Environmental Defense Fund sues Trump administration over action to dismantle essential climate research center

• Environmental Defense Fund filed a lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate climate science functions at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
• The Trump administration’s unlawful attack on NCAR’s climate research functions would limit our understanding of how climate change puts Americans in harm’s way.
• The lawsuit also challenges the Trump administration’s failure to assess impacts and seek public input before attempting to close the Mesa Laboratory, where NCAR is headquartered.

(BOULDER, Colo.) Environmental Defense Fund filed a lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate climate science functions at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and to close the iconic Mesa Laboratory where NCAR is headquartered. 

NCAR is a world-renowned institution for Earth system science research, including on climate change, and its cutting-edge models are used to power tools that help Americans prepare for and respond to climate disasters like worsening fires, hurricanes and flooding. The Trump administration’s unlawful attack on NCAR’s climate research functions would limit our understanding of how climate change puts Americans in harm’s way.

“When we check the weather or track the path of a hurricane, we’re leaning on science generated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research,” said Erin Murphy, Lead Counsel, Clean Air and Energy Markets at Environmental Defense Fund. “The federal government’s investment in climate science plays a critical role in our ability to understand and prepare for more frequent and intense extreme weather events caused by climate pollution. The Trump administration is attempting to eliminate NCAR’s vital climate science research and close its Mesa Laboratory at a time when Americans everywhere are suffering from the impacts of climate change, including more intense heat and fires, more dangerous floods and storms, and skyrocketing insurance costs.”

In December 2025, White House budget director Russell Vought announced in a social media post that the “National Science Foundation will be breaking up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.” He later stated that the administration plans to “fully close” the Mesa Lab. 

NCAR was founded in 1960, with primary support from the National Science Foundation, and aims to “achieve excellence in United States science” and to “promote the discovery, integration, dissemination, and application of new knowledge in service to society.” Congress has since directed NSF to specifically support research that helps us understand how climate change impacts people and the planet. The Trump administration is acting unlawfully in its attempt to unilaterally eliminate climate research at NCAR without seeking any public input. 

Environmental Defense Fund’s lawsuit also challenges the Trump administration’s unlawful failure to assess impacts and conduct a public consultation process before attempting to close — and potentially sell off — the Mesa Laboratory. This public process is required under the National Historic Preservation Act due to the Mesa Laboratory’s architectural significance and the history of notable scientific discoveries made there.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.