CNN
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Environmental Protection Agency employees working for the Environmental Justice and Civil Rights Office are hoping for new rounds of paid leave notifications that will affect more federal workers, four sources familiar with the issue will be on CNN I spoke.
At Wednesday’s all-staff meeting with employees from the EPA’s Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Office, the agency’s leadership enforces President Donald Trump’s executive order on divisional diversity, equity and inclusion. He told employees what to do. The executive order calls for the end of the “Office and Position of Environmental Justice.”
The agency’s leadership told employees that orders would be carried out as they would be in the agency’s DEI office, two sources with first-hand knowledge of the meeting told CNN. The office was closed and employees took paid administrative leave two weeks ago.
Sources say employees of the Environmental Justice and Civil Rights Office will receive formal written notices of paid leave in the coming days.
It is unclear exactly how many individuals will be affected. Approximately 200 federal employees work in this division of the EPA.
One of the two unions representing EPA employees said more than 100 employees could be affected. “If more than 100 EPA employees are on administrative leave tomorrow, that’s an unprecedented scope and size. Nicole Cantello, president of AFGE Local 704, a union representing EPA employees. Is described as follows.
Trump administration officials say they consider the Environmental Justice Program to be a DEI initiative. However, many workers disagree.
The agency’s Environmental Justice Program aims to ensure federal agency policies, grants and initiatives. The department was tasked with implementing the Biden administration’s 40 Judicial Initiative, which is equitably distributed, including underserved communities, with federal funds such as tackling the climate crisis.
The EPA told CNN on Wednesday that no employees had taken administrative leave but did not answer additional questions.
