July 3 (UPI) -- The Environmental Protection Agency suspended 144 employees on Thursday and began investigating their participation in signing a recent dissent letter accusing the Trump administration of politicizing the agency.
EPA officials justified the suspensions because the workers included their official titles in the letter signed by current and former 278 EPA employees.
The agency "has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging and undercutting the administration's agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November," EPA press secretary Brigit Hirsch said in a written statement shared with The New York Times.
An official with the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238 local denounced the EPA worker suspensions.
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The suspensions are "clearly an act of retaliation," and the union will "protect our members to the full extent of the law," AFGE Council 238 Vice President Justin Chen told The New York Times.
Among the letter's signatories, 173 signed their names and 105 signed anonymously.
The declaration of dissent accuses the EPA's leadership of engaging in "harmful deregulation" and was sent to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Monday.
The letter also accuses the agency of promoting a culture of fear, undermining public trust and ignoring scientific consensus while benefiting what it calls "polluters."
It says the EPA has politicized the agency and endangers public health "around the world."
EPA officials notified the 144 suspended workers in emails that were circulated on Thursday.
The emails said each recipient was suspended with pay until July 17 while an administrative investigation into the matter proceeded, CNN reported.
The dissent letter was organized by the non-profit Stand Up for Science, which was founded in February.
Its founding was done in response to federal reductions in research funding, censorship of scientific work and "targeted attacks" on diversity, equity and inclusion.
The non-profit acknowledged the suspension of EPA workers for signing the dissent declaration.
"We're honored to be chosen by the brave heroes at the EPA to host their public Declaration of Dissent here," SUFS said in a statement posted on its website.
"We are also aware that some signatories have received emails placing them on administrative leave."
