EPA's Development of the Carbon Monoxide Standards

GAO discussed the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) development of air quality standards for carbon monoxide, focusing on: (1) research used by EPA to support the standards it developed; and (2) how communication between EPA, the Veterans Administration (VA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) affected the development of the standards. GAO stated that, while there was some doubt about the validity of some early studies on which EPA based the standards, EPA did not change the standards because other studies, conducted by a VA researcher, indicated that carbon monoxide adversely affected people with certain cardiovascular conditions. EPA later discovered that the researcher was investigated by FDA for alleged falsification of research results. The doubt cast upon the researcher's work by this investigation left EPA with only one study that supported its carbon monoxide standards. EPA concluded, however, that the study adequately supported proposed revisions to the standards, and it proposed such revisions. GAO also stated that VA never notified EPA about the investigation of the researcher; however, FDA later notified EPA of the investigation. VA officials stated that they did not notify EPA of the investigation because they considered it an internal personnel matter. EPA officials told GAO that, had they known about the investigation earlier, they would have reexamined the database supporting the carbon monoxide standards. GAO believes that: (1) VA erred in not notifying EPA of the investigation; and (2) EPA can avoid similar problems in the future by ensuring that key research is replicated or otherwise verified.