Hazardous Waste

DOD Efforts To Preclude Disposal of Contaminated Property Need Improvement Gao ID: NSIAD-87-45 December 15, 1986

In response to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to preclude the disposal of contaminated excess real property.

GAO noted that federal property management regulations require federal agencies to report excess property to the General Services Administration (GSA), including whether the property's present condition would be hazardous to health and safety. GAO found that: (1) the military services' reports were often either missing or incomplete; (2) because the services have conducted incomplete inspections, they may risk exposing the public to hazardous waste contamination and increase the government's potential liability for future cleanups; (3) since excess real properties can be part of active installations, they are sometimes located in the vicinity of potential hazardous waste sites; and (4) the services do not require evaluations of the effects of possible contamination migration, although state environmental officials believe that migration could affect excess real property and the government's liability for future decontamination expenses.

Recommendations

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