Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin will eliminate the Office of Research and Development as part of his broader effort to cut administrative bloat and redirect resources toward mission-critical functions and statutory obligations, National Review has learned. According to the EPA, Zeldin’s reorganization efforts in recent months will save taxpayers $748.8 million.

The voluntary retirements, separations, and other reductions in force that have occurred under Zeldin’s tenure have drastically shrunk the size and scope of the agency in recent months, bringing the total number of employees from 16,155 in January 2025 to 12,448 employees as of this week. This latest figure includes the 3,201 voluntary retirement applications the agency received from employees through the Trump administration’s voluntary early-retirement program, Fork in the Road, and the Deferred Resignation Program. Given that the agency is also currently offering its third deferred-resignation program for a number of eligible employee populations, it’s possible that the EPA will see many more employees voluntarily leave the administration until the application closes after July 25.

This week’s reduction in force announcement follows a series of other drastic changes that Zeldin has made to the agency during the second Trump administration. In the past six months, the former New York representative has shuttered the agency’s Environmental Justice and DEI arms, closed its museum, restructured entire departments, and rolled back dozens of climate regulations governing vehicle emissions, permit reviews, coal plans, and toxic-air standards.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA has taken a close look at our operations to ensure the agency is better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment while Powering the Great American Comeback,” Zeldin said of Friday’s reorganization initiative. “This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.”