The Museum of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), installed in the agency’s premises in Washington DC, closes its doors a year only after its opening. Located on the ground floor of the federal building William Jefferson Clinton, this museum of around 1,390 m² told the history of the agency, founded in 1970 under the chairmanship of Richard Nixon to protect public health and the environment. He presented historical objects, such as a pen used by President Lyndon Johnson to sign the Clean Air Acta law on air quality standards.
Despite its free entry, the museum has attracted only 2,000 visitors, insufficient in the face of installation costs ($ 4 million or 3.7 million euros) and annual operating costs over $ 600,000 (550,000 euros).
The museum is closed in a context of cost reduction in EPA, led by Lee Zeldin, appointed by Donald Trump. The latter, criticizing policies favorable to green energies, advocates an approach that “Protect the environment without suffocating the economy”. In early March, Lee Zeldin announced a 65 % reduction in the EPA budget, estimated at around $ 10 billion (9.26 billion euros) according to agency reports. However, at a press conference Lee Zeldin had mentioned a budget of $ 63 billion (58 billion euros).
The objects of the museum will be redistributed: some will be exhibited in the agency’s offices, others transferred to the archives, and the objects belonging to third parties will be returned to their owners.
