Wave of officials leaving EPA under Trump: report

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lost more than 700 employees during the Trump administration, including scientists, specialists and department directors, according to a report from The New York Times and ProPublica. 

More than 200 scientists, 96 environmental specialists and nine department directors have left the agency, according to the report. The majority of the employees will not be replaced. 

The exodus partly reflects discontent with the Trump administration’s policies and the president’s appointees to lead the agency.

{mosads}The cuts also appear to be apart of a trend that began during the Obama administration, when budget restraints put a squeeze on the agency. The departures seem to have increased during the Trump administration, however.

Trump has brought a markedly different approach to the EPA, with Administrator Scott Pruitt pursuing a more industry-friendly posture that includes rolling back major regulations.