2021 OIG Reports

Our Audit and Evaluation Reports

The EPA OIG conducts financial and performance audits to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations and programs. Audits identify potential fraud, waste and abuse; assess program compliance and management of agency processes; identify opportunities to improve human health and the environment; and offer recommendations for cost savings and other efficiencies. 

The EPA OIG also conducts evaluations of EPA programs and activities that support clean air, clear water, safer chemicals, cleaner communities, and scientific research. The office assesses the design, implementation, and measurement of EPA programs, including evidence of program effectiveness and results.

Audits and evaluations differ from our investigations in that they do not deal with criminal activities and generally look at groups, processes, controls or structures, not individual employees. Also, when initiated, most audits are announced publicly, and upon their conclusion, a final report is posted here on the Reports page.

2021 OIG Reports

Date	Title	Publication Number	Environmental Goal(s)	Report Teams
Dec 29, 2021	EPA’s Fiscal Years 2020 and 2019 Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund Financial Statements	22-F-0015	Operating efficiently and effectively	FA
Dec 28, 2021	Management Implication Report: Annual Performance Rating of Senior Executive Service Employees at U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
Dec 21, 2021	EPA’s Fiscal Years 2020 and 2019 Financial Statements for the Pesticide Registration Fund	22-F-0014	Operating efficiently and effectively	FA
Dec 21, 2021	EPA’s Fiscal Years 2020 and 2019 (Restated) Financial Statements for the Pesticides Reregistration and Expedited Processing Fund	22-F-0012	Operating efficiently and effectively	FA
Dec 20, 2021	EPA Established a Web Management Program, but Improvements Are Needed in Deploying Web Analytics	22-P-0013	Operating efficiently and effectively	IRM
Dec 15, 2021	EPA Has Not Performed Agencywide Risk Assessments, Increasing the Risk of Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Mismanagement	22-E-0011	Compliance with the law, Operating efficiently and effectively	BOD
Dec 14, 2021	Fiscal Year 2022 Oversight Plan
Dec 9, 2021	Management Implication Report: Allowing Remote Access to Threat Actors
Dec 8, 2021	EPA Generally Adheres to Information Technology Audit Follow-Up Processes, but Management Oversight Should Be Improved	22-P-0010	Operating efficiently and effectively	IRM
Dec 1, 2021	Authorized State Hazardous Waste Program Inspections and Operations Were Impacted During Coronavirus Pandemic	22-E-0009	Partnering with states and other stakeholders, COVID/Pandemic-related	POCO
Nov 2021	Semiannual Report to Congress: April 1, 2021–September 30, 2021	EPA-350-R-21-002
Nov 17, 2021	Total National Reported Clean Air Act Compliance-Monitoring Activities Decreased Slightly During Coronavirus Pandemic, but State Activities Varied Widely	22-E-0008	COVID/Pandemic-related	PCC
Nov 15, 2021	EPA’s Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 (Restated) Consolidated Financial Statements	22-F-0007		FA
Nov 15, 2021	Contractor-Produced Report: U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Fiscal Years 2021 and 2020 Financial Statement Audit	22-F-0005		FA
Nov 12, 2021	EPA’s Fiscal Year 2022 Top Management Challenges	22-N-0004		OCOS
Nov 10, 2021	Fiscal Year 2022 U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Management Challenges	22-N-0003		OCOS
Nov 8, 2021	Contractor-Produced Report: U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board Independent Auditor’s Report on Compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 Submission Requirements for Fiscal Year 2021	22-P-0002		FA, CSB
Nov 8, 2021	EPA's Fiscal Year 2020 Fourth-Quarter Compliance with the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014	22-P-0001	Compliance with the law, Operating efficiently and effectively	FA
Sept 30, 2021	EPA Needs to Strengthen Oversight of Its Travel Program Authorization and Voucher Approval Processes	21-P-0265	Compliance with the law, Operating efficiently and effectively	BOD
Sept 29, 2021	EPA Needs an Agencywide Strategic Action Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms	21-E-0264	Partnering with states and other stakeholders, Operating efficiently and effectively	EII
Sept 27, 2021	Pandemic Highlights Need for Additional Tribal Drinking Water Assistance and Oversight in EPA Regions 9 and 10	21-E-0254	Partnering with states and other stakeholders; COVID/Pandemic-related; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	POCO
Sept 22, 2021	EPA Needs to Strengthen Its Purchase Card Approval Process	21-P-0242	Operating efficiently and effectively	BOD
Sept 20, 2021	EPA Effectively Planned for Future Remote Access Needs but Should Disconnect Unneeded Services in Timely Manner	21-P-0241	Operating efficiently and effectively, COVID/Pandemic-related	IRM
Sept 13, 2021	EPA’s Emergency Response Systems at Risk of Having Inadequate Security Controls	21-E-0226	Operating efficiently and effectively	IRM
Sept 9, 2021	EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management Lacked a Nationally Consistent Strategy for Communicating Health Risks at Contaminated Sites	21-P-0223	Operating efficiently and effectively; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	PCC
Sept 7, 2021	Management Implication Report: Failure to Follow Agency Procedure to Report Cyber Incident
Sept 2, 2021	EPA Needs to Measure and Track Performance of Programs Eliminated in President’s Budget but Later Funded by Congress	21-E-0219	Operating efficiently and effectively	POCO
Aug 9, 2021	EPA Should Improve Compliance with Blanket Purchase Agreement Requirements	21-P-0192	Operating efficiently and effectively	BOD
Aug 4, 2021	Compendium of Open and Unresolved Recommendations: Data as of March 31, 2021	21-N-0191
July 28, 2021	EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program Has Made Limited Progress in Assessing Pesticides	21-E-0186	Ensuring the safety of chemicals	IEE
July 9, 2021	Management Implication Report Concerning Lack of Information Security Protection of Off-Network EPA Device
July 8, 2021	EPA Should Conduct More Oversight of Synthetic-Minor-Source Permitting to Assure Permits Adhere to EPA Guidance	21-P-0175	Improving air quality	PCC
June 14, 2021	EPA Has Reduced Its Backlog of State Implementation Plans Submitted Prior to 2013 but Continues to Face Challenges in Taking Timely Final Actions on Submitted Plans	21-E-0163	Improving air quality	EII
June 7, 2021	EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory Has Taken Steps to Mitigate Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on Mobile Source Emission Compliance	21-E-0158	Operating efficiently and effectively; COVID/Pandemic-related	ER
May 2021	Semiannual Report to Congress: October 1, 2020-March 31, 2021	EPA-350-R-21-001
May 24, 2021	EPA Deviated from Typical Procedures in Its 2018 Dicamba Pesticide Registration Decision	21-E-0146	Ensuring the safety of chemicals	T
May 14, 2021	EPA Complies with Payment Integrity Information Act but Needs to Determine Cost Allowability When Testing for Improper Grant Payments	21-P-0135	Compliance with the law	C
May 13, 2021	Resource Constraints, Leadership Decisions, and Workforce Culture Led to a Decline in Federal Enforcement	21-P-0132	Compliance with the law, Partnering with states and other stakeholders, Operating efficiently and effectively	W
May 12, 2021	Staffing Constraints, Safety and Health Concerns at EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center May Compromise Ability to Achieve Mission	21-P-0131	Operating efficiently and effectively, Hotline Report	ER
May 11, 2021	EPA Helps States Reduce Trash, Including Plastic, in U.S. Waterways but Needs to Identify Obstacles and Develop Strategies for Further Progress	21-P-0130	Ensuring clean and safe water	W
May 6, 2021	EPA Should Conduct New Residual Risk and Technology Reviews for Chloroprene- and Ethylene Oxide-Emitting Source Categories to Protect Human Health	21-P-0129	Improving air quality	A
May 4, 2021	EPA Did Not Conduct Agencywide Risk Assessment of CARES Act Appropriations, Increasing Risk of Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Mismanagement	21-E-0128	Compliance with the law, Operating efficiently and effectively, COVID/Pandemic-related	FO
Apr 21, 2021	Improved Review Processes Could Advance EPA Regions 3 and 5 Oversight of State-Issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits	21-P-0122	Ensuring clean and safe water, Hotline Report	W
Apr 20, 2021	Concerns About the Process Used for the SAFE Vehicles Rule Demonstrate the Need for a Policy on EPA’s Role in Joint Rulemakings	21-E-0125	Operating efficiently and effectively	ER
Apr 16, 2021	EPA Needs to Improve Processes for Updating Guidance, Monitoring Corrective Actions, and Managing Remote Access for External Users	21-E-0124	Compliance with the law, Operating efficiently and effectively	IRM
Apr 15, 2021	EPA Delayed Risk Communication and Issued Instructions Hindering Region 5’s Ability to Address Ethylene Oxide Emissions	21-P-0123	Improving air quality, Congressional Request	A
Mar 31, 2021	Report of Investigation: Mr. Ryan Jackson, Senior Executive Service, and Mr. Charles Munoz, GS-15
Mar 31, 2021	EPA Does Not Always Adhere to Its Established Action Development Process for Rulemaking	21-P-0115	Operating efficiently and effectively	ER
March 2021	EPA OIG's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Mar 29, 2021	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	21-P-0114	Cleaning up and revitalizing land	L
Mar 10, 2021	EPA Improperly Awarded and Managed Information Technology Contracts	21-P-0094		C
Feb 23, 2021	U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's Compliance in Fiscal Year 2020 with Improper Payments Legislation and Guidance	21-E-0084		C
Feb 10, 2021	EPA Is at Risk of Not Achieving Special Local Needs Program Goals for Pesticides Report updated on 3/1/2021	21-E-0072	Ensuring the safety of chemicals	T
Feb 9, 2021	CSB's Information Security Program Is Not Consistently Implemented; Improvements Are Needed to Address Four Weaknesses	21-E-0071		IRM
Feb 8, 2021	EPA Mostly Adheres to Regulations When Assessing Risks of New Pesticides but Should Improve Internal Controls	21-P-0070	Ensuring the safety of chemicals	T
Jan 6, 2021	Office of Research and Development Initiatives to Address Threats and Risks to Public Health and the Environment from Plastic Pollution Within the Waters of the United States	21-N-0052		W
Jan 5, 2021	EPA's Fiscal Years 2019 and 2018 Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Fund Financial Statements	21-F-0045	Operating efficiently and effectively	FA

2020 OIG Reports are available.