The Environmental Protection Agency has placed roughly 140 employees on administrative leave days after they signed a public letter expressing concern about the treatment of federal employees and the Trump administration’s regulations on climate and public health.

Activist group Stand Up For Science, which launched the petition, wrote on its website, “We’re honored to be chosen by the brave heroes at the EPA to host their public Declaration of Dissent here.

“The Environmental Protection Agency has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November,” EPA spokeswoman Brigit Hirsch said in a statement.

The EPA said Thursday it has placed 139 employees on leave after they signed a "declaration of dissent" accusing the agency of "unraveling" health and environmental protections for political reasons.

The EPA says it has a “zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the administration’s agenda.”

Several dozen EPA employees had the courage to stand up for the agency's core mission. Though they deserved to be rewarded, they were swiftly punished.

House members blasted Administrator Lee Zeldin’s move to place 139 employees on leave after they signed onto a dissent letter.