US EPA plans to cut staff to 1980s levels, dissolve research office

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/us-epa-plans-reduce-staff-1980s-levels-cut-budget-by-300-million-2025-05-02/

36•geox•9mo ago

Comments

barbazoo•9mo ago

> In 1984, the EPA had just over 11,400 staff members compared to more than 15,100 in 2024.

tedunangst•9mo ago

Looking forward to rediscovering if acid rain is real or a myth.

Daishiman•9mo ago

American quality of life is going to decline so precipitously with the loss of state capacity for basic regulation and most people won't even understand what hit them.

toomuchtodo•9mo ago

People who can leave will, people who can’t are hosed. Better luck in 4 years after another ~8-10M voters have aged out (~5k-7k/day).

meristohm•9mo ago

If only we had the collective right of recall, like the Haudenosaunee government that the US is in part based on, rather than having to wait years.

Edit: "if only", ha. If only it were that simple.

billy99k•9mo ago

is collective recall the new buzz word for anti-democracy?

toomuchtodo•9mo ago

Nothing wrong with being anti democracy. Peter Thiel said "I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible,” and I find it hard to disagree with him at this point. The average American is at a 7th-8th grade reading level, for example. Not much pride in being dragged by that quality of electorate.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/14/politics/the-biggest-predicto...

squigz•9mo ago

One has to wonder whether the billionaire might have other motives for being anti-democracy than a fervent belief in 'freedom'

toomuchtodo•9mo ago

Oh, no, of course. We can both agree democracy is a failure for different reasons.

squigz•9mo ago

Why do you think democracy is a failure? And what systems do you think should replace it?

toomuchtodo•9mo ago

Recent examples:

https://19thnews.org/2025/05/missouri-abortion-rights-laws-p...

https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/unchecked-power-ohio-general-assem...

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/a...

squigz•9mo ago

I don't see how that demonstrates that democracy is a failure. Maybe it demonstrates that democracy in America is a failure, but that's a stretch too IMO.

Anyway, what systems do you think would be better? Specifically curious how they'd be immune to the issues outlined in those links.

hn_acker•9mo ago

How is collective recall anti-democracy?

emchammer•9mo ago

I fear that the administration will drag much of the world into this kicking and screaming.

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US EPA plans to cut staff to 1980s levels, dissolve research office

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