COLORADO — The complaint asserts that the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for the closure. It further alleges that the administration violated the National Historic Preservation Act by planning to close the NCAR Mesa Laboratory without conducting required reviews.

Erin Murphy, lead counsel for clean air and energy markets at the Environmental Defense Fund, emphasized the practical reliance on the center's work. "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," Murphy said.

Murphy noted that federal investment in this area is essential for public safety during extreme weather. "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," she said.

President Donald Trump attempted to pardon former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted of felonies related to 2020 election conspiracy theories. However, Tina Peters faces state charges, rendering a presidential pardon ineffective.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is based in Colorado and conducts advanced climate and weather modeling. The National Science Foundation sponsors the center, while the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research operates it. The university corporation is a nonprofit consortium of 129 universities.

Scientists at the center have helped improve forecasting of tropical storms and other extreme weather. Its supercomputers developed climate models that have informed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and U.S. government climate reports. The center also produces a community climate model that allows scientists to use the models themselves.

Michael Oppenheimer, director of the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, warned of the consequences of the closure. He said the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s closure would be a huge loss to climate science. "The Trump administration does not want to know about climate change, so it’s blinding itself by destroying key institutions like NCAR," Oppenheimer said.

A judge issued an injunction in June 2025 temporarily blocking the transfer of the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s supercomputer to a different site. The National Center for Atmospheric Research continues to operate despite the announcement of its dismantling. The National Science Foundation declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Office of Management and Budget did not immediately reply to questions regarding the lawsuit.

Why It Matters

The lawsuit shows a conflict between federal administrative actions and scientific infrastructure dedicated to climate and weather modeling. The National Center for Atmospheric Research provides data used for hurricane tracking and extreme weather forecasting, which informs both government reports and international bodies. Disrupting these operations affects the availability of climate models used by scientists globally.

The legal challenges allege procedural violations under the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. The outcome will determine whether the administration provided sufficient justification for dismantling the center and whether proper reviews were conducted for the Mesa Laboratory. The case also examines the intersection of federal funding priorities and state-level political dynamics.

Timeline

The NCAR Mesa Laboratory was completed in 1967. The Trump administration announced in December 2024 that it would dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research. A senior White House official stated in December 2024: "Maybe if Colorado had a governor who actually wanted to work with President Trump, his constituents would be better served." A Trump aide sent an email on Dec.

15, 2024, scheduling a call to "prioritize Colorado for the purposes of ensuring grants and federal support are in line with administration priorities." Russell Vought described the National Center for Atmospheric Research as "one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country" on December 16, 2024. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought announced the administration would break apart the National Center for Atmospheric Research on December 16, 2024. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research filed a lawsuit in March 2025 challenging the closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

What's New

Later reporting indicates that both the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the Environmental Defense Fund argue that the attempt to dismantle NCAR was retaliation for Peters’ conviction and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ refusal to pardon her. A senior White House official stated in December: "Maybe if Colorado had a governor who actually wanted to work with President Trump, his constituents would be better served." Additional details show that the NCAR Mesa Laboratory is not on the National Register of Historic Places. Research titled Phenomena in atmospheric and environmental electricity was published in 1993 in Atmospheric Research.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the details regarding federal actions in Colorado. The Environmental Defense Fund complaint states that the Environmental Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Colorado challenging the Trump administration's closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Email correspondence shows that a Trump aide sent an email on Dec. 15 scheduling a call to prioritize Colorado for the purposes of ensuring grants and federal support are in line with administration priorities. Sources also differ on the nature of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research complaint notes that the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research filed a lawsuit in March challenging the closure of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research organizational records state that the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is a nonprofit consortium of 129 universities.