The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday began plans to layoff 10% of its current workforce, according to sources inside and outside the agency.

NOAA layoffs could harm Great Lakes water quality and weather forecasting, raising concerns for public health and ecosystems.

The potential closures come as the General Services Administration looks for opportunities to sell government buildings it says may not be needed.

The people who once ran the federal weather and oceans agency say it touches people’s daily lives in unnoticed ways and that massive firings there could cause needless deaths and a big hit to America’s economy.

NOAA's staff oversees monitoring the world's atmosphere and the nation's weather and climate, including its most violent storms.