ISTANBUL

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday it will eliminate its Office of Research and Development, a major restructuring expected to result in the dismissal of hundreds of chemists, biologists and toxicologists, according to a media report.

The move follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that allows the administration of President Donald Trump to proceed with deep federal workforce cuts while legal challenges are pending.

The Office of Research and Development has long served as the scientific backbone of the EPA, producing research on chemical safety, air pollution, fracking and public health.

Its closure signals a significant weakening of the agency’s ability to craft evidence-based environmental policy, according to the New York Times.

“The science office is the heart and brain of the E.P.A.,” said Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238. “Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.”

The decision comes after months of denials by EPA officials, despite a leaked internal document in March that revealed the plan.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who has championed deregulation, defended the move, claiming it was part of an effort to “be responsible stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars.”

Since Trump took office, the EPA workforce has dropped from more than 16,000 to roughly 12,400, a level not seen since the 1980s. More than 325 scientists have already left the research office through voluntary resignation offers, and further layoffs are expected.

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, a 40-year veteran who once led the research office, called the move “very shortsighted, and the way they’re going about it is very callous and very cruel.”

Critics warn that the restructuring could politicize scientific work by relocating certain functions under the administrator’s office. A town hall for remaining staff is scheduled for Monday.