Latest news with #NicoleCantello
Politico
09-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Trump's layoff machinery cranks back to life
Employees at energy and environmental agencies are getting anxious as the White House prepares to resurrect its plans to slash the federal workforce. Agency restructuring plans are 'basically ready to go' after the Supreme Court's decision Tuesday to allow mass firings, a senior White House official said today. As Robin Bravender writes, that's unwelcome news for workers at more than a dozen agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation and the departments of Energy and the Interior. 'Some people are like, 'Oh God, it's gonna start tomorrow,' and other people are like, 'Maybe next week,'' said one Interior Department employee, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Staffers there are 'primed for a [reduction in force] at this point.' Interior was on the verge of announcing layoffs when a California district judge halted the administration's restructuring plans in May. Now employees are preparing for those plans to get back underway — with potential job cuts in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Office of Renewable Energy, Interior's civil rights division in Denver and a host of Bureau of Land Management state offices. At EPA, meanwhile, staffers in the agency's science office are the most apprehensive, said Nicole Cantello, president of a union local that represents employees in EPA's Chicago-based regional office. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has repeatedly signaled intentions to reassign staffers from the Office of Research and Development to other programs more focused on statutory requirements. One draft plan showed that the agency was considering cutting 1,500 positions from the office, and EPA posted hundreds of jobs to other offices on its internal job board in May. That plan 'was stopped in midstream, and now everyone thinks things will start up again,' Cantello told Robin. Energy Department staff also fear mass layoffs, after an internal document reviewed earlier this year by POLITICO's E&E News deemed only 56 percent of staff 'essential.' That leaves thousands of employees vulnerable to a reduction-in-force. Plan B: Federal workers told Erin Schumaker that they hope their unions and allies still have a card to play — namely, filing lawsuits against individual agency plans in the hope that lower courts stop layoffs. One of the Supreme Court's liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, suggested unions might have a shot at that approach. 'The plans themselves are not before this Court, at this stage, and we thus have no occasion to consider whether they can and will be carried out consistent with the constraints of law,' she wrote. But the White House is interpreting the Supreme Court's 8-1 ruling as carte blanche to fire employees and dismantle programs. 'We see the ruling as the Supreme Court reaffirming that the president has complete authority to direct the executive branch, and with that, we will be reducing and simplifying the size of the federal government,' the senior White House official said. It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Emily Yehle. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to eyehle@ Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Zack Colman breaks down what the Texas floods signal about the country's readiness for the next natural disaster. Power Centers Politics of disasterUsing natural disasters as a political cudgel has long been a hallmark of President Donald Trump's political career. Now, Democrats are using those tactics against him, Scott Waldman writes. The White House has spent the days since Texas' deadly floods on defense, railing against 'disgusting' Democrats who are highlighting the administration's cuts to the National Weather Service. The floods were among the country's deadliest in decades, killing more than 100 people, including more than two dozen children. On Capitol Hill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats are calling for investigations or hearings on the impacts that the administration's cuts and layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other climate-focused agencies may have had on the floods, Andres Picon reports. Boost for dieselThe Trump administration plans to ax programs at EPA and DOE that help cities move away from diesel-powered transportation, writes Brian Dabbs. EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program loses millions of dollars in the GOP megabill, and would be zeroed out under President Donald Trump's fiscal 2026 budget proposal. Also on the chopping block in that budget proposal: DOE's Clean Cities and Communities program. Both programs provide grants to move fleets away from diesel — which produces toxic emissions — and toward alternatives like electric vehicles, biodiesel and propane. 'This 32-year-old Clean Cities program has weathered multiple administrations,' said Michael Staley, president of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition and a former Republican staffer on Capitol Hill. 'This is unleashing American energy. This is what President Trump should be all about and what he says he is about.' Europe's heatResearchers found that in 11 of 12 European cities, a heat wave in late June and early July would have been significantly less intense in a world without human-made global warming, Zia Weise writes. Extreme temperatures baked large swaths of the continent in late June and early July, exposing millions of Europeans to dangerous levels of heat. Of the 2,300 additional fatalities linked to high temperatures, around 1,500 of them can be attributed to global warming, scientists estimated. In Other News Gas exports: Saudi Aramco is in talks to purchase liquefied natural gas from Commonwealth LNG's export terminal in Cameron, Louisiana. Fuel needs: A shortage of diesel fuel threatens to raise transportation and heating costs. Refineries are operating nearly at full tilt, but diesel supplies have yet to increase. Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Texas has identified $50 billion in flood control needs. But lawmakers have devoted just $1.4 billion to address them. Officials have vowed to take action after floodwaters ravaged central Texas, killing more than 100 people. Trump's nominee to head NOAA pledged today to fully staff the National Weather Service. Neil Jacobs' comments come after catastrophic Texas floods triggered criticism over the president's workforce cuts. New research shows that air pollution may be worse near electric vehicle chargers because nearby power cabinets kick up fine particulate matter. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.
E&E News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
EPA puts 139 employees on leave who criticized administration
EPA has put more than 100 employees on administrative leave after they signed a letter criticizing the Trump administration, the agency said Thursday. The staffers on leave include 139 current EPA employees who signed an open letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin blasting the Trump administration's regulatory rollbacks and its push to downsize the agency's funding and staffing levels, EPA said Thursday. Those employees are on leave pending an investigation, the agency said, after they signed on to a letter using their official titles and EPA positions. 'We have a ZERO tolerance policy for agency bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the agenda of this administration as voted for by the great people of this country last November,' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. Advertisement 'Unfortunately, a small number of employees signed onto a public letter, written as agency employees, using their official work title, that was riddled with misinformation regarding agency business,' Zeldin said in the statement. 'Our ZERO tolerance policy is in full force and effect and will be unapologetically implemented unconditionally.' Staffers began to receive notice Thursday that they were being put on 10 days of administrative leave pending an administrative investigation, said Nicole Cantello, president of a union local that represents EPA employees in the Chicago region. 'It's basically a demonstration of weakness, not strength,' said Cantello, who signed onto the letter. 'They couldn't control these people,' Cantello said of the agency leadership. 'Instead of trying to engage them, they decided, 'Oh, yeah, let's discipline them or do an administrative investigation of what happened here,' which is not appropriate, obviously, and completely a dereliction of their duties.' Marie Owens Powell, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, EPA's largest union, called EPA's actions 'disgraceful.' It's an 'obvious retaliation for individuals expressing their beliefs,' she said, adding that the union is investigating its legal recourse. On Monday, the open letter sent to Zeldin blasted the Trump administration for its treatment of EPA and its staff. The missive was organized by Stand Up for Science, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group that has coordinated protests and worked with employees at the National Institutes of Health that have been critical of the Trump administration. As of Thursday afternoon, the EPA dissent letter had 620 signers, including 387 who signed anonymously because they fear retaliation from the administration. The signatories also include former EPA employees.
E&E News
27-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
EPA boss gets earful from staffers during Chicago stop
EPA employees uncertain about their careers under the Trump administration grilled Administrator Lee Zeldin during his visit to the agency's Chicago office Thursday morning. Zeldin — who has embraced the administration's government downsizing effort and said he wants to cut the agency's budget by more than half — arrived Thursday for an all-hands meeting with employees in the Chicago office. Staffers knew about it a day ahead of time and dozens of EPA employees packed into the event, including some wearing employee union T-shirts, said Nicole Cantello, president of the union local that represents EPA workers in the Chicago office. Advertisement After Zeldin gave a speech to the audience, EPA employees surrounded him and asked 'tons of questions,' Cantello said.
E&E News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
EPA union files Hatch Act complaint over ‘partisan' and ‘derogatory' newsletter
A union representing EPA staff has filed a Hatch Act complaint alleging a weekly newsletter from Administrator Lee Zeldin's office may be unlawful partisan activity. The charges are likely to escalate tension between EPA's political leadership and its workforce, which the Trump administration has shrunk through layoffs and buyouts as it moves to reorganize the agency's operations. But even if the union wins support from the Office of Special Counsel — the independent agency charged with investigating allegations of political activity by government employees — President Donald Trump previously declined to discipline high-level officials who were found to have violated the Hatch Act in his first term. 'We're just bringing attention to it, trying to get some relief. That's all we can do,' said Nicole Cantello, an EPA attorney and president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, which represents about a thousand workers in EPA's Chicago-based office. Advertisement EPA defended the newsletter and said that the agency's internal ethics expert already concluded that its language, which includes attacks on Democrats and the Biden administration, does not amount to prohibited partisan activity.
CBS News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Experts say EPA plan to roll back limits on power plant emissions will harm Chicago air quality
As the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to revoke a key rule setting limits on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from fossil fuel-fired power plants, experts are concerned about how it could impact air quality in Chicago. Experts in science, environmental law, and those representing EPA workers said the move will harm the air people breathe in the Chicago area. The proposal would repeal greenhouse gas emission standards already in place. Those are emissions that impact people's health and the environment. "As soon as the rule was released, the EPA employees started talking about how terrible this was going to be for the state of Illinois," said Nicole Cantello, president of AFGE Local 704, the union representing EPA workers in the Chicago area. With air quality alerts and haze in the skies in the past couple weeks – related to the wildfires burning in Canada – we've all taken notice of the air we breathe in Chicago. "We need to control every bit of pollution we possibly can from coal and gas plants, so when that happens, at least it won't be as terrible as it could be," Cantello said. The rule the EPA is planning to roll back was put in place by the Biden administration. The rule was finalized in April 2024 and is projected to reduce 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide – a major greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change – from entering the atmosphere by 2047, as well as eliminate tens of thousands of tons of other harmful air pollutants that are dangerous to public health. "Emissions of carbon dioxide lead to serious concerns about climate change," said Don Wuebbles, emeritus professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois. Every expert CBS News Chicago spoke to said the EPA's move would impact the air people breathe in Chicago. "We're talking about emissions equivalent to 300 million cars being added to the road," said Brian Lynk, senior attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center. "It's a serious problem for public health. This will be a serious problem for the environment." Just 30 miles away, in Gary, Indiana, a CBS News Chicago investigation revealed those residents are breathing some of the worst air in the country. People who live in Gary are surrounded by steel plants, and have higher risks for developing asthma and some cancers. "You have a still mill that is putting out a lot of pollutants and you're allowing there to be more of those emissions than you've had in the past. You're likely going to have even more major health issues," Wuebbles said. A spokesperson for the EPA issued a statement saying: "Unlike the previous administration that tried to ram through regulations to destroy industries that didn't align with their narrow-minded climate change zealotry, the Trump EPA is committed to EPA's core mission of protecting human health and the environment. This is a much better rationale than trying to sneak through unlawful regulations to appease the radical climate lobby and repeatedly get struck down by the Supreme Court. When it comes to 'loosening stringent standards', many environmental groups were ecstatic when the Obama administration implemented the 2012 MATS rule." Before the EPA can actually rescind the rule, there will be a process allowing the public to comment. Environmental groups across the country said they are prepared to sue the EPA if it moves forward with its plan. A spokesperson for the state responded to the plans in a statement, writing, "Illinois is reviewing the potential actions, but we remain committed to protecting Illinois residents and will not allow state air pollution rules to backslide."
