In the two-plus weeks since then, things have not gotten better. First, the EPA put about 140 signers of that Declaration on administrative leave, in what sure seemed like a clear violation of their rights, and in the last couple of days, Splinter has heard from several sources at the agency about further retaliation, potential major reorganizations or mass firings, and an overall terrible vibe that has left employees miserable and uncertain about their future.
“Morale is at an all-time low,” one employee said. “For those of us left behind at the agency, it feels like torture.”
On Wednesday, the employees who had been placed on leave received word from leadership that their punishment was being extended until August 1 — only the message insisted that this was “not a disciplinary action.” The employees are still receiving pay and benefits while on leave, ostensibly so the EPA can complete an inquiry into whether they used agency time or resources when signing the Declaration. On Thursday, multiple sources told Splinter that more employees had been added to the leave list, though the total number wasn’t clear.
Staff were also offered another round of buyouts or deferred resignations, as leadership is clearly still looking to cut the overall size of the agency substantially. The way the buyouts work, one employee said, means that people tend to leave their positions so rapidly that their knowledge can’t realistically be passed on, leading to “decades of institutional knowledge lost in the blink of an eye.”
This is going to get worse. The Office of Research and Development, the EPA’s scientific research arm that has long been targeted for destruction by the Trump administration, has scheduled an all-hands meeting for early Monday afternoon; the topic isn’t clear, but some staff said they expect big announcements to be made. After the Supreme Court issued a broad ruling allowing the administration’s mass firings to continue, it is anybody’s guess where staffing levels end up over the coming months.
Unlike, say, USAID, the agency is still functional, to an extent. “We are still limping along, still doing what we can,” one staffer said. “But it’s clear that Vought’s goal of putting the federal workforce in trauma has been achieved.”
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