Research Guides: Environmental Science: Government Information

Evaluating Government Sources

You know you are looking at an official website of the United States government if the site's URL ends in ".gov", but that isn't the end of the evaluation process.

Information published by government agencies still needs to be evaluated for accuracy, objectivity, and relevance, just like information published anywhere else.

Consider the following questions when determining whether to consult a particular source:

Who created this resource? Are they knowledgeable about the topic?
What is the creator's agenda? Did they create this resource to inform others, or to persuade people?
Is there a general consensus about the truthfulness of this information, or is it the subject of partisan debate?
How recently was this information published? Is there a newer perspective available?

Government Information

Looking for technical reports, government data, or related information? Try one of the resources on this page! You can find additional resources on our Federal Scientific & Technical Reports guide linked below.

Federal Scientific & Technical Reports
by Carl Olson Last Updated May 29, 2025 11 views this year

National Government & Environmental Organization Websites

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA Climate.gov provides science and information for a climate-smart nation.
Office of Nuclear Energy
The Office of Nuclear Energy’s (NE) primary mission is to advance nuclear power as a resource capable of making major contributions in meeting our Nation’s energy supply, environmental, and energy security needs.
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforement (OSMRE)
Since 1977, OSMRE has protected the environment and people while regulating surface coal mining in the United States, and funded the restoration of abandoned coal mines.
Science.gov
Science.gov searches for federally funded scientific research from a wide variety of sources.
Superfund
EPA’s Superfund program is responsible for cleaning up some of the nation’s most contaminated land and responding to environmental emergencies, oil spills and natural disasters. To protect public health and the environment, the Superfund program focuses on making a visible and lasting difference in communities, ensuring that people can live and work in healthy, vibrant places.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
When the U.S. government passes an environmental law, the EPA is responsible for creating the regulations around it. Find out more from their website.

Hazardous Substances

Substance Registry Services (EPA)
The Substance Registry Services (SRS) is EPA's authoritative resource for information about chemicals, biological organisms, and other substances tracked or regulated by EPA.
Toxological Profiles (ATSDR)
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: Toxicological Profiles (Tox Profiles) are a unique compilation of toxicological information on a given hazardous substance. Each peer-reviewed Tox Profile reflects a comprehensive and extensive evaluation, summary, and interpretation of available toxicological and epidemiological information on a substance.

Local Government & Environmental Organization Websites

Maryland Department of Natural Resources
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has information on the largest US Estuary, the Chesapeake Bay.
Chesapeake Bay Program
A multistate program working with the EPA on various Chesapeake Bay environmental issues.
USGS Chesapeake Bay
U.S. Geological Survey website with information on the Chesapeake Bay

Technical Reports

Technical Report Archive and Image Library
Federally funded technical reports issued before 1975. Space exploration, alternative energy sources, nuclear reactors, mining, and water purification are among the topics in more than 20,000 documents summarizing engineering and regulatory investigations. Page images with searchable metadata.

Legal Information

Nexis Uni
Nexis Uni includes full text newspapers, company news and financial information, as well as federal, state, and international legal materials. Also contains some medical and reference sources.

Archived Government Resources

Many documents created by the government are preserved and made accessible for use by the public. Federal records are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Maryland State Archives maintains state-level records.

The National Archives
Information about The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration including digitized materials, finding aids, and online exhibits.
Maryland State Archives
"The State Archives ... holdings date from Maryland's founding in 1634, and include colonial and state executive, legislative, and judicial records; county probate, land, and court records; church records; business records; state publications and reports; and special collections of private papers, maps, photographs, and newspapers."

Keeping Up With Changing Resources

Are you interested in seeing how government guidance has changed over time? Are you looking for a specific government resource that has been taken offline? Search the page's URL in the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine to see timestamped archival copies of that page. Volunteers regularly update the Archive's version history for government websites.

Internet Archive
Digitized books, audio, video, and other primary source material. Also includes images of older websites.

Archived Climate and Environmental Data

Butler University Libraries has compiled a list of resources that archive and preserve climate and environmental data that has been removed from government websites.

Ask a Librarian

Environmental Science