Public Health and Environmental Advocates Demand Immediate Removal of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin
In a powerful and unprecedented move, more than 160 environmental and public health organizations have issued a joint call for the resignation or firing of Lee Zeldin, the current administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The groups accuse Zeldin of fundamentally betraying the agency's core mission to protect human health and the environment, citing extensive rollbacks of critical protections and severe cuts to staff and funding.
An Unprecedented Betrayal of Mission
In a scathing open letter released on Tuesday, the coalition of organizations stated that no EPA administrator in history, regardless of political affiliation, has so brazenly abandoned the agency's foremost purpose. "With Administrator Lee Zeldin at the helm, EPA has abandoned its mission, creating damage that will take decades to address," the letter asserts. The groups argue that under Zeldin's leadership, the EPA has systematically weakened dozens of environmental safeguards designed to combat the climate crisis, ensure clean air and water, and safeguard the health of all Americans.
The letter further condemns Zeldin for slashing vital funding, gutting agency staff, and rigging regulatory systems to prioritize corporate polluters at the direct expense of public health. The Guardian has reached out to the EPA for an official comment on these serious allegations, but a response is still pending at this time.
A Broad Coalition of Concern
The letter was organized by prominent green advocacy groups, including the Climate Action Campaign and Moms Clean Air Force. It garnered signatures from 163 local and national organizations, representing a wide spectrum of public interest. Signatories include the consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen, major environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, environmental justice organizations such as GreenRoots and GreenLatinos, and the health advocacy group Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, which also signed the letter, emphasized the need for leadership that confronts environmental challenges. "The public deserves an EPA administrator who will face the challenge of the climate crisis and fossil fuel and toxic pollution head-on with proven policy solutions, not actively serve as an agent of destruction beholden to the whims of oil, gas, and chemical industry executives and an authoritarian, anti-science US president," Goldman stated.
Mounting Criticism and Internal Dissent
This latest demand follows a January petition from leaders of the Robert F Kennedy Jr-led Make America Healthy Again movement, which similarly called for Zeldin's dismissal over his environmental policy reversals. Reports indicate that since then, Zeldin has engaged with the movement, including attending a related holiday party and promising to adopt aspects of its agenda, drawing further criticism from Democratic and progressive lawmakers.
Zeldin's leadership has also faced sharp internal criticism. In June, current and former EPA staff signed a "Declaration of Dissent" that harshly critiqued his management of the agency's scientific programs and treatment of employees. Some staff faced suspension or termination for their participation, though agency officials reportedly found their actions did not violate ethics rules. An EPA spokesperson defended the administration's stance, stating the agency has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats undermining the elected administration's agenda.
Controversial Alliances and Upcoming Engagements
The Trump administration has consistently defended its regulatory rollbacks, arguing it is possible to protect the environment while simultaneously boosting industrial growth. Adding to the controversy, Zeldin is scheduled to be the opening speaker next month at a climate-focused conference in Washington DC convened by the Heartland Institute. This right-wing organization, which has received funding from companies like ExxonMobil and wealthy Republican donors, rejects the established scientific consensus that the climate crisis is both urgent and human-caused.
The collective action by over 160 groups marks a significant escalation in the battle over the direction of the EPA, highlighting deep concerns that current policies are directly endangering public health and environmental integrity for generations to come.
