The EPA terminated all union contracts on August 8, 2025, immediately after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed a lower court injunction blocking Trump’s March executive order. EPA became the second federal agency (after VA) to cancel collective bargaining for its employees, affecting …
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)AFGE Council 238 (8,000+ EPA workers)Justin Chen (AFGE Council 238 President)Ninth Circuit Court of AppealsNAGE, ESC, NAIL unions+1 morelabor-suppressionepaunion-bustingcollective-bargainingappellate-stays+2 more
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on March 12, 2025, that the agency will undertake 31 sweeping deregulatory actions targeting decades of environmental and public health protections. Zeldin described it as “the biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history” and “the greatest and …
Lee ZeldinEPAEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Donald TrumpNancy Beck+2 moreepaenvironmental-rollbackclimate-crisispollutionpublic-health+4 more
On June 19, 2019, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, replacing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan with regulations designed to extend the lifetimes of heavily polluting coal-fired power plants. The ACE Rule established no meaningful limits on carbon pollution …
Andrew WheelerEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Donald TrumpCoal IndustryScott Pruittclimate-denialeparegulatory-captureenvironmental-destructioncoal-industry+1 more
On July 9, 2018, Donald Trump named Andrew Wheeler as Acting EPA Administrator following Scott Pruitt’s resignation amid 14 federal corruption investigations. Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist who had represented Murray Energy—one of America’s largest coal companies—embodied …
Andrew WheelerDonald TrumpEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Faegre Baker DanielsMurray Energy+1 moreregulatory-captureepafossil-fuelsclimate-denialrevolving-door+1 more
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned facing at least 14 federal investigations
into corruption, ethics violations, and misuse of taxpayer funds. Scandals included:
spending $43,000 on a soundproof phone booth, first-class travel costing over
$100,000, using staff for personal errands like finding …
Scott PruittDonald TrumpEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Andrew Wheelercorruptioneparegulatory-captureethics-violationcabinet-scandal+2 more
On March 13, 2001, President George W. Bush announced the United States would not implement the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, signaling the beginning of a systematic rollback of environmental protections coordinated with fossil fuel industry lobbyists. The decision came just weeks after Vice …
George W. BushChristine Todd WhitmanDick CheneyAmerican Petroleum InstituteExxonMobil+2 moreenvironmentaleparegulatory-captureclimate-denialbush-administration+1 more
A federal jury convicts EPA official Rita Lavelle of perjury for lying to Congress about her handling of the $1.6 billion Superfund toxic waste cleanup program. Lavelle, who headed the Superfund division, is found guilty on four of five felony counts for false testimony regarding her knowledge that …
Rita LavelleEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Aerojet-General CorporationRonald ReaganCongressepaperjurysuperfundconflict-of-interestregulatory-capture+1 more
Anne Gorsuch Burford resigns as EPA Administrator after becoming the first cabinet-level official in American history held in contempt of Congress. Gorsuch had refused to turn over Superfund records related to a $1.6 billion hazardous waste cleanup program, citing executive privilege on …
Anne Gorsuch BurfordRonald ReaganCongressEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Neil Gorsuchepaenvironmental-deregulationregulatory-capturecontempt-of-congresssuperfund+1 more