The EPA Is Quietly Killing Its Web Archive

The EPA plans to take its online archive offline on December 31, 2026, potentially removing tens of thousands of records dating back to the 1990s. Though no longer updated and difficult to search, the archive preserves fact sheets, reports, policy changes, and regulatory documents that are not readily available elsewhere. Researchers say it supports public oversight by allowing people to trace environmental decisions over time. The archive documents major policy shifts, including the George W. Bush administration’s Clear Skies Initiative and Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan, and preserved climate information that disappeared from EPA webpages during Donald Trump’s first term.

The retirement plan revives an effort the agency began in 2022, citing maintenance costs of about $2 million annually. After historians, environmental groups, and librarians objected, the EPA delayed the shutdown and later removed a firm retirement date; the archive remained accessible but stagnant until the deadline was recently restored. Its records also include decades of investigations into contamination at Camp Lejeune, information that helped residents and service members assess chemical exposures. The EPA says historical material will remain in three “snapshot collections,” but advocates warn these may not preserve the archive’s breadth. Removing easy public access, they argue, would make research harder, increase pressure on the already strained records-request system, and weaken trust in government.