I see some comments noting that the EPA needs "serious trimming" and "some serious cleaning" and is an agency that needs to "focus on its core mission" (the imp

I see some comments noting that the EPA needs "serious trimming" and "some serious cleaning" and is an agency that needs to "focus on its core mission" (the implication being that the EPA is currently NOT focusing on it's core mission). I spent about half a decade working in the solid waste/wastewater residuals industry (2008-2014) where the EPA plays a significant oversight role on facility operations. Further, the EPA plays a significant role on new facility development and design (my focus). I found that the EPA staff I worked with were almost invariably helpful, well informed about the potential environmental impacts of our proposed activities, and adept at navigating the variety of systems/approvals required to comply with EPA regulations borne from laws passed by our representative government. I was not always happy with the requirements imposed, but this was almost always because of a difference between the EPA and myself concerning risk assessment - and I can't blame the EPA for being less risk tolerant concerning environmental damage, that's their job. More recently I have had a wonderful experience with the EPA's hazardous materials program which provides guidance and some funding for the identification and remediation of hazardous materials in old buildings. In the case of buried petroleum tanks, common here in New England, they even assist monetarily to get these environmental hazards removed when discovered (many have been abandoned for decades, unmarked). This program is invaluable for small, old communities who have the legacy of poor environmental decisions made during our industrial revolution literally built into their environment (lead, PCBs, asbestos, etc.). If you have had direct contact with the EPA and it's gone poorly - share your story. But generalized mudslinging at EPA staff seems mean spirited and likely the product of several decades of media narratives aimed at destabilizing our country's already limited focus on environmental protection.