The EPA is quietly killing its web archive
Tens of thousands of documents on contamination, clean power, and Trump’s climate deletions are now scheduled to disappear.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to decommission its online web archive at the end of the year, potentially erasing tens of thousands of publicly available environmental resources. The archive, which has been an invaluable tool for researchers, legislators, policymakers, and the public since at least 1999, contains information dating back two decades.
Rachel Santarsiero, co-founder of the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI), emphasized the irreplaceable nature of the archive, stating that its loss would result in the permanent disappearance of crucial information. Despite previous attempts to shut down the archive in 2022, the EPA has continued to operate it, albeit with limited functionality, until a recent update extended its expiration date to December 31, 2026.
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