Trump’s Second Term Sees Massive Online Environmental Data Purge
A new EDGI report reveals that in Trump’s second term, federal websites saw 632 environmental data changes in the first 100 days—70% more than in 2017. Entire pages on pollution disparities and climate science vanished, replaced by disinformation. Key tools like the EPA’s EJScreen were erased, signaling a broader attempt to hide evidence of environmental injustice.
Trump’s Online Data Purge
A new report from the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI) shows that in the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term, federal websites underwent 632 significant environmental data changes—70 percent more than the 371 changes tracked in his first term.
- 632 critical edits in 2025 vs. 371 in 2017
- Removal of entire pages on pollution disparities and environmental justice
- Terminology swaps, like replacing “climate change” with “extreme weather”
- Wholescale erasure of EJScreen and other mapping tools
Replacing Facts with Disinformation
The report reveals that climate.gov’s content team has been disbanded and its URL now redirects to NOAA. Meanwhile, researchers working on the Congressionally mandated national climate assessments were dismissed, signaling an intent to rewrite or suppress established science.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has even commissioned climate skeptic reports to challenge the EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding. By removing evidence, the administration creates space to push a polluter-friendly agenda without constraint.
Archiving and Legal Pushback
Advocates are racing to preserve deleted data. Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine and Webrecorder have mirrored key climate and justice pages. Meanwhile, farmers and environmental groups have filed lawsuits to restore USDA climate content and the EPA’s EJScreen tool.
- Internet Archive preserves snapshots of deleted webpages
- Webrecorder mirrors climate.gov and national assessments
- Legal victories by farmers and Sierra Club demand restoration of EPA tools
This purge underscores the need for robust data governance and real-time monitoring. QuarkyByte’s approach combines continuous tracking of web content changes with automated archiving, helping stakeholders safeguard critical data, uphold transparency, and respond swiftly to policy shifts.
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AI Tools Built for Agencies That Move Fast.
QuarkyByte’s analytics can track real-time changes to critical data sources, ensuring your organization detects and recovers lost environmental insights before disinformation takes root. Leverage our data governance expertise to archive federal resources, map community risks, and maintain compliance with evolving regulations.