Laws & Regulations

Report: EPA Oversight Addresses Thermal Variance and Cooling Water Permit Deficiencies But Needs to Address Compliance With Public Notice Requirements

Report #13-P-0264, May 23, 2013. Since the 1980s, EPA has had an oversight process, known as Permit Quality Reviews (PQRs), to promote permit quality and ensure a reasonable degree of national consistency with regard to core program requirements.

Report: EPA Should Increase Fixed-Price Contracting for Remedial Actions

Report #13-P-0208, March 28, 2013. EPA continues to rely on high risk cost-reimbursement contracts and time-andmaterials task orders in the Superfund remedial program.

Report: EPA Is Not Recovering All Its Costs of the Lead-Based Paint Fees Program

Report #13-P-0163, February 20, 2013. EPA is not recovering all its costs of administering the lead-based paint program.

Report: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Site Visit of Combined Sewer Overflow Detention Facility, City of Goshen, Indiana

Report #13-R-0092, January 8, 2013. We conducted a site visit of the Recovery Act project to build a new combined sewer overflow detention facility in the City of Goshen, Indiana, in December 2011.

Report: Internal Controls Needed to Control Costs of Emergency and Rapid Response Services Contracts,as Exemplified in Region 6

Report #14-P-0109, February 4, 2014. Improper application of general and administrative rates resulted in higher costs to the government.

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: 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.