EPN In Action March-April 2025
Welcome to your EPN In Action Newsletter
NATIONAL POLICY AND EPN HIGHLIGHTS
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EPN submitted comments on the EPA’s 2025 notice regarding the definition of waters of the US. (WOTUS).
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EPN also submitted comments opposing the proposed EPA rule change that would redefine pesticide labeling requirements.
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EPN hired a new Senior Director for Technical Assistance! Annel Cabrera-Marus (she/her) brings over 20 years of experience in environmental justice, sustainability, and workforce and community development, with a focus on advancing equity and access to resources for under-resourced communities.
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EPN also hired a new Senior Director for Policy! Peter Murchie (he/him) is leading the Public Affairs and Policy teams and initiatives, including Save EPA and Civil Service Resilience. Peter has 30 years as a public sector leader focused on collaborative governance solutions for complex environmental health challenges, including a long and impressive career at U.S. EPA (including Region 10)!
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CIVIL SERVICE RESILIENCY UPDATES
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During March and April, EPN connected almost 50 unique volunteers to almost 400 requests for technical assistance from frontline communities, nonprofit organizations, under-resourced government agencies, and others—including hundreds of requests from federal grantees that were frozen out of their funds, terminated, or otherwise under attack.
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In addition, EPN hosted four webinars with close to 500 attendees to provide resources to grantees navigating federal funding, sent updates and potential actions to hundreds of grantees, and hosted numerous office hours for cohorts of grantees and other technical assistance providers.
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On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, EPN and the EPA Alumni Association held a virtual roundtable for Providence College biology students to discuss jobs in the federal, state, local, and NGO environmental spaces.
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In addition, EPN continued to support current EPA staff with resources and services for current EPA staff, including a job board, helpful links and FAQs, and how to reconnect with EPA alumni for additional support.
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EPN launched resources and services for current EPA staff, including a job board, helpful links and FAQs, and how to reconnect with EPA alumni for additional support.
EPN’s Work on Pesticides
EPN’s Work on Water
EPN’s Recent Press Releases
EPN’s Press Team put out several press releases condemning Trump’s EPA and calling for adequate funding for the agency.
Former EPA Regional Administrators Call on Administrator Lee Zeldin to Uphold EPA’s Core Mission on Earth Day
On Earth Day, a group of former EPA Regional Administrators issued a powerful and urgent call to Administrator Lee Zeldin, urging him to honor the agency’s founding mission: to protect human health and the environment.
EPA Rollbacks of Clean Air and Water Protections Will Cost 200,000 Lives and Harm America’s Economy
EPN condemns EPA’s reckless decision to roll back 31 critical clean air and water regulations, a move that represents an egregious assault on public health, environmental integrity, and economic stability.
Former EPA Leaders Sound Alarm on Proposed 65% Cut to Agency Funding
Former senior EPA officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations, including six former Deputy EPA Administrators appointed by five presidents, urgently call on Congress to stop deep cuts to EPA’s budget.
EPN Volunteers in the News
EPN volunteers were quoted in additional articles about PFAS-contaminated farmland, religious leaders uniting in climate advocacy, federal funding frozen by the Trump administration, and more.
Betsy Southerland, former Director, Office of Science and Technology, EPA Office of Water, was quoted in The New York Times. For years a textile mill gave farmers its sewage sludge as free fertilizer. Today the land is full of “forever chemicals.” Joe Goffman, former Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Air and Radiation, was quoted in Inside Climate News. Jewish and Christian faith leaders responded to Lee Zeldin’s comments with “righteous anger” and called for policies that support a more just, livable world. Zealan Hoover, former Director of Implementation and Senior Adviser to the Administrator, was quoted in The Washington Post about the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that was built under Biden but has been scrutinized and frozen by the Trump administration, leaving many projects hanging in limbo. Jeremy Symons, Senior Adviser to EPN, was quoted in The Guardian about Zeldin’s deregulatory agenda and the measurable health and economic benefits of the rules the agency plans to rollback, saying, “If you carry around an inhaler, these rollbacks are a nightmare.” Michelle Roos was quoted in The New York Times about EPA funds that are newly listed as “suspended” in the government payment system as of last week and early this week. Matt Tejada, former Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights; David Cash, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 1; and Adam Ortiz, former Regional Administrator, EPA Region 3, were quoted in Inside Climate News about the recall of environmental justice employees back to work after being put on administrative leave.
EPN in the News
Sludge Contaminated 10,000 Acres of Farmland. What Should Be Done?
Faith Leaders Push Back After EPA Head Disparages Climate Action as ‘Religion’
The True Story Behind the ‘Gold Bars’ at the Heart of Trump’s Biggest Climate Fight
Trump’s EPA Aims to Cut Pollution Rules Projected to Save Nearly 200,000 Lives: ‘People Will Be Hurt’
E.P.A. Grant Recipients Find Their Funds Frozen, With No Explanation
EPA Reinstates Environmental Justice Staff Amid Workforce Turmoil