EPA plans to shut down office of science advisor

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. plans to whittle down redundancies by merging two science offices, a move that critics fear, would weaken the role and stature of the scientists in the agency.

Under the proposed overhaul, the EPA seeks to dissolve its Office of the Science Advisor, which helps coordinate scientific standards across the agency and advises the EPA administrator, writes Bloomberg.

The plan is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration that undermine the role of science in policy-making in addition to watering down crucial environmental regulations, reports The New York Times.

Critics say the reorganization plan downgrades the Office of the Science Advisor, which would then be at least two managerial layers far from the EPA chief, a demotion that’s bound to adversely impact scientific research.