The Environmental Protection Agency is starting to feel the effects of the government shutdown.

While it did not have to implement a full furlough plan at the beginning of October because it operates with multi-year funding, the agency ordered its first large-scale furloughs this week.

“As time goes by and the carryover funding goes down, the total lapse would be an 89% furlough at EPA,” EPA head Lee Zeldin said. “But again, we’re not there yet.”

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The EPA is responsible for enforcing environmental laws, protecting air and water quality and conducting research on public health and the environment.

The agency had already been scaled back after President Donald Trump took office as part of an effort to reduce the size of the federal government. At the beginning of the year, the EPA had about 16,000 employees. Zeldin said he plans to reduce the workforce to about 12,500 employees, which he says will save the agency an estimated $750 million annually.

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Zeldin argues the downsizing will help the agency operate more efficiently, including by increasing its use of AI.

“It’s all about setting priorities, focusing on our statutory obligations,” he said.

To watch the full interview with Lee Zeldin, click play on the video above.