EPA’s stop-start pushout of furlough notices has sparked frustration among staff 10 days into the federal government shutdown.
On Friday, EPA employees hurried into the agency’s downtown Washington headquarters in the brisk fall weather. It was relatively serene, although that masked a deep disquiet held by many staffers, who were granted anonymity because they fear retaliation.
“It’s all just a big pit of uncertainty. We weren’t told how much carryover funds there was, which is normally what keeps us going during a shutdown,” said one 10-year EPA employee. “Everybody is taking it day by day, waiting to be told when they’re furloughed.”
Of the approximately 20 staffers who spoke with POLITICO’s E&E News, either in person or via text messages, none said they had received the furlough notices that began rolling out to some staffers this week. Many said they are expecting one once the agency’s carryover funds run out but do not know when that will happen.
