Sign at the Stand Up for Science rally in NYC [Corinna Singleman]
Nearly 500 civil servants working at the EPA and over 2000 supporters (at the time of publication) have signed an open letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin in a Declaration of Dissent. This letter comes less than a month after a similar statement from NIH scientists was sent to Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, on June 9, 2025.
The letter calls on Zeldin “to reaffirm your testimony, honor your oath to the Constitution, and renew your commitment to become the environmental steward the public entrusted you to be.”
The Declaration of Dissent highlights five areas of primary concern that the authors feel the current administration is undermining the EPA’s mission. These “critical areas” of concern include:
1. Undermining public trust
2. Ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters
3. Reversing EPA’s progress in America’s most vulnerable communities
4. Dismantling the Office of Research and Development
5. Promoting a culture of fear, forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being
The declaration ends with a call to action for Zeldin:
“Your decisions and actions will reverberate for generations to come. EPA, under your leadership, will not protect communities from hazardous chemicals and unsafe drinking water, but instead will increase risks to public health and safety.
“Administrator Zeldin, we urge you to honor your oath and serve the American people. Going forward, you have the opportunity to correct course. Should you choose to do so, we stand ready to support your efforts to fulfill EPA’s mission.”
To read the full declaration, click here.
