Environmental Protection Agency
Major Management Challenges Gao ID: GAO-09-434 March 4, 2009The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) overarching mission is to protect human health and the environment by implementing and enforcing environmental laws intended to improve the quality of the nation's air and water and to protect its land. EPA's policies and programs affect virtually all segments of the economy, society, and government. As such, it operates in a highly complex and controversial regulatory arena. In recent years, GAO has identified several key challenges EPA faces and corrective actions that would enable the agency to more effectively accomplish its mission. GAO was asked to identify challenges at EPA that hinder its ability to implement its programs effectively, based on prior GAO work. These challenges include (1) improving agencywide management, (2) transforming EPA's processes for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals, (3) improving implementation of the Clean Air Act, (4) reducing pollution in the nation's waters, (5) speeding the pace of cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, and (6) addressing emerging climate change issues.
EPA faces the following challenges that hinder its ability to implement its programs effectively: (1) improving agencywide management, (2) transforming EPA's processes for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals, (3) improving implementation of the Clean Air Act, (4) reducing pollution in the nation's waters, (5) speeding the pace of cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, and (6) addressing emerging climate change issues. EPA has launched various initiatives to address crosscutting general management issues, including environmental enforcement and compliance, human capital management, and the development and use of environmental information. However, these initiatives have generally fallen considerably short of their intended results. EPA has failed to develop sufficient chemical assessment information to limit public exposure to many chemicals that may pose substantial health risks. In January 2009, GAO added a new issue--the need to transform EPA's process for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals--to its list of high-risk areas warranting increased attention by Congress and the executive branch. EPA faces many important challenges related to implementation of the Clean Air Act, including those highlighted by GAO regarding its coordination with other federal agencies, analyses of health impacts from air pollution, and delays in regulating mercury and other air toxics. EPA also faces challenges relating to numerous regulatory proposals that have been overturned or remanded by the courts. EPA partners with federal, state, and local agencies and others to reduce pollution in the nation's waters. Among the most daunting water pollution control problems, the nation's water utilities face billions of dollars in upgrades to aging and deteriorating infrastructures that left unaddressed can affect the quality of our water. EPA will receive $6 billion in additional water infrastructure funding from the recently passed stimulus bill. Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, better known as Superfund, in 1980, giving the federal government the authority to ensure the cleanup of hazardous waste sites both on private and public lands. Nonetheless, several key management problems have not been resolved since that time. For example, citing competing priorities and lack of funds, EPA has not implemented a 1980 statutory mandate under Superfund to require businesses handling hazardous substances to provide financial assurances to pay for potential environmental cleanups. In GAO's view, the federal government's approach to climate change has been ad hoc and is not well coordinated across government agencies. For example, the federal government lacks a comprehensive approach for targeting federal research dollars toward the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies.
GAO-09-434, Environmental Protection Agency: Major Management Challenges
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Report to the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives:
United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
March 2009:
Environmental Protection Agency:
Major Management Challenges:
GAO-09-434:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-09-434, a report to the Subcommittee on Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House
of Representatives.
Why GAO Did This Study:
The Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) overarching mission is to
protect human health and the environment by implementing and enforcing
environmental laws intended to improve the quality of the nation‘s air
and water and to protect its land. EPA‘s policies and programs affect
virtually all segments of the economy, society, and government. As
such, it operates in a highly complex and controversial regulatory
arena. In recent years, GAO has identified several key challenges EPA
faces and corrective actions that would enable the agency to more
effectively accomplish its mission.
GAO was asked to identify challenges at EPA that hinder its ability to
implement its programs effectively, based on prior GAO work. These
challenges include (1) improving agencywide management, (2)
transforming EPA‘s processes for assessing and controlling toxic
chemicals, (3) improving implementation of the Clean Air Act, (4)
reducing pollution in the nation‘s waters, (5) speeding the pace of
cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, and (6)
addressing emerging climate change issues.
What GAO Found:
EPA faces the following challenges that hinder its ability to implement
its programs effectively:
* Improving agencywide management. EPA has launched various initiatives
to address crosscutting general management issues, including
environmental enforcement and compliance, human capital management, and
the development and use of environmental information. However, these
initiatives have generally fallen considerably short of their intended
results.
* Transforming EPA‘s processes for assessing and controlling toxic
chemicals. EPA has failed to develop sufficient chemical assessment
information to limit public exposure to many chemicals that may pose
substantial health risks. In January 2009, GAO added a new issue”the
need to transform EPA‘s process for assessing and controlling toxic
chemicals”to its list of high-risk areas warranting increased attention
by Congress and the executive branch.
* Improving implementation of the Clean Air Act. EPA faces many
important challenges related to implementation of the Clean Air Act,
including those highlighted by GAO regarding its coordination with
other federal agencies, analyses of health impacts from air pollution,
and delays in regulating mercury and other air toxics. EPA also faces
challenges relating to numerous regulatory proposals that have been
overturned or remanded by the courts.
* Reducing pollution in the nation‘s waters. EPA partners with federal,
state, and local agencies and others to reduce pollution in the
nation‘s waters. Among the most daunting water pollution control
problems, the nation‘s water utilities face billions of dollars in
upgrades to aging and deteriorating infrastructures that left
unaddressed can affect the quality of our water. EPA will receive $6
billion in additional water infrastructure funding from the recently
passed stimulus bill.
* Speeding the pace of cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste
sites. Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, better known as Superfund, in 1980,
giving the federal government the authority to ensure the cleanup of
hazardous waste sites both on private and public lands. Nonetheless,
several key management problems have not been resolved since that time.
For example, citing competing priorities and lack of funds, EPA has not
implemented a 1980 statutory mandate under Superfund to require
businesses handling hazardous substances to provide financial
assurances to pay for potential environmental cleanups.
* Addressing emerging climate change issues. In GAO‘s view, the federal
government‘s approach to climate change has been ad hoc and is not well
coordinated across government agencies. For example, the federal
government lacks a comprehensive approach for targeting federal
research dollars toward the development and deployment of low-carbon
technologies.
What GAO Recommends:
GAO has made a number of recommendations intended to improve EPA‘s
programs by enhancing the information it uses to manage them and
strengthening internal controls. EPA has concurred with most of the
recommendations but has been slow to implement some of them.
View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-09-434] or key
components. For more information, contact John Stephenson at (202) 512-
3841 or stephensonj@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Contents:
Letter:
Improving Agencywide Management:
Transforming EPA's Processes for Assessing and Controlling Toxic
Chemicals:
Improve Implementation of the Clean Air Act:
Reducing Pollution in the Nation's Waters:
Speeding the Pace of Cleanup at Superfund and Other Hazardous Waste
Sites:
Addressing Emerging Climate Change Issues:
Concluding Observations:
Appendix I: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
Related GAO Products:
[End of section]
United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
March 4, 2009:
The Honorable Norman D. Dicks:
Chairman:
The Honorable Michael K. Simpson:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:
Committee on Appropriations:
House of Representatives:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) operates in a highly complex
and controversial regulatory arena, and its policies and programs
affect virtually all segments of the economy, society, and government.
EPA's overarching mission is to protect human health and the
environment by implementing and enforcing environmental laws intended
to improve the quality of our air and water and to protect our land. As
you know, EPA's responsibilities are carried out under a complex set of
environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA). The agency is composed of major offices aligned
with environmental laws and 10 regional offices. The agency's budget
has been declining in recent years from $7.8 billion in fiscal year
2000 to $7.1 billion requested for fiscal year 2009--a decline of about
28 percent in real terms.[Footnote 1] EPA's 2009 budget included about
$939 million for clean air and climate change, $2.6 billion for clean
water, and $1.7 billion for land restoration. The just-released
President's fiscal year 2010 budget request includes $ 10.5 billion for
EPA. EPA will also receive an additional $7.2 billion in stimulus
funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,
primarily for water infrastructure projects and Superfund.
Charged initially with cleaning up pollution of the environment, EPA's
tasks have become increasingly complicated as we understand more about
the dangers and pervasiveness of toxic substances. The emergence of
issues such as stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change suggest
that the agency's responsibilities will continue to grow. Furthermore,
enforcement activities primarily occur in EPA's 10 regions, which
possess considerable autonomy--causing significant variations in
enforcement activities from region to region. EPA also implements
regulations to benefit public health and the environment while
balancing, as appropriate, the cost to industry and others--a
particularly controversial issue--and implements laws, such as the
Clean Air Act, while complying with numerous court orders resulting
from the myriad lawsuits brought against the agency by states,
concerned citizens, special interest groups, and others.
Considering EPA's evolving roles and responsibilities, we were asked to
identify the major management challenges and program risks that EPA
faces as it works to accomplish its mission of protecting human health
and the environment. These challenges include (1) improving agencywide
management, (2) transforming EPA's processes for assessing and
controlling toxic chemicals, (3) improving implementation of the Clean
Air Act, (4) reducing pollution in the nation's waters, (5) speeding
the pace of cleanup at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites, and
(6) addressing emerging climate change issues. All of the material in
this report is drawn from our work over the last few years. (See
Related GAO Products at the end of this report). In these reports, GAO
has made a number of recommendations intended to improve EPA's programs
by enhancing the information it uses to manage its programs and
strengthening internal controls. EPA has generally concurred with our
recommendations, but has been slow to implement some of them.[Footnote
2]
Improving Agencywide Management:
Our past work has identified several major management challenges at
EPA, including ensuring consistent environmental enforcement and
compliance, addressing human capital issues, and improving the
development and use of environmental information.
* Ensuring consistent environmental enforcement and compliance. EPA has
authorized states to carry out much of the day-to-day responsibilities
for timely, appropriate enforcement of environmental laws; however, we
found that EPA does not effectively oversee how well the states are
carrying out these responsibilities. Specifically, we found that EPA
has not (1) identified the causes of poorly performing state
enforcement programs, (2) informed the public about how well the states
are implementing their enforcement responsibilities, and (3) assessed
the performance of EPA's regional offices in carrying out their state
oversight responsibilities--performance that has been inconsistent over
the years. EPA has also been slow to improve long-standing problems in
its enforcement data, which, among other things, hampers its ability to
accurately determine the universe and characteristics of entities
needing regulation to ensure that (1) the public is afforded equal
protection under environmental laws and (2) regulated parties,
taxpayers, and ratepayers are not subjected to widely varying costs of
environmental compliance among regions. Further, we have reported that
how EPA calculates and reports penalties, the value of injunctive
relief, and the amount of resulting pollution reduction may undermine
the transparency and accuracy of its reported outcomes and cause EPA to
both over-and underreport its enforcement achievements.[Footnote 3]
We have recommended that EPA enhance its oversight of regional and
state enforcement activities to implement environmental programs
consistent with the requirements of federal statutes and regulations.
We also recommended that EPA develop an action plan for addressing
enforcement problems identified in state programs; ensure that states
have sufficient resources to implement and enforce programs, as
authorized by EPA; and help the states improve their capacity for
enforcement.[Footnote 4] EPA should also routinely conduct performance
assessments of regional and state enforcement programs and communicate
the results of the assessments to the public and the regulated
industry. We also recommended that the EPA Administrator take a number
of actions to disclose more information when reporting penalties and
estimates of the value of injunctive relief and pollution reduction.
[Footnote 5]
EPA has generally agreed with our recommendations and is in the process
of implementing them. In particular, the agency has developed an
initiative known as the State Review Framework that it believes will
(1) address many of the long-term problems related to providing fair,
consistent, and transparent enforcement throughout the country and (2)
obtain accurate data that can be used to determine the extent of state
compliance with enforcement standards and the need for corrective
actions. However, such efforts are still in the early stages, and their
success is uncertain and will depend on continued commitment of senior
management along with sufficient priority and resources. EPA also
stated that it would take actions to disclose more information when
reporting estimates of injunctive relief and pollution reductions and
consider our recommendation to report collected penalties.
* Addressing human capital issues. EPA has struggled for several years
to identify its needs for human resources and to deploy its staff
throughout the country in a manner that would do the most good. We
found that EPA's process for budgeting and allocating resources does
not fully consider the agency's current workload, and that in preparing
requests for funding and staffing, EPA makes incremental adjustments,
largely based on an antiquated workforce planning system that does not
reflect a bottom-up review of the nature or distribution of the current
workload.[Footnote 6] Moreover, EPA's human capital management systems
have not kept pace with changes that have occurred over the years as a
result of changing legislative requirements and priorities, changes in
environmental conditions in different regions of the country, and the
much more active role that states now play in carrying out day-to-day-
activities of federal environmental programs.
To remedy its antiquated and unscientific methods for determining
workload and allocating staff resources, we recommended that EPA
substantially improve its resource planning by identifying the factors
that derive the national and regional workload and develop more
realistic allocation systems for deploying staff with the requisite
skills and capabilities to areas of the country where they are most
needed to address the highest-priority needs.
EPA has not paid sufficient attention to human capital issues over the
years. During the past several years, EPA has taken a number of actions
to improve its workforce management. For example, the agency has
developed a strategic approach to ensure that it has, and will continue
to have, the requisite competencies to carry out its programs
effectively. Nonetheless, the number of regional staff at individual
offices and their skills and competencies continue to be driven
primarily by historical staffing patterns rather than a fresh
assessment of regional needs, given the regional workload and the role
that states play in the enforcement process, which varies greatly from
region to region.
* Improving development and use of environmental information. Critical,
reliable environmental information is needed to provide better
scientific understanding of environmental trends and conditions and to
better inform the public about environmental progress in their locales.
We found substantial gaps between what is known and the goal of full,
reliable, and insightful representation of environmental conditions and
trends to provide direction for future research and monitoring efforts.
[Footnote 7] EPA has struggled with providing a focus and the necessary
resources for environmental information since its inception in 1970.
While many data have been collected over the years, most water, air,
and land programs lack the detailed environmental trend information to
address the well-being of Americans. EPA program areas have also been
hampered by deficiencies in their environmental data systems. For
example, the quality of environmental data constrains EPA's ability to
assess the effectiveness of its enforcement policies and programs
throughout the country and to inform the public about the health and
environmental hazards of dangerous chemicals.
We recommended that EPA better emphasize the development and use of
environmental indicators and information, not only in its strategic
plan but also as a mechanism for prioritizing its allocation of limited
resources and measuring the success of environmental policies and
programs. GAO and policymakers in the executive and legislative
branches have proposed the establishment of a Bureau of Environmental
Statistics to provide the focus and resources needed to address the
nation's current and long-term environmental conditions and trends.
Such a bureau would ensure top-level commitment, interagency
coordination, and clear responsibility for ensuring the
comprehensiveness and credibility of environmental information. In
addition, we recommended that EPA develop a consistent approach to
ensure the transparency and accuracy of measures to determine its
program effectiveness. Finally, we also recommended that EPA ensure
that information on environmental health risks and on companies that
manufacture and use toxic chemicals is effectively collected and
communicated to the public.
EPA has generally agreed with our recommendations, and has made some
progress in trying to obtain and use improved environmental information
over the past several years. However, the agency's efforts have been
sporadic and spread among the various EPA offices. As such, the
environmental information initiatives at EPA have been incomplete and
lack a high-priority, coordinated, strategic approach that is necessary
to link limited resources with the most critical data needs.
Transforming EPA's Processes for Assessing and Controlling Toxic
Chemicals:
EPA's ability to effectively implement its mission of protecting public
health and the environment depends on credible and timely assessment of
the risks posed by toxic chemicals. Such assessments are the
cornerstone of scientifically sound environmental decisions, policies,
and regulations under a variety of statutes, such as TSCA. However, EPA
has failed to develop sufficient chemical assessment information to
determine whether it should establish controls to limit public exposure
to many chemicals that may pose substantial health risks. As discussed
below, in a number of reports, we have identified actions that are
needed to (1) enhance EPA's ability under TSCA, among other things, to
obtain health and safety information from the chemical industry and (2)
streamline and increase the transparency of EPA's Integrated Risk
Information System (IRIS) that provides EPA's scientific position on
the potential human health effects of more than 540 chemicals.
TSCA generally places the burden of obtaining data on chemicals used in
commerce on EPA, rather than on the companies that produce the
chemicals. For example, TSCA requires EPA to demonstrate certain health
or environmental risks before it can require companies to further test
their chemicals. As a result, EPA does not routinely assess the risks
of the roughly 80,000 industrial chemicals in use. Moreover, TSCA does
not require chemical companies to test the approximately 700 new
chemicals introduced into commerce annually for their toxicity, and
companies generally do not voluntarily perform such testing. Further,
the procedures EPA must follow in obtaining test data from companies
can take years to complete. In contrast, the European Union's chemical
control legislation generally places the burden on companies to provide
health effects data on the chemicals they produce. In previous reports
on TSCA, we have suggested that Congress consider statutory changes to
strengthen EPA's authority to obtain information from the chemical
industry.[Footnote 8] We continue to believe that giving EPA more
authority to obtain data from the companies producing chemicals would
improve the effectiveness of TSCA and thereby enhance EPA's ability to
protect public health and the environment.
In addition, while TSCA authorizes EPA to issue regulations that may,
among other things, ban existing toxic chemicals or place limits on
their production or use, the statutory requirements EPA must meet
present a legal threshold that has proven difficult for EPA and
discourages the agency from using these authorities. For example, EPA
must demonstrate "unreasonable risk," which EPA believes requires it to
conduct extensive cost-benefit analyses, to ban or limit chemical
production. Since 1976, EPA has issued regulations to control only five
existing chemicals determined to present an unreasonable risk. Further,
its 1989 regulation phasing out most uses of asbestos was vacated by a
federal appeals court in 1991 because it was not based on "substantial
evidence." In contrast, the European Union and a number of other
countries have largely banned asbestos, a known human carcinogen that
can cause lung cancer and other diseases. We have previously suggested
that Congress consider amending TSCA to reduce the evidentiary burden
EPA must meet to control toxic substances and continue to believe such
change warrants serious consideration.[Footnote 9]
Also, under TSCA, EPA has a limited ability to provide the public with
information on chemical production and risk because of the act's
prohibitions on the disclosure of confidential business information.
About 95 percent of the notices companies have provided to EPA on new
chemicals contain some information claimed as confidential. While EPA
believes that some claims of confidential business information may be
unwarranted, challenging the claims is time-and resource-intensive, and
EPA does not challenge most claims. Importantly, state environmental
agencies and others have said that information claimed as confidential
would help them in such activities as developing contingency plans to
alert emergency response personnel to the presence of highly toxic
substances at manufacturing facilities. The European Union's chemical
control legislation generally provides greater public access to the
chemical information it receives. We previously suggested that Congress
(1) consider authorizing EPA to share with the states and foreign
governments the confidential business information that chemical
companies provide to EPA, subject to regulations to be established by
EPA that would set forth the procedures to be followed by all
recipients of the information in order to protect the information from
unauthorized disclosures, and (2) consider limiting the length of time
for which information may be claimed as confidential without
resubstantiation of the need for confidentiality.[Footnote 10]
We have also identified significant problems with EPA's process for
developing chemical assessments under EPA's IRIS program. Created in
1985 to provide EPA with consensus opinions within the agency on the
health effects of chronic exposure to chemicals, the IRIS database
provides the basic information EPA needs to determine whether it should
establish controls, for example, to protect the public from exposure to
toxic chemicals in the air and water and at hazardous waste sites. In
2008, we reported that the IRIS database, which contains assessments of
more than 540 toxic chemicals, is at serious risk of becoming obsolete
because EPA has not been able to keep its existing assessments current
or to complete assessments of the most important chemicals of concern.
[Footnote 11] Factors contributing to EPA's inability to complete
assessments in a timely manner--including reviews required by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of IRIS assessments; certain
management decisions, such as delaying some assessments to await new
research; and the compounding effect of delays--can force EPA to
essentially restart assessments to incorporate changing science and
methods.
In fact, a number of key chemicals have been caught in a seemingly
endless review cycle, limiting EPA's ability to protect the public
health from ubiquitous chemicals that are likely to cause cancer or
other serious health effects. For example, EPA's formaldehyde and
dioxin assessments have been in progress for about 12 and 18 years,
respectively. Overall, EPA has finalized a total of only 9 assessments
in the past 3 fiscal years; as of December 2007, most of the 70 ongoing
assessments had been in progress for more than 5 years; and more than
half of all current assessments may be outdated. Moreover, the OMB-
required reviews, which are not publicly available, limit the
credibility of the assessments because they involve federal agencies
that may be affected by the assessments should they lead to regulatory
actions. We recommended that EPA adopt a streamlined, more transparent
assessment process. In its response, EPA estimated that under its
proposed changes to the assessment process, most assessments would take
from 3 to 4-1/2 years and mission-critical assessments would take up to
6 years. However, we believe that an IRIS assessment process built
around such time frames is problematic. As we stated in our reports,
when assessments take longer than 2 years, they can become subject to
substantial delays stemming from the need to redo key analyses to take
into account changing science and assessment methodologies.[Footnote
12]
Some of our prior recommendations on IRIS and TSCA, aimed at providing
EPA with information needed to support its assessment of toxic
chemicals, have not been implemented. For example, when EPA implemented
a new IRIS assessment process in 2008, it did not incorporate our
recommendations to streamline and increase the transparency of the
process. In fact, the new IRIS assessment process exacerbates the
productivity and credibility concerns GAO identified. Further, our
recommendations aimed at providing EPA with the information needed to
support its assessments of industrial chemicals under TSCA have not
been implemented. Without greater attention to EPA's efforts to assess
toxic chemicals, the nation lacks assurance that human health and the
environment are adequately protected. Because of the importance of this
issue, and the lack of progress in implementing much-needed change to
TSCA, in January 2009 we added transforming EPA's processes for
assessing and controlling toxic chemicals to our list of high-risk
areas needing added attention by Congress and the executive branch.
Improve Implementation of the Clean Air Act:
The Clean Air Act, a comprehensive federal law that regulates air
pollution from stationary and mobile sources, was passed in 1963 to
improve and protect the quality of the nation's air. The act was
substantially overhauled in 1970 when Congress required EPA to
establish national ambient air quality standards for pollutants at
levels that are necessary to protect public health with an adequate
margin of safety and to protect public welfare from adverse effects.
EPA has set such standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, particulate
matter, sulfur oxides, nitrogen dioxide, and lead. In addition, the act
directed the states to specify how they would achieve and maintain
compliance with the national standard for each pollutant. Congress
amended the act again in 1977 and 1990. The 1977 amendments were passed
primarily to set new goals and dates for attaining the standards
because many areas of the country had failed to meet the deadlines set
previously. The act was amended again in 1990 when several new themes
were incorporated into it, including encouraging the use of market-
based approaches to reduce emissions, such as cap-and-trade programs.
In recent years, our work has identified several key challenges in
implementing the Clean Air Act, and made recommendations to EPA
intended to enhance the effectiveness of its clean air programs. First,
we have identified areas where EPA could improve its coordination with
the Department of Transportation in making planning decisions.[Footnote
13] Second, we have found that while EPA had taken steps to strengthen
its estimates of health benefits from rules reducing particulate matter
air pollution, the agency needed to ensure continued resources toward
improving analysis of the uncertainty underlying its estimates[Footnote
14]. Third, we have identified delays and shortcomings with EPA's
development of rules intended to limit emissions of toxic air
pollutants and recommended that the agency develop a plan to improve
its management of the air toxics program.[Footnote 15] In fact, when
addressing EPA's air quality standards in a recent hearing on
children's health, we noted that EPA largely disregarded
recommendations from its advisory committee, and recommended that the
agency examine ways to use its advisors to reinvigorate its focus on
the health of children, who are often disproportionately affected by
air pollution.[Footnote 16] Fourth, we identified major shortcomings
with EPA's economic justification for a proposed rule to limit mercury
emissions from power plants and recommended, among other things, that
the agency conduct its analysis consistent with OMB guidance for
economic analysis and better document its findings.[Footnote 17] EPA
stated that it would address the recommendations by, for example,
conducting additional analysis on the rule.
EPA also faces a number of challenges related to clean air regulatory
decisions that have been vacated or remanded to the agency by the
courts. These include regulatory proposals or agency decisions related
to (1) mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants; (2) long-range
transport of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides--pollutants that
contribute to acid rain and other air quality problems--emitted by
power plants; (3) the New Source Review program, a permitting program
that among other goals seeks to prevent air quality degradation from
the addition of new and modified factories, industrial boilers, and
power plants; and (4) whether EPA and the states can use existing
authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. Each of
these issues, along with those identified in our prior work, will
require substantial management attention in the near term.
Reducing Pollution in the Nation's Waters:
The Clean Water Act establishes the basic structure for regulating
discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and
regulating the quality of surface waters. However, the law's
effectiveness has been challenged by the fact that many pollution
sources are decentralized and diffuse in nature, and therefore
difficult to monitor and regulate. One such source is urban storm water
runoff. Pollutants and sediment carried by storm water, as well as the
volume and temperature of runoff, can alter aquatic habitats and make
it hard for fish and other organisms to survive.[Footnote 18] Some
pollutants can also make fish and shellfish unsafe to eat. Moreover,
polluted storm water runoff can negatively affect those who use fresh-
and saltwater areas for swimming and boating. For example, swimmers in
water with high levels of bacteria have a greater risk of contracting
gastrointestinal or respiratory illnesses. However, EPA still has not
developed rapid water-testing methods and current water quality
standards.[Footnote 19]
The safety of our nation's water is also threatened by other factors,
such as pollutants discharged from large-scale animal feeding
operations that enter water bodies. More than a dozen government-
sponsored or peer-reviewed studies since 2002 on water pollutants
emitted by concentrated animal-feeding operations found increased
levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, or hormones in surface water and
groundwater near animal-feeding operations. According to EPA, excessive
amounts of these nutrients can deplete oxygen in water, which could
result in fish deaths, reduced aquatic diversity, and illness in
infants.[Footnote 20] Despite its long-term regulation of concentrated
animal-feeding operations, EPA still lacks comprehensive and reliable
data on the number, location, and size of the operations that have been
issued permits and the amounts of discharges they release. As a result,
EPA has neither the information it needs to assess the extent to which
concentrated animal-feeding operations may be contributing to water
pollution, nor the information it needs to ensure compliance with the
Clean Water Act.[Footnote 21]
EPA partners with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as
nongovernmental organizations, to develop and implement approaches that
can reduce pollution in our nation's significant water bodies. However,
after decades of EPA and its partners spearheading restoration efforts
in areas such as the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, improvements
in these water bodies remain elusive. Lack of targeted strategies;
coordination among federal, state, and local stakeholders; and
realistic goals to ensure that limited restoration resources are being
used for the most effective restoration activities appear to be long-
standing issues impeding such efforts.
In recent years, we have made many recommendations to help EPA address
these problems. To more effectively regulate the discharges from large-
scale animal-feeding operations, EPA should complete its efforts to
develop an inventory of permitted operations.[Footnote 22] In addition,
we recommended that EPA evaluate the implementation of the storm water
program and issue additional program guidance and consider regulatory
changes to improve the quality and consistency of activity reporting by
communities. To better protect the safety of our nation's beaches, EPA
needs to publish new or revised water quality criteria for pathogens
and pathogen indicators and develop specific guidance on monitoring
frequency and methods of public notification.[Footnote 23] In addition,
we recommended that EPA ensure that the Chesapeake Bay Program--a
partnership between EPA, several states, and the Chesapeake Bay
Commission--develops a coordinated implementation strategy that unifies
its various planning documents and establishes a means to better target
its limited resources to the most cost-effective restoration
activities.[Footnote 24] We also recommended that for its Great Lakes
Initiative, EPA develop a more consistent permitting strategy for
controlling mercury and gather more information to help it develop
water quality standards and assess the effect of programs intended to
minimize pollutants that are exceeding standards.[Footnote 25]
EPA agreed with our recommendations in these areas. For example, while
EPA expected to take several years to fully implement a national data
system, EPA and states are currently working to develop and implement a
national data system to collect and record facility-specific
information on concentrated animal-feeding operations and other
facilities through its Integrated Compliance Information System, and
has initiated an effort to develop a rule to establish required data
elements and reporting frequencies. Likewise, for the storm water
program, EPA has taken steps to improve the quality and consistency of
program data reported by communities and is currently developing
guidance, including a reporting form that it believes will help the
agency obtain better data for evaluating the program. Finally, EPA
agreed with our recommendations regarding the Chesapeake Bay Program,
and plans to work with the Great Lakes states in assessing approaches
for reducing mercury in lieu of developing a mercury permitting
strategy.
In addition, in coming years among the most daunting water pollution
control problems will be those faced by the nation's water utilities in
grappling with the multibillion-dollar costs of upgrading aging and
deteriorating infrastructures and building new ones to serve a growing
population.[Footnote 26] Frequent and highly publicized incidences of
combined sewer overflows into rivers and streams as well as water main
breaks in the nation's largest cities are the most visible
manifestation of this mounting problem. Overall, water infrastructure
needs across the country have been estimated to cost from $485 billion
to nearly $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years. Even before the current
financial crisis, many water utilities had difficulty raising funds to
repair, replace, or upgrade aging capital assets; comply with
regulatory requirements; and expand capacity to meet increased demand.
For example, based on a nationwide survey of several thousand drinking
water and wastewater utilities, we reported several years ago that
about one-third of the utilities (1) deferred maintenance because of
insufficient funds, (2) had 20 percent or more of their pipelines
nearing the end of their useful life, and (3) lacked basic plans for
managing their capital assets.[Footnote 27]
We noted in the past that better management techniques can, at least to
some extent, help utilities make the best use of available dollars in
their struggle to meet their infrastructure needs. For example, we
recommended comprehensive asset management--a technique whereby water
systems systematically identify their needs, set priorities, and better
target their investments--as a tool for helping utilities make better
use of available funds. Additional funds, however, will ultimately be
needed to narrow the enormous gap between water infrastructure needs
and available resources. Of note, EPA will receive $6 billion in
additional water infrastructure funding from the recently passed
stimulus bill. EPA agreed with our recommendations, and while it has
undertaken a number of approaches to encourage asset management, such
as implementing a sustainable infrastructure initiative and offering
training sessions on best practices, there is further work needed to
encourage comprehensive asset management across the nation.
Speeding the Pace of Cleanup at Superfund and Other Hazardous Waste
Sites:
In 1980, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, establishing the Superfund program and
giving the federal government the authority to respond to chemical
emergencies and to clean up hazardous waste sites on private and public
lands. The Superfund program addresses both short-and long-term risks
from toxic chemicals. The act established a trust fund financed
primarily by taxes on crude oil and certain chemicals to pay for EPA's
cleanup activities. The authority for these taxes expired in 1995; EPA
must now primarily rely on annual appropriations from the general fund
to fund cleanups. These appropriations, when adjusted for inflation,
have been declining and the pace of cleanups has slowed.[Footnote 28]
Furthermore, citing competing priorities and lack of funds, EPA has not
implemented a 1980 statutory mandate under Superfund to require
businesses handling hazardous substances to demonstrate their ability
to pay for potential environmental cleanups--that is, to provide
financial assurances.[Footnote 29] Because of this inaction, EPA has
exposed the Superfund program and U.S. taxpayers to potentially
enormous cleanup costs at gold, lead, and other mining sites and other
industrial operations. In addition, we found that EPA faces challenges
in ensuring that institutional controls--legal or administrative
restrictions on land or resource use to protect against exposure to
residual contamination at hazardous waste sites--are adequately
implemented, monitored, and enforced.[Footnote 30]
In 1984, Congress required EPA to devise regulations for the design and
operation of underground tanks. In response, in 1985, EPA began
developing the Underground Storage Tank program to prevent releases of
petroleum and hazardous substances into the environment, detect
releases when they occur, and clean up any contamination resulting from
a release. To support the program and provide public funding to states
to ensure that releases from tanks are cleaned up, in 1986 Congress
established the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund, funded
primarily through an excise tax on gasoline and other motor fuels. The
fund has since grown to an estimated $3.2 billion at the end of fiscal
year 2008, yet the pace of cleanup remains slow. Under the program,
tank owners and operators are primarily responsible for paying to clean
up releases from their tanks. They can demonstrate their financial
responsibility by using, among other options, state financial assurance
funds. However, we found that tank owners sometimes fail to maintain
adequate financial responsibility coverage and that several states'
assurance funds may lack sufficient resources to ensure timely
cleanups.[Footnote 31]
Finally, in 2005 we found that federal and state agencies had
identified perchlorate--a component of rocket fuel known to affect
human health--in groundwater, soil, or public drinking water systems at
almost 400 sites across the country. Nevertheless, there is no federal
drinking water standard or specific requirement to clean up perchlorate
and the National Academy of Sciences called for additional research on
the effects of perchlorate exposure.[Footnote 32]
We have made several recommendations to help EPA more quickly clean up
hazardous waste sites. Specifically, we recommended that EPA (1) ensure
that financial assurances are in place for sites that manufacture or
use toxic chemicals; (2) improve the institutional controls at
contaminated sites to ensure better protection of the public from
inappropriate use of such sites; (3) ensure that the owners of
underground storage tanks maintain access to adequate financial
resources for cleaning up leaks and that state insurance funds provide
reliable coverage for cleaning up leaking tanks; and (4) establish a
formal structure to centrally track and monitor perchlorate detections
and the status of cleanup efforts.
EPA has generally agreed with our recommendations in these areas, but
has not yet implemented any of them. EPA disagreed with our
recommendation regarding establishing a perchlorate tracking structure
because the agency believes that it already has sufficient capability
to track and monitor perchlorate detection and cleanup efforts.
Nevertheless, we continue to believe that such a system would better
inform the public and others about perchlorate's presence in their
communities.
Addressing Emerging Climate Change Issues:
In addition to the challenges with which EPA has struggled for years,
new challenges are emerging, chief among them, climate change. Changes
in the earth's climate attributable to increased concentrations of
greenhouse gases may have significant environmental and economic
impacts in the United States and internationally. Among other potential
impacts, climate change could threaten coastal areas with rising sea
levels, alter agricultural productivity, and increase the intensity and
frequency of floods and tropical storms. Furthermore, climate change
has implications for the fiscal health of the federal government,
affecting federal crop and flood insurance programs, and placing new
stresses on infrastructure and natural resources. Accordingly, there
are numerous legislative proposals for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and reducing the nation's use and dependence on fossil fuels.
EPA will be at the center of the federal government's strategy for
addressing this monumental challenge.
We have previously reported that the federal government's approach to
climate change has been ad hoc, not comprehensive, and not well
coordinated across government agencies. Specifically, the federal
government lacks a comprehensive approach for targeting federal
research dollars at the development and deployment of low-carbon
technologies. Federal land management agencies are behind in their
efforts to develop strategies and guidance for adapting to climate
change, and federal crop insurance and flood insurance have not yet
embraced the implications of climate change on their portfolios.
Moreover, the technical challenges of carbon capture and storage;
biofuels development, production, and distribution; and alternative
sources of energy have not been fully researched. Finally, energy
conservation efforts have remained stagnant over the past decade.
To inform Congress as it considers various legislative proposals for
addressing climate change, we reported on the economic implications of
different policy options, lessons learned from the European Union's
efforts to implement mandatory carbon reductions, and the Clean
Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol. We also reported on the
challenges in carbon capture and storage--another key component of most
climate change legislative proposals--and identified problems that must
be resolved. We have also issued information on the carbon offset
market, and identified challenges that must be resolved before this can
be a part of climate change legislation.
We have made several recommendations to help various federal agencies
better address climate changes, including recommending that EPA and the
Department of Energy put more rigor into their voluntary emission
reduction programs and track and report results. We also recommended
that federal agencies develop clear written communications to resource
managers that explains how managers are expected to address the effects
of climate change.[Footnote 33] In addition, we recommended that
federal agencies better coordinate and more comprehensively identify
and address research gaps in alternative fuels, clean coal, and other
emission reduction technologies. Finally, we recommended that federal
agencies step up energy conservation efforts.[Footnote 34] Agencies
responsible for voluntary climate change programs, including EPA, as
well as agencies responsible for climate change research generally
agreed with our recommendations but have been slow to implement them.
Concluding Observations:
While EPA has made some progress in improving its operations, many of
the same issues still remain. EPA's mission is, without question, a
difficult one: its policies and programs affect virtually all segments
of the economy, society, and government, and it is in the unenviable
position of enforcing myriad inherently controversial environmental
laws and maintaining a delicate balance between the benefits to public
health and the environment with the cost to industry and others.
Nevertheless, the repetitive and persistent nature of the shortcomings
we have observed over the years points to serious challenges for EPA to
effectively implement its programs. Until it addresses these long-
standing challenges, EPA is unlikely to be able to respond effectively
to much larger emerging challenges, such as climate change. Facing
these challenges head-on will require a sustained commitment by agency
leadership. As a new administration takes office and begins to chart
the agency's course, it will be important for Congress and EPA to
continue to focus on the issues we have identified.
We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional
committees and the Administrator of EPA. The report also is available
at no charge on the GAO Web site at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov].
If you or your staffs have any questions about this report, please
contact me at (202) 512-3841 or stephensonj@gao.gov. Contact points for
our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found
on the last page of this report. GAO staff who made major contributions
to this report are listed in appendix I.
Signed by:
John B. Stephenson:
Director, Natural Resources and Environment:
[End of section]
Appendix I: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contact:
John B. Stephenson, (202) 512-3841 or stephensonb@gao.gov:
Acknowledgments:
In addition to the contact named above, other key contributors to this
report include Kevin Bray, Antoinette Capaccio, Kate Cardamone, Steve
Elstein, Liz Erdmann, Christine Fishkin, Brian Friedman, John Gates,
Melissa Hermes, Michael Hix, Anne Johnson, Rich Johnson, Karen Keegan,
Ed Kratzer, Justin Mausel, Sherry McDonald, Mehrzad Nadji, Emily
Norman, Alison O'Neill, Vincent Price, Diane Raynes, John Smith, Joe
Thompson, and Lisa Vojta.
[End of section]
Related GAO Products:
High-Risk Series:
High-Risk Series: An Update. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-271]. Washington, D.C.: January
2009.
Improving Agencywide Management:
Environmental Enforcement and Compliance:
EPA's Execution of Its Fiscal year 2007 New Budget Authority for the
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program in the Regional Offices.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1109R]. Washington,
D.C.: September 26, 2008.
Environmental Enforcement: EPA Needs to Improve the Accuracy and
Transparency of Measures Used to Report on Program Effectiveness.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1111R]. Washington,
D.C.: September 18, 2008.
Environmental Protection: EPA-State Enforcement Partnership Has
Improved, but EPA's Oversight Needs Further Enhancement. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-883]. Washington, D.C.: July 31,
2007.
Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: EPA's Effort to Improve and
Make More Consistent Its Compliance and Enforcement Activities.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-840T]. Washington, D.C.:
June 28, 2006.
Assessing Human Capital Issues:
EPA's Execution of Its Fiscal year 2007 New Budget Authority for the
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program in the Regional Offices.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1109R]. Washington,
D.C.: September 26, 2008.
Environmental Protection: EPA-State Enforcement Partnership Has
Improved, but EPA's Oversight Needs Further Enhancement. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-883]. Washington, D.C.: July 31,
2007.
Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: EPA's Effort to Improve and
Make More Consistent Its Compliance and Enforcement Activities.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-840T]. Washington, D.C.:
June 28, 2006.
Clean Water Act: Improved Resource Planning Would Help EPA Better
Respond to Changing Needs and Fiscal Constraints. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-721]. Washington, D.C.: July 22,
2005.
Human Capital: Implementing an Effective Workforce Strategy Would Help
EPA to Achieve Its Strategic Goals. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-01-812]. Washington, D.C.: July 31,
2001.
Improving the Development and Use of Environmental information:
Environmental Protection: EPA Needs to Follow Best Practices and
Procedures When Reorganizing Its Library Network. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-579T]. Washington, D.C.: March 13,
2008.
Environmental Protection: EPA Needs to Ensure That Best Practices and
Procedures Are Followed When Making Further Changes to Its Library
Network. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-304].
Washington, D.C.: February 29, 2008.
Toxic Chemical Releases: EPA Actions Could Reduce Environmental
Information Available to Many Communities. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-128]. Washington, D.C.: November 30,
2007.
Measuring Our Nation's Natural Resources and Environmental
Sustainability: Highlights of a Forum Jointly Convened by the
Comptroller General of the United States and the National Academy of
Science. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-127SP].
Washington, D.C.: October 2007.
Environmental Right-To-Know: EPA's Recent Rule Could Reduce
Availability of Toxic Chemical Information Used to Assess Environmental
Justice. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-115T].
Washington, D.C.: October 4, 2007.
Environmental Justice: Measurable Benchmarks Needed to Gauge EPA
Progress in Correcting Past Problems. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1140T]. Washington, D.C.: July 25,
2007.
Environmental Information: EPA Actions Could Reduce the Availability of
Environmental Information to the Public. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-464T]. Washington, D.C.: February 6,
2007.
Environmental Indicators: Better Coordination Is Needed to Develop
Environmental Indicator Sets That Inform Decisions. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-52]. Washington, D.C.: November 17,
2004.
Transforming EPA's Processes for Assessing and Controlling Toxic
Chemicals:
EPA's Execution of Its Fiscal year 2007 New Budget Authority for the
Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program in the Regional Offices.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1109R]. Washington,
D.C.: September 26, 2008.
Environmental Health: EPA Efforts to Address Children's Health Issues
Need Greater Focus, Direction, and Top-Level Commitment. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1155T]. Washington, D.C.: September
16, 2008.
Chemical Assessments: EPA's New Assessment Process Will Further Limit
the Productivity and Credibility of Its Integrated Risk Information
System. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-810T].
Washington, D.C.: May 21, 2008.
Toxic Chemicals: EPA's New Assessment Process Will Increase Challenges
EPA Faces in Evaluating and Regulating Chemicals. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-743T]. Washington, D.C.: April 29,
2008.
Chemical Assessments: Low Productivity and New Interagency Review
Process Limit the Usefulness and Credibility of EPA's Integrated Risk
Information System. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-440]. Washington, D.C.: March 7,
2008.
Chemical Regulation: Comparison of U.S. and Recently Enacted European
Union Approaches to Protect against the Risks of Toxic Chemicals.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-825]. Washington, D.C.:
August 17, 2007.
Environmental Contamination: Department of Defense Activities Related
to Trichloroethylene, Perchlorate, and Other Emerging Contaminants.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1042T]. Washington,
D.C.: July 12, 2007.
Perchlorate: EPA Does Not Systematically Track Incidents of
Contamination. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-797T].
Washington, D.C.: April 25, 2007.
Chemical Regulation: Actions Are Needed to Improve the Effectiveness of
EPA's Chemical Review Program. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-1032T]. Washington, D.C.: August 2,
2006.
Chemical Regulation: Approaches in the United States, Canada, and the
European Union. Washington, D.C.: [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-217R]. November 4, 2005.
Chemical Regulation: Options Exist to Improve EPA's Ability to Assess
Health Risks and Manage Its Chemical Review Program. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-458]. Washington, D.C.: June 13,
2005.
Improving Implementation of the Clean Air Act:
World Trade Center: EPA's Most Recent Test and Clean Program Raises
Concerns That Need to Be Addressed to Better Prepare for Indoor
Contamination Following Disasters. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1091]. Washington, D.C.: September
5, 2007.
Particulate Matter: EPA Needs to Make More Progress in Addressing the
National Academies' Recommendations on Estimating Health Benefits.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-992T]. Washington, D.C.:
July 19, 2006.
Particulate Matter: EPA Has Started to Address the National Academies'
Recommendations on Estimating Health Benefits, but More Progress Is
Needed. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-780].
Washington, D.C.: July 14, 2006.
Clean Air Act: EPA Should Improve the Management of Its Air Toxics
Program. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-669].
Washington, D.C.: June 23, 2006.
Air Pollution: Estimated Emissions from Two New Mexicali Power Plants
Are Low, but Health Impacts Are Unknown. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-823]. Washington, D.C.: August 12,
2005.
Clean Air Act: Emerging Mercury Control Technologies Have Shown
Promising Results, but Data on Long-Term Performance Are Limited.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-612]. Washington, D.C.:
May 31, 2005.
Reducing Pollution in the Nation's Waters:
Environmental Health: EPA Efforts to Address Children's Health Issues
Need Greater Focus, Direction, and Top-Level Commitment. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1155T]. Washington, D.C.: September
16, 2008.
Recent Actions by the Chesapeake Bay Program Are Positive Steps Toward
More Effectively Guiding the Restoration Effort, but Additional Steps
Are Needed. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1131R].
Washington, D.C.: August 28, 2008.
Chesapeake Bay Program: Recent Actions Are Positive Steps Toward More
Effectively Guiding the Restoration Effort. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1033T]. Washington, D.C.: July 30,
2008.
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: EPA Needs More Information and
a Clearly Defined Strategy to Protect Air and Water Quality from
Pollutants of Concern, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-944]. Washington, D.C.: Sept. 4,
2008.
Physical Infrastructure: Challenges and Investment Options for the
Nation's Infrastructure, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-763T]. Washington, D.C.: May 8,
2008.
International Boundary and Water Commission: Two Alternatives for
Improving Wastewater Treatment at the United States-Mexico Border.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-595R]. Washington, D.C.:
April 24, 2008.
Great Lakes Initiative: EPA and States Have Made Progress, but Much
Remains to Be Done If Water Quality Goals Are to Be Achieved.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-312T]. Washington, D.C.:
January 23, 2008.
Coastal Wetlands: Lessons Learned from Past Efforts in Louisiana Could
Help Guide Future Restoration and Protection. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-130]. Washington, D.C.: December 14,
2007.
South Florida Ecosystem: Some Restoration Progress Has Been Made, but
the Effort Faces Significant Delays, Implementation Challenges, and
Rising Costs. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1250T].
Washington, D.C.: September 19, 2007.
Maritime Transportation: Major Oil Spills Occur Infrequently, but Risks
to the Federal Oil Spill Fund Remain. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1085]. Washington, D.C.: September
7, 2007.
The BEACH Act of 2000: EPA and States Have Made Progress Implementing
the Act, but Further Actions Could Increase Public Health Protection.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1073T]. Washington,
D.C.: July 12, 2007.
South Florida Ecosystem: Restoration Is Moving Forward but Is Facing
Significant Delays, Implementation Challenges, and Rising Costs.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-520]. Washington, D.C.:
May 31, 2007.
Clean Water: Further Implementation and Better Cost Data Needed to
Determine Impact of EPA's Storm Water Program on Communities.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-479]. Washington, D.C.:
May 31, 2007.
Great Lakes: EPA and States Have Made Progress in Implementing the
BEACH Act, but Additional Actions Could Improve Public Health
Protection. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-591].
Washington, D.C: May 1, 2007.
Chesapeake Bay Program: Improved Strategies Needed to Better Guide
Restoration Efforts. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-614T]. Washington, D.C.: July 13,
2006.
Chesapeake Bay Program: Improved Strategies Are Needed to Better
Assess, Report, and Manage Restoration Progress, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-96]. Washington, D.C.: Oct. 28,
2005.
Great Lakes Initiative: EPA Needs to Better Ensure the Complete and
Consistent Implementation of Water Quality Standards. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-829]. Washington, D.C.: July 27,
2005.
Water Infrastructure: Comprehensive Asset Management Has Potential to
Help Utilities Better Identify Needs and Plan Future Investments,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-461]. Washington, D.C.:
Mar. 19, 2004.
Speeding the Pace of Cleanup at Superfund and Other Hazardous Waste
Sites:
Electronic Waste: Harmful U.S. Exports Flow Virtually Unrestricted
Because of Minimal EPA Enforcement and Narrow Regulation. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1166T]. Washington, D.C.: September
17, 2008.
Hurricane Katrina: Continuing Debris Removal and Disposal Issues.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-985R]. Washington, D.C.:
August 25, 2008.
Superfund: Funding and Reported Costs of Enforcement and Administration
Activities. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-841R].
Washington, D.C.: July 18, 2008.
Aboveground Oil Storage Tanks: More Complete Facility Data Could
Improve Implementation of EPA's Spill Prevention Program. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-482]. Washington, D.C.: April 30,
2008.
Hazardous Waste: Information on How DOD and Federal and State
Regulators Oversee the Off-Site Disposal of Waste from DOD
Installations. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-74].
Washington, D.C.: November 13, 2007.
Hazardous Materials: EPA May Need to Reassess Sites Receiving Asbestos-
Contaminated Ore from Libby, Montana, and Should Improve Its Public
Notification Process. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-71]. Washington, D.C.: October 12,
2007.
Aboveground Oil Storage Tanks: Observations on EPA's Economic Analyses
of Amendments to the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure
Rule. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-763]. Washington,
D.C.: July 27, 2007.
Hurricane Katrina: EPA's Current and Future Environmental Protection
Efforts Could Be Enhanced by Addressing Issues and Challenges Faced on
the Gulf Coast. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-651].
Washington, D.C.: June 25, 2007.
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks: EPA Should Take Steps to Better
Ensure the Effective Use of Public Funding for Cleanups. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-152]. Washington, D.C.: February 8,
2007.
Recycling: Additional Efforts Could Increase Municipal Recycling.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-37]. Washington, D.C.:
December 29, 2006.
Environmental Liabilities: EPA Should Do More to Ensure That Liable
Parties Meet Their Cleanup Obligations, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-658]. Washington, D.C.: Aug. 17,
2005.
Perchlorate: A System to Track Sampling and Cleanup Results Is Needed,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-462]. Washington, D.C.:
May 20, 2005.
Hazardous Waste Sites: Improved Effectiveness of Controls at Sites
Could Better Protect the Public, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-163]. Washington, D.C.: Jan. 28,
2005.
Addressing Emerging Climate Change Issues:
Climate Change: Federal Actions Will Greatly Affect the Viability of
Carbon Capture and Storage As a Key Mitigation Option. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1080]. Washington, D.C.: September
30, 2008.
Carbon Offsets: The U.S. Voluntary Market Is Growing, but Quality
Assurance Poses Challenges for Market Participants. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1048]. Washington, D.C.: August 29,
2008.
Climate Change: Expert Opinion on the Economics of Policy Options to
Address Climate Change. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-605]. Washington, D.C.: May 9, 2008.
Climate Change Research: Agencies Have Data-Sharing Policies but Could
Do More to Enhance the Availability of Data from Federally Funded
Research. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1172].
Washington, D.C.: September 28, 2007.
Climate Change: Agencies Should Develop Guidance for Addressing the
Effects on Federal Land and Water Resources. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-863]. Washington, D.C.: August 7,
2007.
Biofuels: DOE Lacks a Strategic Approach to Coordinate Increasing
Production with Infrastructure Development and Vehicle Needs.
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-713]. Washington, D.C.:
June 8, 2007.
Climate Change: Financial Risks to Federal and Private Insurers in
Coming Decades are Potentially Significant. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-820T]. Washington, D.C.: May 3,
2007.
Climate Change: Financial Risks to Federal and Private Insurers in
Coming Decades Are Potentially Significant. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-285]. Washington, D.C.: March 16,
2007.
Energy Efficiency: Long-standing Problems with DOE's Program for
Setting Efficiency Standards Continue to Result in Forgone Energy
Savings. [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-42].
Washington, D.C.: January 31, 2007.
Climate Change: Federal Agencies Should Do More to Make Funding Reports
Clearer and Encourage Progress on Two Voluntary Programs. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-1126T]. Washington, D.C.: September
27, 2006.
Climate Change: Greater Clarity and Consistency Are Needed in Reporting
Federal Climate Change Funding. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-1122T]. Washington, D.C.: September
21, 2006.
Climate Change: EPA and DOE Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under
Two Voluntary Programs. [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-97]. Washington, D.C.: April 25,
2006.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] The change between EPA's fiscal year 2000 budget and fiscal year
2009 requested budget represented a decline of about 9 percent in
nominal terms. In real terms, EPA's budget declined from $9.8 billion
in fiscal year 2000 to the $7.1 billion requested for fiscal year 2009.
[2] We conducted our work in accordance with all sections of GAO's
Quality Assurance Framework that were relevant to the objectives of
each engagement. The framework requires that we plan and perform each
engagement to obtain sufficient and appropriate evidence to meet our
stated objectives and to discuss any limitations in our work. We
believe that the information and data obtained, and the analyses
conducted, provided a reasonable basis for the findings and conclusions
in each report.
[3] GAO, Environmental Enforcement: EPA Needs to Improve the Accuracy
and Transparency of Measures Used to Report on Program Effectiveness,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1111R] (Washington,
D.C.: Sept. 18, 2008).
[4] GAO, Environmental Protection: EPA-State Enforcement Partnership
Has Improved, but EPA's Oversight Needs Further Enhancements,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-883] (Washington, D.C.:
July 31, 2007).
[5] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1111R].
[6] GAO, EPA's Execution of Its Fiscal year 2007 New Budget Authority
for the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Program in the Regional
Offices, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1109R]
(Washington, D.C.: Sept. 26, 2008).
[7] GAO, Environmental Indicators: Better Coordination Is Needed to
Develop Environmental Indicator Sets That Inform Decisions, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-52] (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 17,
2004).
[8] GAO, Chemical Regulation: Comparison of U.S. and Recently Enacted
European Union Approaches to Protect against the Risks of Toxic
Chemicals, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-825]
(Washington, D.C.: Aug. 17, 2007), and Chemical Regulation: Options
Exist to Improve EPA's Ability to Assess Health Risks and Manage Its
Chemical Review Program, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-458] (Washington, D.C.: June 13,
2005).
[9] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-825].
[10] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-825].
[11] GAO, Chemical Assessments: Low Productivity and New Interagency
Review Process Limit the Usefulness and Credibility of EPA's Integrated
Risk Information System, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-440] (Washington, D.C.: Mar. 7,
2008).
[12] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-440].
[13] GAO, Environmental Protection: Federal Planning Requirements for
Transportation and Air Quality Protection Could Potentially Be More
Efficient and Better Linked, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-03-581] (Washington, D.C.: Apr. 28,
2003).
[14] GAO, Particulate Matter: EPA Has Started to Address the National
Academies' Recommendations on Estimating Health Benefits, but More
Progress Is Needed, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-780]
(Washington, D.C.: July 14, 2006).
[15] GAO, Clean Air Act: EPA Should Improve the Management of Its Air
Toxics Program, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-669]
(Washington, D.C.: June 23, 2006).
[16] GAO, Environmental Health: EPA Efforts to Address Children's
Health Issues Need Greater Focus, Direction, and Top-Level Commitment,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1155T] (Washington,
D.C.: Sept. 16, 2008).
[17] GAO, Clean Air Act: Observations on EPA's Cost-Benefit Analysis of
Its Mercury Control Options, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-252] (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 28,
2005).
[18] GAO, Clean Water: Further Implementation and Better Cost Data
Needed to Determine Impact of EPA's Storm Water Program on Communities,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-479] (Washington, D.C.:
May 31, 2007).
[19] GAO, Physical Infrastructure: Challenges and Investment Options
for the Nation's Infrastructure, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-763T] (Washington, D.C.: May 8,
2008).
[20] GAO, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: EPA Needs More
Information and a Clearly Defined Strategy to Protect Air and Water
Quality from Pollutants of Concern, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-944] (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 4,
2008).
[21] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-944].
[22] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-944].
[23] GAO, Great Lakes: EPA and States Have Made Progress in
Implementing the BEACH Act, but Additional Actions Could Improve Public
Health Protection, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-591]
(Washington, D.C.: May 1, 2007).
[24] GAO, Chesapeake Bay Program: Improved Strategies Are Needed to
Better Assess, Report, and Manage Restoration Progress, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-96] (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 28,
2005).
[25] GAO, Great Lakes Initiative: EPA and States Have Made Progress,
but Much Remains to Be Done If Water Quality Goals Are to Be Achieved,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-312T] (Washington, D.C.:
Jan. 23, 2008).
[26] [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-763T], and GAO,
Water Infrastructure: Comprehensive Asset Management Has Potential to
Help Utilities Better Identify Needs and Plan Future Investments,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-461] (Washington, D.C.:
Mar. 19, 2004).
[27] GAO, Water Infrastructure: Information on Financing, Capital
Planning, and Privatization, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-02-764] (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 16,
2002).
[28] GAO, Superfund: Funding and Reported Costs of Enforcement and
Administration Activities, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-841R] (Washington, D.C.: July 18,
2008).
[29] GAO, Environmental Liabilities: EPA Should Do More to Ensure That
Liable Parties Meet Their Cleanup Obligations, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-658] (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 17,
2005).
[30] GAO, Hazardous Waste Sites: Improved Effectiveness of Controls at
Sites Could Better Protect the Public, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-163] (Washington, D.C.: Jan. 28,
2005).
[31] GAO, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks: EPA Should Take Steps to
Better Ensure the Effective Use of Public Funding for Cleanups,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-152] (Washington, D.C.:
Feb. 8, 2007).
[32] GAO, Perchlorate: A System to Track Sampling and Cleanup Results
Is Needed, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-462]
(Washington, D.C.: May 20, 2005).
[33] GAO, Climate Change: Federal Agencies Should Do More to Make
Funding Reports Clearer and Encourage Progress on Two Voluntary
Programs, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-1126T]
(Washington, D.C.: Sept. 27, 2006), and Climate Change: EPA and DOE
Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary Programs,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-97] (Washington, D.C.:
Apr. 25, 2006).
[34] GAO, Climate Change Research: Agencies Have Data-Sharing Policies
but Could Do More to Enhance the Availability of Data from Federally
Funded Research, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1172]
(Washington, D.C.: Sept. 28, 2007).
[End of section]
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