EPA chief Zeldin announces overhauls to bring agency back to Reagan-level staffing

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a massive overhaul to slash staffing down to Reagan-era levels and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year, agency chief Lee Zeldin announced on Friday. 

"This reorganization will bring much-needed efficiencies to incorporate science into our rulemakings and sharply focus our work on providing the cleanest air, land, and water for our communities," Zeldin said in a press release on Friday. 

Zeldin announced that he is on a mission to save taxpayers an estimated $300 million annually by next year through an office overhaul that he said will maintain the EPA's focus on protecting human health and the environment while "recommitting" the agency to "common sense policies." 

The EPA employs roughly 15,000...