EPA Could Benefit From Comprehensive Management Information on Superfund Enforcement Actions

Gao ID: RCED-85-3 December 28, 1984

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the extent of management information available to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in carrying out its enforcement responsibilities under the Superfund program.

GAO found that, while EPA headquarters and regional offices have individual management information systems for tracking Superfund enforcement actions, there is no such system that covers the entire agency. Most such systems were developed in recent years, as the growing Superfund case load prompted program managers to develop systematic ways of tracking enforcement actions. Many EPA officials believe that, if the Superfund enforcement case load continues to increase as expected, an agencywide information system could enable program managers to better address comprehensive Superfund issues such as the length of the enforcement process, whether enforcement milestones are met, and resource allocation. However, EPA has not assessed the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive Superfund enforcement tracking system.

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.

Director: Hugh J. Wessinger Team: General Accounting Office: Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division Phone: (202) 275-5489


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