Science & Technology

Report: EPA Law Enforcement Availability Pay Properly Certified but Controls over Process Could Be Improved

Report #19-P-0001, November 6, 2018. Criminal investigators worked an average of 2 hours of unscheduled duty per regular workday to meet annual certification requirements for 2017.

Report: EPA Lacks Processes to Validate Whether Contractors Receive Specialized Role-Based Training for Network and Data Protection

Report #17-P-0344, July 31, 2017. The EPA is unaware whether information security contractors possess the skills and training needed to protect the agency’s information, data and network from security breaches.

Report: Fiscal Year 2022 U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Management Challenges

Report #22-N-0003, November 10, 2021. The lack of board members continues to be the biggest risk to CSB operations.

Report: EPA Needs to Improve Management and Monitoring of Time-Off Awards

Report #20-P-0065, December 30, 2019. The EPA's time-off awards program needs to be held to the same standard as the agency's monetary awards program, both in execution and resource management.

Report: The EPA’s Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 (Restated) Financial Statements for the Pesticide Registration Fund

Report #22-F-0060, September 26, 2022. We found the fund’s financial statements to be fairly presented and free of material misstatement.

Report: The EPA’s Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 Financial Statements for the Pesticides Reregistration and Expedited Processing Fund

Report #22-F-0059, September 26, 2022. We found the fund’s financial statements to be fairly presented and free of material misstatement.

Report: Management Alert: Data Vulnerabilities Could Impact the CSB’s Ability to Carry Out Its Obligations Under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (Contractor-Produced Report)

Report #22-N-0058, September 22, 2022. The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which also provides oversight for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, or CSB.

Report: The EPA Was Not Transparent About Changes Made to a Long-Chain PFAS Rule After Administrator Signature

Report #22-E-0052, July 7, 2022. Because the EPA did not follow docketing procedures, the public was not notified of the changes to the final LCPFAC Significant New Use Rule.

Report: The EPA Continues to Fail to Meet Inspection Requirements for Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities

Report #22-E-0047, June 8, 2022. This follow-up evaluation was conducted to assess whether inspection rates of TSDFs have changed since our 2016 report on the same topic: OIG Report No. 16-P-0104.

Report: Brownfields Program-Income Monitoring Deficiencies Persist Because the EPA Did Not Complete All Certified Corrective Actions

Report #22-P-0033, March 31, 2022. The OBLR did not complete all certified corrective actions and still lacks current and accurate information needed to monitor an estimated $46.6 million of program income.

Report: EPA's Fiscal Year 2020 Fourth-Quarter Compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014

Report #22-P-0001, November 8, 2021. The DATA Act requires the EPA to report accurate financial and award data on USAspending.gov.

Report: EPA Needs to Strengthen Its Purchase Card Approval Process

Report #21-P-0242, September 22, 2021. The Agency needs to improve oversight of its approximately $25 million in annual purchase card and convenience check expenses to be better stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Report: EPA Effectively Planned for Future Remote Access Needs but Should Disconnect Unneeded Services in Timely Manner

Report #21-P-0241, September 20, 2021. Because the EPA did not disconnect unneeded GSA services in a timely manner, the Agency paid at least $7,850 for services it was not using.

Report: EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management Lacked a Nationally Consistent Strategy for Communicating Health Risks at Contaminated Sites

Report #21-P-0223, September 9, 2021. As part of its mission to protect human health, the EPA communicates risks from contaminated sites to the public.

Report: EPA Does Not Consistently Monitor Hazardous Waste Units Closed with Waste in Place or Track and Report on Facilities That Fall Under the Two Responsible Programs

Report #21-P-0114, March 29, 2021. The EPA’s inspection frequency of TSDFs with RCRA units closed with waste in place does not meet the EPA’s statutory requirement or policy.

Report: EPA Needs to Improve Processes for Securing Region 8’s Local Area Network

Report #20-E-0309, September 10, 2020. Exploitation of vulnerabilities may result in the loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personally identifiable information and scientific data.

Report: Internal Quality Assurance Review of EPA OIG Audit Assignments Completed in Fiscal Year 2019

Report #20-N-0230, July 16, 2020. OIG audit reports issued in FY 2019 demonstrated high levels of compliance with OIG quality assurance procedures, receiving an average compliance score of 92 percent.

Report: EPA's Use of Administratively Determined Positions is Consistent with Its Authority Under the Safe Drinking Water Act

Report #19-P-0279, August 21, 2019. Since 2009, the EPA has made 119 appointments to AD positions consistent with the authority provided by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Report: EPA Office of Research and Development Needs to Address Barriers to Gathering External Feedback

Report #19-P-0277, August 19, 2019. Surveying non-federal external customers will widen the ORD's reporting under the strategic measure on whether research products meet customer needs.

Report: EPA Needs to Determine Strategies and Level of Support for Overseeing State Managed Pollinator Protection Plans

Report #19-P-0275, August 15, 2019. Honey bee pollination adds more than $15 billion in value to U.S. agricultural crops each year. The number of managed honey bee colonies in the U.S. has declined significantly.