EPA Cancels Another Furlough Day

The Environmental Protection Agency has canceled a departmentwide furlough day scheduled for Aug. 30.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy made the announcement in a video sent to employees Wednesday. In canceling the furlough day, McCarthy cited the work of EPA budget officials to find savings required by sequestration through other means.

“The reason we’re able to eliminate this mandatory furlough day is because of the savings achieved through a number of tough budget choices we have made and are continuing to make as we do our work,” McCarthy said in the video.

She added all EPA employees played a part in enabling the revised furlough schedule.

“The choices we make are difficult, but we continue to be flexible,” McCarthy said, “applying good management decisions to ensure we continue to carry out our mission and reduce the impact of sequestration on each employee.”

This marks the second time EPA has reduced scheduled furlough hours; in May, the agency announced a “comprehensive review of resources” allowed it to trim three planned furlough days.

EPA employees were originally told to take 10 days of unpaid leave by Sept. 30, but that number has since been reduced to six. The latest reduction is part of a governmentwide trend, with all major agencies cutting back on their original furlough projections.