EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin was scheduled to meet last week with tech mogul Elon Musk’s team that has gained access to sensitive systems and blocked spending across the federal government.
An entry in Zeldin’s public calendar posted on EPA’s website shows “Meeting with DOGE,” which is short for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, on Feb. 5. The meeting, slated to start at 11 a.m., was to last 45 minutes and was in Washington.
DOGE has been granted “read-only access” to the EPA Acquisition System, or EAS, the agency’s vast contracting system that details millions of dollars in spending, according to an email viewed by POLITICO’s E&E News.
In addition, three DOGE aides, including a SpaceX employee, have been assigned to EPA and may request “contract actions” be “terminated,” according to the email.
Musk has said entire federal agencies need to be deleted as the Trump administration looks to pare down the civil service.
EPA spokesperson Molly Vaseliou said, “We recently met with members of DOGE in Washington, D.C., to discuss ways they can assist EPA in identifying potential misuse of funds, improving financial management, and enhancing overall efficiency.”
She added, “Their expertise could play a key role in ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used effectively, and that the agency operates at its highest potential.”
Who attended the meeting, other than Zeldin, as well as what was discussed cannot be gleaned from the calendar entry.
Since William Ruckelshaus’ second stint at the agency from 1983 to 1985, EPA administrators have disclosed their meetings to the public on a regular basis — a tradition it appears Zeldin plans to maintain.
But the administrator’s public calendar, which is available on the agency’s website, does not constitute his “official record-copy” calendar. The latter contains much more information, including attendee lists and discussion topics. It can be obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
Zeldin’s public calendar so far has captured much of his first full week as administrator. That included his travel to see the agency’s cleanup work in East Palestine, Ohio, and Los Angeles, as well as meetings with EPA staff, the press and interviewees.
The administrator is a fan of DOGE. He has praised the commission, saying it is helping to improve EPA’s operations.
“DOGE is making us better,” Zeldin said in a Fox News interview he posted on social media. “They come up with great recommendations, and we can make a decision to act on it.”
Vaseliou with EPA said, “We look forward to continuing these discussions and exploring opportunities for collaboration.”
