“This man is not our boss” — EPA workers rally against DOGE cuts

Harper Stanfield and Suzanne Englot took parkland successful the successful the National Day of Action joining EPA workers crossed the US protesting cuts to the agency.

Environmental Protection Agency workers took to the streets crossed the US contiguous to protestation drastic cuts President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE person made astatine the national bureau whose mission is to “protect quality wellness and the environment.” 

Musk, the look of DOGE and the people of increasing protests astatine Tesla dealerships, was a bigger sanction astatine the rally than Trump. “How bash you spell corruption? E-L-O-N” workers and their supporters chanted astatine a picket enactment successful beforehand of a national gathering successful New York City. Some held signs with “this antheral is not our boss” written successful reddish implicit a sketch of Musk’s face. More than 150 radical rallied with picket signs chanting “Move, DOGE, get retired the way,” to the tune of a Ludacris song, and “What bash we bash erstwhile cleanable land/air/water/science is nether attack? Stand up, combat back!”

The workers, represented by national AFGE Council 238, held marches successful 8 cities arsenic portion of a ‘National Day of Action.’ Plans to dismantle overmuch of the bureau and weaken protections against pollution enactment Americans astatine risk, EPA workers warn.

“I enactment connected enforcing regulations that woody with hazardous discarded and toxic substances, which is enactment that I consciousness is not a partisan issue,” says Suzanne Englot, an lawyer who works successful enforcement astatine the EPA. “Everyone wants to marque definite that hazardous discarded and toxic substances are decently regulated, disposed of, stored and each of that. But successful these times, it makes maine tense that things are going to change.”

The EPA, nether Trump’s enforcement orders, is present barred from taking immoderate enforcement oregon compliance actions that would “shut down immoderate signifier of vigor production” unless there’s an “imminent and substantial” wellness threat, according to a memo that EPA leadership issued connected March 12th.

On the aforesaid day, EPA head Lee Zeldin announced what helium called “the top time of deregulation our federation has seen,” proposing rollbacks connected dozens of rules meant to curb contamination from powerfulness plants, lipid and state refineries, chemic plants, cars and trucks, factories, and more.

The Trump medication has besides moved to shutter the agency’s scientific probe office and environmental justness offices. Trump has mused astir cutting the EPA’s fund by 65 percent. Around 1,100 probationary employees astatine the EPA received announcement successful January telling them the bureau “has the close to instantly terminate you.” A national justice aboriginal ordered the Trump medication to rehire hundreds of workers who had been laid disconnected astatine the agency. And the White House faces much ineligible challenges implicit its dismantling of national agencies and deregulation spree.    

Both Trump and billionaire-backer Musk complained astir regulations slowing companies down during past year’s predetermination season. “It costs overmuch much to bash things environmentally clean,” Trump said successful an interview with Joe Rogan connected October 25th. 

“We’ve got to person sensible spending. And we’ve got to person deregulation …. I’m pro-environment, [but] I don’t deliberation we should vilify the lipid and state manufacture due to the fact that they’re keeping civilization going close now,” Musk said successful his X interrogation with Trump connected August 12th. Musk aboriginal wielded a chainsaw “for bureaucracy” astatine the Conservative Political Action Conference signifier past month.  

“Elon is perpetuating a clime of fearfulness and targeting national workers and the ngo that they transportation retired to support quality wellness and the environment,” EPA biology technologist Harper Stanfield told The Verge astatine the rally successful New York City. “We can’t fto EPA beryllium silenced by billionaires.”

Trump has accepted tens of millions of dollars successful backing from the lipid and state industry. Elon Musk spent much than $250 cardinal helping Trump get elected. The president past handed Musk the powerfulness to dramatically makeover national agencies done his station starring the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

In an email to The Verge, the EPA said that it’s “listening” to employees and made cuts to comply with Trump’s docket to destruct programs it considers diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Stanfield and Englot said astatine the rally contiguous that they’re calling connected Congress to enactment arsenic a cheque connected the enforcement branch, and asking radical to scope retired to their elected representatives to enactment the EPA’s work. 

“Democrat, Republican, independent, whoever it is, everyone is impacted by this,” Englot says. “EPA’s enactment touches everyone’s lives.”