Shutdown Hampers EPA Efforts to Protect Air, Water, Land
The Associated Press reports (via PBS NewsHour) that the Environmental Protection Agency — already weakened by large staff cuts and policy shifts under EPA chief Lee Zeldin — faces new operational constraints from the federal government shutdown, limiting inspections, enforcement and monitoring. The piece cites officials and former EPA staff who warn polluters may exploit furloughs, references a study finding coal plants increased particulate emissions during the 2018–2019 shutdown, and details Zeldin’s rollbacks (seeking to rescind the 2009 'endangerment' finding and to end greenhouse‑gas reporting requirements) that change the agency’s regulatory baseline.
Environment
Government/Regulatory
Public Health
🔍 Key Facts
- EPA operations are constrained by the current government shutdown on Oct. 2, 2025, compounding prior staff reductions and reprioritization under the administration.
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has proposed rescinding the 2009 'endangerment' finding and ending a requirement for large polluters to report greenhouse‑gas emissions, shifting regulatory authority and oversight.
- A study of about 200 coal‑fired power plants during the 2018–2019 shutdown found those plants 'significantly increased their particulate matter emissions,' a pollutant linked to thousands of deaths annually.