The US Department of Agriculture has removed animal inspection reports and other information from its site the agency said.
Information taken off the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service site included, inspection reports, research facility annual reports, lists of persons licensed and registered under the Animal Welfare Act, lists of individuals licensed by USDA-certified horse industry organizations and associations (HIOs), regulatory correspondence (such as official warnings) and enforcement records .
The agency said privacy concerns was the reason for removal of the records. In a statement, the USDA cited its commitment to “ being transparent and responsive to our stakeholders’ informational needs, and maintaining the privacy rights of individuals with whom we come in contact.”
Redacted versions of the records will still be available for those who submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the USDA said. However, receiving the information through FOIA could take months or years. The agency also said if certain records are frequently requested through FOIA, the APHIS “may post the appropriately redacted versions to its website.”
The USDA’s removal of information sparked criticism from animal welfare advocates.
Justin Goodman from the White Coat Waste Project, which is against animal experiments, said although the site was “far from perfect,” the group “relied heavily on this resource to identify waste and abuse.”
“For months, we’ve been working with a bipartisan group of House and Senate members to improve transparency and accountability about taxpayer-funded animal experiments,” he said in a statement. “Now, this work is more important than ever. With the USDA blackout, we have no way of knowing how many dogs, cats and other animals are being abused in laboratories.”
A USDA spokesperson declined to say whether the agency’s decision to take down the information was because of President Donald Trump’s administration, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Matt Herrick, the former communications director for the USDA said on Twitter, “Decision by @usda 2 remove animal abuse reports not required. Totally subjective. Same option given 2 past admin. We refused. #transparency.”
While there are no direct ties to the Trump administration, removal on information on government websites has come at a stunning pace since Inauguration Day. Under the Trump administration various pages have been deleted from the Whitehouse.gov site during the transition. Sites taken down included the health care page, which posted details on the Affordable Care Act, a blog on the issue and other data. Pages with information on climate change, immigration, LGBT rights and civil rights were also taken down after Trump was inaugurated. Before Trump took office, scientists started copying down U.S. climate data onto independent servers, fearing a hostile Trump administration.
Trump’s administration has also been going after agencies. Recently the new administration barred the Environmental Protection Agency from posting social media updates and speaking to the press. The agency was reportedly also asked to remove the climate change page from its site.
The Trump administration also went after the USDA. In a memo, workers at the agency were reportedly asked to refrain from publishing “public-facing” documents and press releases. The letter was sent to individuals in the scientific research arm Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
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