● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
EPA Plans to Decommission Online Web Archive, Removing Public Environmental Resources
Key points
- EPA plans to decommission its web archive by year-end.
- Tens of thousands of public environmental resources will be removed.
- The archive contains 20 years of environmental data and policies.
- Previous attempts to close the archive in 2022 faced public backlash.
EPA Announces Archive Decommissioning
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its intention to decommission its online web archive by the end of the current year. This decision, communicated via a webpage update, will result in the removal of numerous publicly available environmental resources.
The archive contains information on environmental issues and past policies spanning at least two decades, serving as a resource for researchers, legislators, policymakers, and the public.
Impact on Public Information
Environmental groups, such as the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative (EDGI), have stated that the information housed in the archive is irreplaceable. Its decommissioning would lead to a permanent loss of historical data, including fact sheets, environmental reports, policy changes, and regulatory actions.
Gretchen Gehrke, co-founder of EDGI, described the archive as a tool for "democratic oversight" due to its comprehensive historical record.
Previous Attempts and Public Reaction
This is not the first time the EPA has attempted to close the online web archive. In January 2022, the agency announced similar plans, citing an annual maintenance cost of approximately $2 million. This earlier announcement led to significant public backlash from environmentalists, historians, and librarians.
Following five months of public opposition, the EPA delayed the archive's retirement until July 2023. However, the agency has now reiterated its plan for decommissioning by the end of the year.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced plans to decommission its online web archive by the end of the year, which would remove tens of thousands of public environmental resources. This move follows previous attempts to close the archive and has drawn criticism from environmental groups who state the information is irreplaceable.