Environmental organizations and farmers are taking the Trump administration to court for removing U.S. Department of Agriculture websites related to climate change.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, groups represented by Earthjustice and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University alleged that the removal of climate-related policies, datasets and other resources violated federal laws requiring advanced notice, reasoned decisionmaking and public access to certain information.
The move comes as the agency faces widespread layoffs and funding freezes.
“USDA’s irrational climate change purge doesn’t just hurt farmers, researchers, and advocates. It also violates federal law several times over,” Jeffrey Stein, Earthjustice associate attorney, said in a statement. “USDA should be working to protect our food system from droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather, not denying the public access to critical resources.”
