Need for Better Accountability for Cost of Offsite Radiological Monitoring Service

Gao ID: EMD-77-69 September 27, 1977

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a cost-reimbursable agreement with the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) under which EPA Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory-Las Vegas (EMSL) conducts offsite radiological monitoring of ERDA Nevada Test Site and is reimbursed by ERDA for providing those services. ERDA responsibilities under the agreement will be transferred to the Department of Energy.

EPA has been substantially overcharging ERDA for EMSL services. The exact amount of the overcharges was not determined, however, due to inadequate accountability by EMSL for costs incurred under the agreement and uncertainty about which costs should be reimbursable under the agreement. During the first 6 months of fiscal year 1977, EMSL had charged ERDA $949,900 for costs of providing agreement services, about 95 percent of which costs were labor charges. EMSL was generally not charging ERDA for the actual labor costs of the employees who were actually doing the monitoring, but rather for persons scheduled to perform the monitoring.

Recommendations

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