16 Trump-appointed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials were paid more than $2.8 million by chemical companies and trade groups seeking an end to the federal disaster management system that protects the nation from chemical catastrophes.

An analysis of financial disclosures by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), an ethics watchdog, revealed that 23 separate chemical companies paid EPA officials a total of $1,442,913 in salaries, bonuses, compensation for consulting and legal services and other payments before they joined the agency. Separately, eight chemical industry trade associations also paid EPA appointees a total of at least $1,431,638. Two of these associations – the American Chemistry Council and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers – publicly supported the rollback of key safeguards against chemical emergencies and disasters.

Both figures are likely a “dramatic undercourt,” CREW said, given that officials are not required to disclose exactly how much money they made from past clients.