Trump Administration Accelerates and Boldens Environmental Website Alterations, According to EDGI Report
In the current administration, changes to government environmental websites have increased significantly, with a 70% surge observed during the first 100 days compared to the initial term, according to a report published by the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI).
Established in 2017 as a nonprofit network of data-focused researchers, EDGI tracks and preserves public access to government environmental information. The group’s latest findings indicate that during the same period this year, there were 632 significant changes made to these websites, compared to 371 in the first 100 days of the initial term. EDGI defines a significant change as alterations to the content, focus, or links on a particular page.
Despite operating with fewer volunteers and monitoring a reduced number of pages—4,429 this year versus over 25,000 in 2017—EDGI’s members have documented a rise in changes to government web pages. They have made this information publicly available, along with the criteria used for website monitoring.
Gretchen Gehrke, co-founder of EDGI, expressed surprise at the extent of the removal of information related to environmental justice. She noted that such comprehensive erasure was not observed in any topic under the first term administration.
The report highlights that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, as well as environmental justice—the notion that every individual has the right to a clean environment and should be involved in decision-making processes—have been primary targets. In his initial days in office, President Trump issued an executive order eliminating programs, offices, and positions associated with these issues, following former President Biden’s emphasis on environmental justice as a key priority for his administration.
The White House assistant press secretary, Taylor Rogers, stated that under President Trump’s leadership, agencies are refocusing on their core missions and distancing themselves from ideological activism.
According to the EDGI report, efforts to modify or remove information began on the day after Trump took office in January. The Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool was among the first to be removed, along with nine similar tools from other agencies within a month. These tools were designed to identify disadvantaged communities, aiming to fulfill a Biden administration goal of distributing 40% of climate program benefits to these communities.
The report also reveals that climate change information has been modified or removed from federal websites, albeit less consistently than environmental justice and DEI sites. The federal climate change research website globalchange.gov was shut down, while the EPA’s primary climate change website remains active, offering links to scientific information and guidance on individual actions regarding climate change.
A widely used National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) site, climate.gov, ceased publishing new content this summer following the termination of its staff of ten contributors. The site provided information about changing weather patterns, drought conditions, and greenhouse gas emissions, attracting nearly one million visitors every month.
Gehrke emphasizes that there is minimal oversight governing an administration’s management of government websites. She stresses the importance of safeguarding public information, as these websites serve as the primary means through which the government communicates with the public. Gehrke further adds that accurate information is vital for the public to participate effectively in a democracy.