Assessment of Grant Expenditures To Fund New Jersey Interagency Toxic Waste Investigations/Prosecutions Program

GAO reviewed certain aspects of the New Jersey Interagency Toxic Waste Investigations/Prosecutions Program. The review focused on two Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) grants and one Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant and related matching state funds which were used to fund the activities of the program. The work covered program operations by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

The GAO test of grant expenditures disclosed that some expenditures in the area of laboratory services were for nongrant purposes. An objective of the EPA grant was to have a state laboratory sampling and analysis capability for chemical wastes. Designated staff were to be provided with the necessary technical assistance from the EPA regional laboratory. Existing equipment available to the State Medical Examiner was to be used in this effort. Contrary to the grant objective, a state toxic waste sampling and analytical capability has not been established in the State Medical Examiner's office. Although two technical staff members were paid from grant funds for periods of 6 and 5 months, respectively, they did not perform toxic analysis work. Toxic analysis service was obtained primarily from private laboratories.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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