EPA scientific output collapse confirmed at 82 percent below pre-reorganization levels

By May 2026, the elimination of EPA's Office of Research and Development had produced a documented 82 percent reduction in the agency's scientific publication rate compared to pre-2025 levels. Peer-reviewed papers, toxicity assessments, Integrated Science Assessments supporting air quality standards, and chemical risk assessments were all on pace to fall below the minimum levels needed to support legally defensible rulemaking. Legal scholars warned that courts applying the Administrative Procedure Act require a robust scientific record to uphold agency rules, and that the depleted ORD successor office could not produce that record.