The Environmental Protection Agency plans to close its National Center for Environmental Research, a lauded program that has funded research into the effects of environmental chemicals on children’s health, The Hill reports. Advocates fear that the reorganization could result in defunding of essential research programs.
The closure is planned as part of EPA’s creation of a new Office of Resource Management, which would oversee many administrative functions. The new office would also handle EPA’s Freedom of Information Act requests. EPA says that NCER staff would be reallocated to appropriate roles in the reorganization.
NCER has done ground-breaking work on the health effects of climate change, air quality, and nanoparticles. The White House’s recently-proposed budget includes defunding NCER research altogether, but the budget would have to be approved by Congress before going into effect.