The EPA Needs to Improve the Verification of Land-Use Controls at Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Facilities

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Date Issued

Monday, September 23, 2024

Submitting OIG

Environmental Protection Agency OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Environmental Protection Agency

Report Number

24-E-0066

Report Description

The EPA does not have a national process in place to track or verify the status of land-use controls at Resource Conservation and Recovery Act corrective action facilities. The EPA has not identified standard methods for long-term oversight of land-use controls at corrective action facilities. Additionally, the EPA regions vary in their progress toward attainment of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Corrective Action Program Goal 4. Further, EPA information systems that can be used to access program information contain data issues, and the EPA is not using its information systems to track the status of land-use controls.

Report Type

Inspection / Evaluation

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Report updated under NDAA 5274

Open Recommendations

This report has 5 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1	No	$0	$0
Provide guidance to EPA regions and authorized states on methods that they can use to verify land-use control status, such as reporting or onsite assessments.
2	No	$0	$0
Define the minimum frequency for region and state verification that landuse controls remain operational-for example, verification every one, three, or five years.
3	No	$0	$0
Update RCRAInfo to capture data on the operational status of land-use controls. This could be achieved by establishing national event codes for land-use control activities in RCRAInfo-for example, using Region 3's event codes as nationally defined event codes.
4	No	$0	$0
Provide training to help regions and authorized states input and maintain land-use control data in RCRAInfo.
5	No	$0	$0
Implement mechanisms to monitor land-use control status at the national level, such as annual reports from RCRAInfo that identify land-use controls that have not been verified at the minimum frequency to ensure they remain operational.