Laws & Regulations

Report: Ineffective Oversight of Purchase Cards Resulted in Improper Purchases at EPA OIG

Report #15-B-0014, November 10, 2014. Reviews of $62,012 in OIG purchases found that $36,488 met the definition of improper purchases.

Report: Quality Control Review of EPA Office of Inspector General Reports Issued in Fiscal Year 2013

Report #14-N-0358, September 25, 2014. Monitoring of quality controls is an ongoing, periodic assessment of work to ensure compliance with the OIG’s system of quality control.

Report: EPA’s Risk Assessment Division Has Not Fully Adhered to Its Quality Management Plan

Report #14-P-0350, September 10, 2014. Without a robust quality management system, RAD risks making environmental and human health policy decisions that rest on a faulty foundation.

Report: EPA Should Improve Oversight and Assure the Environmental Results of Puget Sound Cooperative Agreements

Report #14-P-0317, July 15, 2014. EPA should improve the administration and monitoring of Puget Sound cooperative agreements.

Report: Improved Contract Administration Needed for the Customer Technology Solutions Contract

Report #13-P-0398, September 16, 2013. Based on our review of the WCF contract EPW08034, which ended September 2012, the EPA needs to improve its contract administration to assist in managing other similar type contracts.

Report: EPA’s Handling of a Proposed Alternative Method for Measuring Oil and Grease in Wastewater Met Requirements But Controls Need to Be Strengthened

Report #13-P-0317, July 11, 2013. EPA’s handling of the proposed alternative method for measuring oil and grease in wastewater (ASTM D7575) adhered to applicable laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and guidance.

Report: Review of Hotline Complaint on EPA’s Pre-Award Activities for Multiple Award Contracts at the National Computer Center

Report #13-P-0220, April 15, 2013. We found no evidence to support allegations made in the complaint. However, we determined that the EPA could improve communications with vendors during pre-award activities.

Report: EPA Can Further Reduce Space in Under-Utilized Facilities

Report #13-P-0162, February 20, 2013. Although EPA has been releasing unneeded space since 2007, it continues to have under-utilized space.

Report: Unliquidated Obligations Resulted in Missed Opportunities to Improve Drinking Water Infrastructure

Report #14-P-0318, July 16, 2014. States miss opportunities to improve the health of their communities’ drinking water infrastructure and the opportunity to infuse funds into the economy and create jobs.

Report: EPA Needs to Demonstrate Whether It Has Achieved the Goals It Set Under the National Petroleum Refinery Initiative

Report #14-P-0184, April 15, 2014. By determining the outcomes of the NPRI, the EPA can strengthen the likelihood of success for future initiatives and sustain the desired benefits.

Report: EPA Did Not Conduct Thorough Biennial User Fee Reviews

Report #14-P-0129, March 4, 2014. The EPA may not have recovered all program costs and collected millions of dollars that could have been available to reduce the federal budget deficit.

Report: EPA Needs to Improve STAR Grant Oversight

Report #13-P-0361, August 27, 2013. We found that the EPA’s project officers did not monitor STAR grant recipients in a manner consistent with the agency’s policy and guidance.

Report: Opportunities for EPA-Wide Improvements Identified During Review of a Regional Time and Materials Contract

Report #13-P-0209, April 4, 2013. EPA Region 9 did not require its contracting personnel to verify that personnel for the contractor had the qualifications necessary to execute contract EPS90804.

Report: Improvements Needed in EPA Training and Oversight for Risk Management Program Inspections

Report #13-P-0178, March 21, 2013. EPA’s management controls for ensuring inspector training and inspection quality provide limited assurance of the effectiveness of its RMProgram inspections.

Report: Unless California Air Resources Board Fully Complies With Laws and Regulations, Emission Reductions and Human Health Benefits Are Unknown

Report #14-R-0130, March 6, 2014. CARB did not fully comply with the Energy Act and cooperative agreement requirements, resulting in potential overpayment of $8,866,000.

Report: Improvements Needed by EPA OIG to Reduce Risk in Employee Hiring Process

Report #15-B-0076, February 5, 2015. Without verification of prior employment or references the EPA OIG may not hire the best job candidates.

Report: EPA Employees Did Not Act Consistently With Agency Policy in Assisting an EPA Grantee

Report #14-P-0247, May 9, 2014. Fish contamination data was withheld that could have been useful to the scientific community and the public.

Report: Air Quality Objectives for the Baton Rouge Ozone Nonattainment Area Not Met Under EPA Agreement 2A-96694301 Awarded to the Railroad Research Foundation

Report #13-R-0297, June 20, 2013. The Railroad Research Foundation has not complied with the requirements of cooperative agreement 2A-96694301.

Report: Audit of EPA’s Fiscal 2013 and 2012 Consolidated Financial Statements

Report #14-1-0039, December 16, 2013. System weaknesses could impact the reliability of financial information.

Report: Independent Environmental Sampling Shows Some Properties Designated by EPA as Available for Use Had Some Contamination

Report #15-P-0221, July 21, 2015. Some OIG sampling results showed contamination was still present at sites designated by the EPA as ready for reuse. This was unexpected and could signal a need to implement changes to ensure human health protection.