diff --git a/components/eam/cime_config/buildnml b/components/eam/cime_config/buildnml
index a86cd0fc17d9..beea61fd215f 100755
--- a/components/eam/cime_config/buildnml
+++ b/components/eam/cime_config/buildnml
@@ -233,29 +233,6 @@ def buildnml(case, caseroot, compname):
             safe_copy(os.path.join(eamconf_dir, "atm_in"), os.path.join(rundir, "atm_in{}".format(inst_string)))
             safe_copy(os.path.join(eamconf_dir, "drv_flds_in"), os.path.join(rundir, "drv_flds_in"))
 
-        # -----------------------------------------------------
-        # copy scream input data
-        # -----------------------------------------------------
-
-        with SharedArea():
-            scream_data_dir = os.path.join(case.get_value("SRCROOT"), "components/eamxx/data")
-            for item in os.listdir(scream_data_dir):
-                tgt_dir  = os.path.join(din_loc_root, "atm/cam/physprops")
-                tgt_path = os.path.join(tgt_dir, item)
-                if not os.path.isdir(tgt_dir):
-                    try:
-                        os.makedirs(tgt_dir)
-                    except OSError:
-                        pass # lost the race
-
-                try:
-                    fd = os.open(tgt_path, os.O_CREAT | os.O_EXCL)
-                    # If we get to this line, we won the race
-                    os.close(fd)
-                    safe_copy(os.path.join(scream_data_dir, item), tgt_path)
-                except OSError:
-                    pass # lost the race
-
 ###############################################################################
 def _main_func():
 ###############################################################################