EPA Set To Run Out Of Money As Government Shutdown Drags On

Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told federal employees in a Thursday email that the agency would begin shutdown procedures, including steps for furloughed employees, if negotiations over the spending bill remained at a standstill by the end of Friday.

“In the event an appropriation is not passed by midnight Friday, December 28th, EPA will initiate orderly shutdown procedures,” Wheeler wrote in the email obtained by The Hill and Bloomberg Environment. The EPA did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.

More than 700 EPA employees who are considered essential will be forced to work without pay during the shutdown, while the remaining “non-essential” workers, who number over 13,000, will be furloughed, according to the agency’s shutdown contingency plan.

The shutdown could potentially affect the EPA’s efforts to clean Superfund sites, where hazardous waste is contaminating land. Also affected are inspections for drinking water systems, hazardous waste management sites and chemical facilities, along with pesticide reviews.

In total, about 400,000 federal employees are expected to be affected by the partial government shutdown.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/epa-government-shutdown-furlough-2018_us_5c25657fe4b05c88b6febe88