EPA Staff Stand Up for Agency Mission in 'EPA Declaration of Dissent'

The EPA Declaration of Dissent outlines how policies enacted under Administrator Zeldin undermine the EPA mission and harm the public.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Current employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authored and signed an "EPA Declaration of Dissent", demanding Administrator Zeldin uphold the agency's mission “to protect human health and the environment."

The EPA Declaration of Dissent, addressed to Administrator Zeldin and members of Congress who oversee the agency, raises concern over pressure to implement measures that harm the public. The document outlines how policies enacted under Administrator Zeldin undermine the EPA mission: corrupting public trust, eschewing scientific consensus, abandoning investments in our most vulnerable communities, shuttering the Office of Research and Development, and polluting the EPA culture with fear and trauma.

These brave civil servants are articulating how intentional changes at the EPA already stand in the way of the agency mission that they have long held dear. EPA staff say that the termination of essential employees, politicization of research, and funding cuts have left them unable to uphold their commitment to the EPA mission, the American people, and their ethical charge as scientists. Despite fears of retaliation, the EPA Declaration of Dissent has been signed by 278 EPA employees, with over 170 signing their name. The Declaration of Dissent will remain open for EPA employees to sign.

Stand Up for Science is hosting the EPA Declaration of Dissent and collecting signatures in support of the Agency employees. They are asking the public to raise their voices and join these federal employees by signing their name on the list of supporters. Current supporters include Nobel Laureates, prominent scientists, politicians, activists, and more.

"The mission of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment. It is disconcerting to see this EPA administrator undermine that mission by disregarding scientific evidence and favoring of polluters over people. I am honored to join this distinguished group of scientists and citizens demanding greater accountability on the part of the administrator and administration," says Professor Michael Mann, a leading climatologist and geophysicist.

According to Colette Delawalla, MA, MS, founder and executive director of Stand Up for Science, “EPA employees who have taken an oath to uphold their agency’s mission, are speaking out—with nothing to gain, and their careers to lose—after being asked to do things that will harm the public and violate their moral center. They are unified in their courageous demands in their Declaration of Dissent: to hold leadership accountable and prevent further losses at our premier environmental health agency. We are honored NIH and now EPA scientists have trusted us to help them with this act of resistance, and welcome and anticipate future collaborations with other dissenting civil servants.”

Along with this pivotal declaration, Stand Up for Science calls on Administrator Zeldin to reverse course on the five concerns outlined by EPA scientists. The results from scientists are in: Zeldin can either keep his oath to the Constitution or his latest policies, but he can't do both.

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We have nine current EPA employees who are willing to go on record (and additional ones who are willing to speak on conditions of anonymity), available for interview. For security reasons, we have not listed them in this release, but welcome interested parties to contact media@standupforscience.net.

Colette Delawalla (Stand Up for Science Founder and Executive Director) is available to discuss the impact of this action on the broader effort to save science, call the public to action, and encourage other federal agency employees to do the same.

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About Stand Up for Science: Stand Up for Science is a grassroots Washington, D.C. based 501(c)4 non-profit organization mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. We formed Stand Up for Science within days of executive orders breaking down federal science agencies. Weeks later, on March 7th, our first National Day of Action, we mobilized over 50,000 people at 170+ events across the world in support of science. We received coverage from local, national, and international outlets, including Science, Nature, The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Scientific American, STAT News, and The Scientist. An opinion piece written by our founding leadership team is also available in Nature Human Behavior: “Why we organized ‘Stand Up for Science.’”

Brian Lovett
Stand Up for Science
brian@standupforscience.net