Judge blocks dismantling of Colorado's National Center for Atmospheric Research
On Monday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, meaning the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder will not be dismantled, for the moment.
NCAR is one of the leading institutions for climate and weather research, playing a major role in predicting and responding to severe weather. The center is federally funded and sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
In December, the Trump administration announced plans to shut the center down and relocate certain functions. White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced the move on social media, calling NCAR "one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country."
In March, a bipartisan group of over 80 lawmakers submitted public comments opposing the dismantling of the center.
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which represents more than 100 universities, also sued to stop the administration from transferring NCAR's Wyoming Supercomputing Center to a new operator. The group manages and operates NCAR's various research facilities and argues that it has "sole responsibility and authority for operating the NWSC."
Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, who represents Boulder as part of Colorado's 2nd congressional district, said the administration's decision was retaliation against the continued imprisonment of Tina Peters. Peters was serving a nine-year state prison term for attempting to influence a public servant, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and a misdemeanor violation of duty in elections. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis later commuted Peters' sentence, and she was released on June 1.
On Monday, the Trump administration's plans for NCAR were put on hold after a Colorado U.S. District Judge said there was no justification for moving the center or shutting it down. The judge agreed with UCAR's claim that dismantling the center was intended as direct political revenge.
The court order cited President Trump's comments calling Polis "weak and pathetic" for refusing to release Peters, followed shortly by "terminating millions of dollars in transportation funding, threatening millions more in energy funding, directing Colorado to participate in an unlawful Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan ("SNAP") 'pilot project,' and denying two requests for natural-disaster relief."
The judge also cited Vought's social media comments announcing the breakup of NCAR and a senior White House official's comment that "maybe if Colorado had a governor who actually wanted to work with President Trump, his constituents would be better served."
The injunction also states that a Dear Colleague Letter sent in January never cited any deficiencies or concerns in UCAR's operation of the center, and the National Science Foundation admitted it had not "duly considered" the responses it solicited regarding future options for NCAR's operations.
Many Colorado lawmakers celebrated the decision.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said, "The work done at NCAR benefits all Americans, forming the backbone of weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, water planning, wildfire prevention, and aviation safety," calling the ruling "a critical step in the right direction for science, the hundreds of public servants at NCAR, public safety, and Colorado."
In a statement, Polis wrote, in part, "I am pleased the court recognized the serious harm this transfer would cause and I, alongside Colorado's federal delegation, remain committed to protecting Colorado's research ecosystem from the Trump administration's unjust attacks."
