diff --git a/backend/.env b/backend/.env
deleted file mode 100644
index 30732b1..0000000
--- a/backend/.env
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-APP_ENV=dev
-API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8000
-
-# Auth
-JWT_SECRET=this_is_a_jwt_secret
-JWT_ALG=HS256
-JWT_ACCESS_TTL_MIN=240
-JWT_REFRESH_TTL_DAYS=7
-COOKIE_DOMAIN=localdomain.com
-COOKIE_SECURE=true
-COOKIE_SAMESITE=Lax
-
-# MongoDB
-MONGODB_URI=mongodb://admin:password123@localhost:27017/accessible_video?authSource=admin&replicaSet=rs0
-MONGODB_DB=accessible_video
-
-# Redis
-REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379/0
-
-# Celery (uses Redis)
-CELERY_BROKER_URL=redis://localhost:6379/0
-CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND=redis://localhost:6379/0
-
-# GCP
-GCP_PROJECT_ID=optical-414516
-GCS_BUCKET=accessible-video
-GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=/Users/michael.clervi/Documents/projects/video_accessibility/backend/optical-414516-80e2475f6412.json
-
-# AI
-GEMINI_API_KEY=AIzaSyAuuVGcvqfoP7pqX-YwieGszPsNSeAft-0
-TRANSLATE_API_KEY=...
-ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=...
-GOOGLE_TTS_CREDENTIALS=/secrets/gcp_tts.json
-
-# Email
-SENDGRID_API_KEY=disabled_for_local_testing
-EMAIL_FROM=test@localhost.com
-CLIENT_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5173
-
-# Observability
-SENTRY_DSN=...
-OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT=
-
-
-WHISPER_SERVICE_URL=https://whisper-http-service-bcb6ipdqka-uc.a.run.app
-FFMPEG_SERVICE_URL=https://ffmpeg-http-service-bcb6ipdqka-uc.a.run.app