California Is 'Recruiting' U.S. EPA Employees

Under the Trump Administration, federal employees dedicated to causes like climate change mitigation face uncertain prospects. They could turn to accommodating state governments.

1 minute read

March 28, 2017, 9:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Scott Pruitt

New EPA chief Scott Pruitt has environmentalists on edge. | Gage Skidmore / Flickr

There's a new boss in the White House, and it goes without saying that many federal employees are unhappy with plans to de-prioritize departments like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. There's at least one place many of them can go when the going gets tough: California. 

Recently, the president of California's Public Utilities Commission stood outside EPA headquarters to "recruit" new employees. According to Elizabeth Shogren, "Picker explained that he has 250 job openings and more on the way. California's Air Resources Board and Energy Commission also have opportunities for federal employees frustrated with the direction the Trump administration is headed." Picker also stood outside the Energy Department's headquarters. 

Shogren writes, "Picker's recruitment drive is more than a publicity stunt: His agency is short-staffed already, and he's steadily losing employees to retirement." While there hasn't been a mass exodus (yet) from the EPA, the rhetoric of the president and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt isn't promising for federal workers dedicated to fighting climate change. 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017 in High Country News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

3 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

5 hours ago - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation