Audit of the EPA’s Brownfields Program Management and Funding Allocations

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this audit to determine how the EPA has managed its Brownfields Program and allocated funds under the program since enactment of the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act.

Summary of Findings

We identified two areas that may warrant management attention and further research:

• Data inaccuracies in the EPA’s Grants Research Information Portal database, which could limit EPA staff’s ability to accurately monitor and report on grant funds using the database.
• Increased grant funding due to Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations, which could pose challenges for EPA oversight of grant funds and associated results. The EPA will have to monitor a higher number of brownfields projects—including larger, more complex projects—for years after FY 2026 while not receiving additional Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriations to fund regional oversight staff.