For the third straight week, temperatures inside the Environmental Protection Agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters have soared above 80 degrees, and it’s not just the climate outside heating up. According to CBS News, the agency—tasked with monitoring environmental hazards—is now facing a few of its own.
Emails obtained by employees suggest that broken air conditioning systems and faulty elevators have made daily life at EPA headquarters more than a little uncomfortable. But behind the scenes, the situation has stirred up even more questions than answers.
More than one elevator has malfunctioned recently, and in some cases, workers reported sudden drops between floors. Others have been relocated to a basement space near an active firing range where federal law enforcement trains. That’s raised eyebrows among EPA staff—people who, by definition, are trained to detect hazards—some of whom are reportedly worried about airborne lead exposure in that part of the building.
And then there’s the heat. On days when the D.C. heat index has crept above 100 degrees, employees say their offices have stayed at a toasty 84 degrees with humidity climbing above 60%. Photos of in-office carbon dioxide and temperature monitors have been quietly passed around as evidence.
So what’s the official word? Taylor Rogers, a White House assistant press secretary, told CBS that repairs are underway. But Rogers also pointed fingers, noting that the Biden-era EPA shelled out $4 million on a one-room museum rather than routine building maintenance. “Because employees weren’t actually required to show up to work,” Rogers said, the building was left in need of some serious upkeep.
#NSTworld The US Environmental Protection Agency has suspended 139 employees after they signed a scathing open letter accusing Administrator Lee Zeldin of pushing policies hazardous to both people and the planet, a spokesperson said Thursday.https://t.co/TIiwSPE6TZ
— New Straits Times (@NST_Online) July 4, 2025
Now, under the new administration, the EPA says it’s finally working on carpets, elevators, and yes—the A/C. But there’s a catch. One administration official admitted the elevator parts were ordered four months ago. The estimated delivery time? Another 18 months. In other words, don’t expect a smooth ride anytime soon.
In the meantime, employees have been told to conserve energy during peak afternoon hours to “help prevent power outages.” On weekends, the air conditioning is reportedly turned all the way down, so by Monday morning, the buildings are already behind the cooling curve.
All of this is happening as the EPA tries to merge two of its locations—moving staff from the Ronald Reagan Building to the William Jefferson Clinton complex. But consolidating office space hasn’t made conditions better. Some staffers are now asking if the growing list of building problems is just coincidence—or if it’s part of a push to shrink the federal workforce from the inside out.
That theory gained traction when over 100 EPA employees were placed on administrative leave after signing a letter in June that criticized agency policies. And hundreds more have already signed up for the agency’s voluntary resignation program, called “Fork in the Road.”
#Breaking The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday put on administrative leave 139 employees who signed a “declaration of dissent” with its policies, accusing them of “unlawfully undermining” the Trump administration’s agenda.https://t.co/YmdIYRpkdw
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 4, 2025
While officials insist the mechanical failures are due to aging buildings and delayed maintenance—not targeting employees—some career staff aren’t so sure.
