Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration may lay off more than 1,000 scientists and dismantle the Office of Research and Development (ORD) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Documents reviewed by Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology have revealed that the EPA is looking to gut research as part of the Trump administration's attempt to reduce the agency's budget by 65%.

About 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists, and other scientists will lose their jobs, about 75% of the office's workforce, as the ORD is dissolved. The remaining staff will be bled off into different parts of the EPA.

Staff members shared communications with The New York Times, which established that those staff members would be used "to provide increased oversight and align with administration priorities."

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The revelations have triggered concerns that the cuts will stop the EPA from being capable of meeting its legal obligation to use high-quality science when informing policy decisions.

"Every decision the EPA makes must be in furtherance of protecting human health and the environment, and that just can’t happen if you gut EPA science," said Representative Zoe Lofgren, the lead Democrat on the committee.

A 2021 commitment by the EPA established greater transparency for decisions taken by the agency and further emphasized a requirement that all policies be justified via the use of the best available scientific data.

EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said in a statement that the agency remains committed to providing "clean air, water and land for all Americans," despite last week's mass rollback of environmental protections, including those designed to safeguard human health.

"While no decisions have been made yet, we are actively listening to employees at all levels to gather ideas on how to increase efficiency and ensure the EPA is as up-to-date and effective as ever," she said.