In the News

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in Nation of Change. Amid pressure from chemical and utility industries, the Trump administration weakens key PFAS drinking water regulations—exposing millions to cancer-linked toxins.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in USA Today. The Environmental Protection Agency announced plans May 14 to rescind drinking water limits it set on four “forever chemicals” last spring.

Bill Reilly, former EPA Administrator, wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in Common Dreams “Once again, the Trump administration has demonstrated that its priority is bending to corporate interests, not protecting the safety and well-being of everyday people,” said one critic.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in The New Lede. US regulators said Wednesday they will do away with limits on certain types of toxic chemicals in US drinking water, a move that critics warn could expose millions of Americans to dangerous contaminants.

Linda Birnbaum, former Director, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, spoke on The Brian Lehrer Show about water fluoridation.

Michelle Roos was quoted in AP News. A proposal by Republicans in Congress would allow President Donald Trump’s administration to remove the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that it says support terrorism, creating what some nonprofits say is an arbitrary standard to financially punish charities that advocate for issues that don’t align with his agenda.

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development, was quoted in Nature. E-mails reveal the stoppage at the US Environmental Protection Agency, which is encouraging workers to resign ahead of a reorganization.

Zealan Hoover, former Senior Adviser to the Administrator and Director of Implementation, and Michelle Roos were quoted in Grist. The Rhode Island project to create local jobs, launch compost hubs, and reduce emissions was years in the making.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in Politico Pro.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, and Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, former Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development, were quoted in E&E News. Acid rain, PFAS and climate change weren’t even part of the 1980s EPA mission, adding to concerns for an agency already struggling to meet its workload.

 Stan Meiburg, former Acting Administrator, was quoted in WFDD. Last month, a massive fire erupted at the Omnisource recycling plant in Kernersville, sending towering plumes of black smoke into the sky and drawing attention from as far away as Virginia.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in Wisconsin Public Radio. Budget would make nearly $2.5B in cuts to state revolving loan funds.

Michelle Roos was quoted in Chemical and Engineering News. Office of Research and Development scientists get 1 week to apply for a new job in the agency or accept early retirement.

Margo Oge, former Director, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, was quoted in The New York Times. Some said they worried that California’s planned ban on gas-powered vehicles would raise the price of cars. Another cited “intense and misleading lobbying” by the oil industry.

Joe Goffman, former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, was quoted in Politico Pro. The agency didn’t offer an alternative in its proposed repeal of rules that limit planet-warming pollution.

Joe Goffman, former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, was quoted in Politico Pro. The agency plans to eliminate offices that track planet-warming emissions and regulate air pollution.

Dennis McLerran, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 10, co-wrote an op-ed for The Herald. Cuts to agencies and their staffs sidestep Congress’ authority and endanger past protection work.

Michelle Roos was quoted in Bloomberg Law. The EPA’s budget would be cut by more than half under President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request, released Friday.

EPN was mentioned in the Santa Barbara Independent. Republicans reverse decades of bipartisan efforts to protect communities from pollution.

Stan Meiburg, former Acting Administrator, was quoted in E&E News. Administrator Lee Zeldin plans to shrink the workforce as he tries to free the agency from the statutory obligation to regulate climate pollution.

Chris Frey, former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Research and Development, was quoted in Politico Pro. Employees in the agency’s chemicals and research offices have been told officials will share information on the shake-up and restructuring plans.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in The New Lede. Moves by the Trump administration to draw up a new regulatory framework for types of toxic chemicals has sparked suspicion among health advocates who fear the changes will protect polluters but not public health.

Betsy Southerland, former Director, Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in Inside EPA. The Trump EPA’s just-released multi-media plan to address PFAS provides few details of what regulatory and other actions officials will eventually take, but environmentalists and others say they expect the agency to delay and roll back some of what the Biden administration crafted while also dropping some key items.