Federal Reports

This report presents the results of our audit on the changing role of postmasters in offices impacted by the creation of Sorting and Delivery Centers.

Summary of FindingsWe found that the EPA lacked robust oversight mechanisms—such as compliance monitoring of EPA-approved labs, of third-party certifiers, and of wood heater manufacturers—to ensure that the Wood Heater Program facilitates compliance with the Clean Air Act. As a result, wood heaters that do not meet Clean Air Act standards may end up in the marketplace, increasing risks to public health and the environment. We also identified concerns regarding impartiality, conflicts of interest, and enforcement of program violations, especially in cases where the EPA is allowing known noncompliance to go unaddressed.

OIG reviewed the Office of Contracting and Procurement’s procurement authority to prevent and respond to reported child labor violations in fiscal year 2023.

The U.S. Postal Service’s mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General reviews delivery operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback in furtherance of this mission.

The U.S. Postal Service’s mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews delivery operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback in furtherance of this mission.

The U.S. Postal Service’s mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General reviews delivery operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback in furtherance of this mission.

The U.S. Postal Service needs effective and productive operations to fulfill its mission of providing prompt, reliable, and affordable mail service to the American public. It has a vast transportation network that moves mail and equipment among about 330 processing facilities and 31,100 post offices, stations, and branches. The Postal Service is transforming its processing and logistics networks to become scalable, reliable, visible, efficient, automated, and digitally integrated. This includes modernizing operating plans and aligning the workforce; leveraging emerging technologies to provide worldclass visibility and tracking of mail packages in near real-time; and optimizing the surface and air transportation network. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews the efficiency of mail processing operations at facilities across the country and provides management with timely feedback to further the Postal Service’s mission.

An Amtrak lead service attendant based in Miami, Florida, entered into a forbearance and workout agreement on May 22, 2024, with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and agreed to a payment schedule to satisfy his settlement and restitution amounts. The employee agreed to pay a total of $124,631 including fines, fees, and interest. The employee applied for and received an SBA‐backed Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for economic losses resulting from the pandemic related to self‐employment or businesses he allegedly owned. Our investigation found that the employee submitted an application to the SBA that included false statements and information to qualify for the EIDL loan. As a result, the employee received an EIDL loan in the amount of $120,000 to which he was not entitled.

We are pleased to present our report for the period October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. Serving in our oversight role, the Office of the Inspector General continues to identify risks to operations, ways to save or recover money, make recommendations to improve operations, and prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse. In this semiannual period, our audit, evaluation, and investigative activities identified more than $13 million in questioned costs; recoveries, fees, and fines; waste/other monetary loss; and opportunities for Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to improve its programs and operations.TVA has a deep and rich history of building power generating assets to electrify the Tennessee Valley. At its inception, river systems were harnessed and electricity was provided by TVA built dams. As industry and populations grew, TVA kept pace with the increasing power demands with massive construction programs, including the building of 11 coal-fired power plants during the 1950s and 1960s and six nuclear power units in the 1970s and 1980s. TVA’s ability to provide low-cost electricity while facing changing circumstances and expectations with and increasingly diverse portfolio has served the people of the Valley well for the past 90 years.