Updates to this feature are currently paused as we assess the best way to monitor and expose the large number of attacks on science that we're seeing from the current administration.
Science is at the core of a healthy democracy. But for years, presidential administrations have, in differing ways, sidelined scientific evidence and attacked scientific integrity.
Below is a running list of attacks on science. They include disappearing data, silenced scientists, suppressed studies, and other assaults on science-based policy. The list provides a representative sample of threats to the federal scientific enterprise—and a warning of what we face in the future. More information can be found in our peer-reviewed study and in our data repository.
Attacks on science
EPA Finalized Rule that Eliminated Safeguards for Industrial Pollution
The EPA finalized a rule that could increase hazardous air pollutant emissions from industrial facilities.
CDC and HHS Failed to Track COVID-19 Data
The federal government failed to adequately track vital COVID-19 data and instead relied on non-governmental groups to fill in these data gaps.
EPA Refused to Ban Three Toxic Chemicals
The EPA withdrew its proposed ban on three chemicals TCE, NMP, and methylene chloride.
EPA Sidelined Scientists and Weakened PFAS Assessment
Officials at the EPA overruled scientists in a risk assessment for a type of PFAS chemical, known as PFBS.
White House Intervenes to Weaken PFAS Import Ban
The White House weakened an EPA science-based guidance document that would have placed a strict ban on the import of products that contained chemicals.
Rolled Back Protections on Migratory Birds
The US Fish and Wildlife Service issued a rule that rolled back the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Trump Administration Didn’t Use Best Available Science to Estimate the Costs of Climate Change
The Trump administration failed to incorporate the best available science into how they calculate the social cost of carbon.
Trump Administration Suppressed Clean Energy Research
Under the Trump administration, the DOE buried, delayed, or sidelined 46 studies on clean energy.
EPA Rule Restricted Science
In early January 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule that limited what research can be used to craft public health protections.
US Forest Service Sidelines the Use of Environmental Studies for Infrastructure Projects
The US Forest Service issued a rule that weakens the requirement to study potential environmental harms from proposed infrastructure projects.
Related resources
Activist Resource
Cumulative Impacts: Recommendations for EPA
To improve environmental health, UCS prepared eight fact sheets summarizing the recommendations of the NEJAC Cumulative Impacts Workgroup to the EPA.
Activist Resource
Resources for Federal Scientists
Are you a federal scientist, contractor, or federal worker? Here are resources to have on hand during the Trump administration.
Explainer
Applications of Climate, Energy, and Environmental Justice
Assessing the key different types of justice (distributive, procedural, and restorative) within the climate and energy movements can be challenging.
Explainer
Environmental, Climate, and Energy Justice—What Do They Mean?
If you’ve encountered these concepts and aren’t totally sure what they mean—we got you.