicals, and climate change —work that informs federal regulations and disaster response. Documents reviewed by Democratic staffers on the House Science Committee show that up to 75% of ORD’s workforce could be laid off, with remaining employees reassigned elsewhere.

The cuts are part of a broader plan by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and former President Donald Trump to shrink the agency’s budget by 65%. Trump has said his administration will deliver the “cleanest air and water,” while Zeldin has promised to uphold the EPA’s mission. Critics argue that gutting its science division does the opposite.

North Carolina’s research hub at risk

The EPA’s Research Triangle Park campus, its largest research facility, employs more than 2,000 federal workers. It houses labs focused on air pollution, PFAS contamination, and industrial emissions — issues directly affecting North Carolina.

Chris Frey, who led ORD from 2022 to 2024, says eliminating the office would cripple the agency’s ability to make science-based decisions.

“ORD is the scientific foundation for EPA’s work,” Frey said. “Without it, the agency won’t have the independent, credible science it needs to develop defensible regulations.”

ORD also plays a key role in North Carolina’s environmental efforts, working with the state Department of Environmental Quality to address PFAS contamination, which affects the drinking water of more than 3.5 million residents.

Lawmakers, scientists push back

The proposed cuts have drawn strong opposition from North Carolina lawmakers and environmental groups.

>> Scientists rally to make clear impact of federal cuts

“EPA scientists have dedicated their careers to solving some of our most complex environmental problems,” said Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C. “Eliminating its research arm will put people and our environment in danger.”

Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., called the move part of a broader effort to weaken the agency.

“The Trump administration’s plan to dissolve ORD and lay off over 1,000 scientists is yet another step in their scheme to fully gut this agency,” she said.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said the move is not just reckless—it’s illegal.

“ORD is in statute. Eliminating it is illegal,” she said. “Trump and Elon Musk are putting their polluter buddies’ bottom lines over the health and safety of Americans.”

Sarah Vogel, senior vice president for Healthy Communities at the Environmental Defense Fund, warned of serious public health risks.

“Hollowing out EPA’s science teams will mean more pollution, more asthma attacks, more cancers, and more lives needlessly cut short,” Vogel said.

Legal challenges expected

Legal experts say the proposed elimination of ORD will almost certainly face immediate legal challenges.

“The EPA is required by law to set pollution standards based on the best available scientific evidence," said Victor Flatt, the Coleman P. Burke Chair in Environmental Law at Case Western Reserve University. "If the agency removes the scientists responsible for gathering that evidence, it cannot fulfill its statutory obligations under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other federal environmental laws.”

Flatt said efforts to dismantle ORD could result in lawsuits seeking to block the move, potentially halting the cuts before they take effect.