LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Posted July 21, 2025

Dear Editor:

In an especially shortsighted and destructive move, the Trump Administration has announced it will eliminate EPA’s Office of Research and Development, including its network of laboratories. Some of the best scientists in the world work at EPA labs protecting public health and making our air, land, and water cleaner. 
 
The research they perform is responsive to the most critical environmental issues facing Americans. They pursue innovative and pragmatic solutions to keep us safe. For example: at a homeland security research facility, scientists have figured out how to use Roomba vacuums and store-bought dehumidifiers to decontaminate buildings infected with anthrax. The lab in Duluth uses an autonomous underwater glider to map the Great Lakes. And, in North Carolina, robots rapidly test thousands of chemicals for toxicity.
 
It’s easy to forget how much better our environment is compared to a few decades ago, when illegal dumping was rampant, smog blanketed cities, and rivers routinely caught fire. But there is still plenty of work to do. For instance, EPA scientists have been researching the scourge of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. These carcinogens are found in thousands of products and they are showing up regularly in our food and water. There is much we still do not know, including all the products they are in, how to clean them up, and all the health impacts they cause. Until now, America relied on EPA’s world-class scientists to help answer these questions, but now there will be no one filling that critical role.
 
Paul Winters
Monticello, IL