Earlier this week, the Trump administration mandated a temporary blackout on the EPA for press releases, contract approvals and grants. The blackout comes just as the agency was preparing to approve almost all pending contracts currently under review, which total $3.9 billion. The temporary hold dictates the blockage of all existing published content on the EPA’s website as well as new work on projects, requiring EPA scientists to undergo a review conducted by the new administration before details can be released to the public. Doug Ericksen, communications director for the Trump administration, stated that all EPA content will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; after a thorough review, the administration will decide whether scientific reports and data compiled by the EPA on subjects such as climate change, air monitoring and water pollution will be subject to removal from the EPA’s website and social media pages. Scientists are showing concerns regarding the potential loss of funding for programs such as drinking water protection and hazardous waste oversight.

The new administration also targeted environmental rules carried out during Barack Obama’s presidency, including revised pollution rulings in various states, standards for renewable fuel and formaldehyde limits in wood products.

Source: Associated Press