"A spokeswoman for the agency said the change was “common practice.” Others said it injects partisanship into jobs that have always been neutral."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is demoting career employees who oversee scientific research, the enforcement of pollution laws, hazardous waste cleanup and the agency’s human resources department and will replace them with political appointees, according to two people familiar with the approach.

The move would give Trump administration loyalists more influence over aspects of the agency that were traditionally led by nonpartisan experts who have served across Republican and Democratic administrations.

It would also make it easier for the Trump administration to bypass Congress. While those formally overseeing sections of the E.P.A. must be confirmed by the Senate, the new appointees would be able to assume the role of acting department heads, circumventing the need for congressional approval.

“As is common practice and has become more prevalent across administrations, E.P.A. updated its organizational structure to match other federal agencies,” Molly Vaseliou, a spokeswoman for the E.P.A., said in a statement."

Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times February 4, 2025. [2]