EPA Reverses Course on Open Data Shutdown

UPDATE (10:50 EDT, 4/24/17): In a reversal, the EPA website now says its Open Data Service will continue.

"The service is the government's biggest citizen-linked data tool, and covers not just climate change but people's health and environment".

"Donald Trump is to completely shut down one of the government's most important data services."

"The Environmental Protection Agency's Open Data Web service – which stores information on climate change, life cycle assessment, health impact analysis and environmental justice – is to have its funding removed and will no longer be in operation, according to people working on the plan.

That will mean that citizens will no longer be able to access information on their environment and climate, keeping them from researching potentially fatal changes to their area.

The service stores data including detailed toxic chemical information, which allows citizens to look up whether there has been a dangerous spill in their area over the last 30 years."

Andrew Griffin reports for the Independent April 24, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"US EPA Orders Turn-Off of Open Data Service on 28-Apr-2017" (Medium)

"How EPA Data Keeps Citizens Safe" (CleanTechnica)

Source: Independent, 04/24/2017