AFGE Union Members Urges Council to Protect Duluth’s EPA Lab

DULUTH, Minn. — Employees from the Duluth’s EPA Lab spoke at Monday night’s council meeting about fears of DOGE cuts shutting down their facility.

The president of the American Federal of Government Employees (AFGE) and Duluth EPA employees spoke before the Duluth City Council on the possibility of the facility’s closure.

DOGE cuts has asked Office of Research (ORD) scientists to voluntarily resign or face mass layouts back in March. At Duluth’s EPA Lab has help with cleaning up local waterways like Spirit Lake as well as eco-toxicology research.

If the lab closes, union members warn that our waterways would become more polluted.

“Without ORD scientist, our community will lose its human health and environmental protections and have no way to address emerging contaminants like PFAs, microplastics and endocrine disruptors,” said Nicole Cantello, the president of AFGE Local #704. “EPA has provided these scientists a cruel and confusing path forward. Employees were urged to apply for new roles at the agency, but there are many fewer positions and scientists who have applied for them, pointing to mass layoffs and an uncertain future for the Duluth lab.”

The lab was formally known as the Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division and employs under 200 people. Back in March hundreds of people gathered in support of the EPA Lab after news broke about planned cuts to EPA’s Research and Development Offices across the United States.

Last month the council passed a resolution that requested the federal government to keep the Duluth EPA Lab open. Union members are urging the public to reach out to their elected officials to speak in support of keeping the Duluth EPA Lab open.