Environment Groups Sue USDA For Removing Climate Webpages/References

Agri-Pulse reports:

Environmental groups have sued USDA for removing webpages related to climate change, including those on climate-smart agriculture and conservation.

Earthjustice, the Environmental Working Group, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York filed a lawsuit Monday seeking a court order pushing the agency to restore access to key sites and preventing further removals.

To view the lawsuit click here.

USDA employees were ordered to remove webpages related to climate change in January. The lawsuit alleges that the website purge violates three federal laws, including the Freedom of Information Act, Paperwork Reduction Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.

“USDA’s irrational climate change purge doesn’t just hurt farmers, researchers, and advocates. It also violates federal law several times over,” said Jeffrey Stein, Earthjustice associate attorney 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.”