EPA Needs an Agencywide Strategic Action Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms

View Report

Date Issued

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Submitting OIG

Environmental Protection Agency OIG

Other Participating OIGs

Environmental Protection Agency OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Environmental Protection Agency

Report Number

21-E-0264

Report Description

Scientists predict that harmful algal bloom occurrences in recreational waters and drinking water sources will increase as excess nutrients continue to flow into water bodies, temperatures warm, and extreme weather events occur due to climate change.

Report Type

Inspection / Evaluation

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Additional Details

https://www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/report-epa-needs-agencywide-strate…

Open Recommendations

This report has 3 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
21-E-0264_1	No	$0	$0
Develop an agencywide strategic action plan, including milestones, to direct the EPA’s efforts to maintain and enhance a national program to forecast, monitor, and respond to freshwater harmful algal blooms. This plan should incorporate strategies for: (a) identifying knowledge gaps; (b) closing identified knowledge gaps, particularly related to health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and during recreational activities; (c) monitoring and tracking harmful algal blooms; (d) enhancing the EPA’s national leadership role in addressing freshwater algal blooms;(e) coordinating EPA activities internally and with states; and (f) assessing the health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and during recreational activities and establishing additional criteria, standards, andadvisories, as the scientific information allows.
21-E-0264_3	No	$0	$0
Mindful that the EPA has substantial work to complete before publishing final numeric water quality criteria recommendations for nitrogen and phosphorus under the Clean Water Act for rivers and streams, establish a plan, including milestones and identification of resource needs, for developing and publishing those criteriarecommendations.
21-E-0264_4	No	$0	$0
Assess and evaluate the available information on human health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and recreational waters todetermine whether actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act are warranted.