EPA Eliminates Office of Research and Development, Disbands 800 Scientists

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on July 20, 2025, that the agency was eliminating its Office of Research and Development, disbanding the scientific infrastructure that produced IRIS assessments and peer-reviewed research used by regulators across all agency programs. Approximately 800-1,155 scientists were affected by the reduction in force. The ORD had been EPA's primary mechanism for translating scientific research into regulatory standards since the agency's founding in 1970.