Federal Reports

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General contracted this audit to assess the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s compliance with Fiscal Year 2023–2024 Inspector General Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 Reporting Metrics during fiscal year 2024. We contracted with SB & Company LLC to perform this audit under our direction and oversight.

Summary of Findings

SB & Company concluded that the CSB achieved an overall maturity of Level 2, Defined, in fiscal year 2024. This means that the CSB’s information security policies, procedures, and strategies are formalized and documented but not consistently implemented. SB & Company identified an area of needed improvement associated with the Reporting Metrics’ Risk Management domain in the Identify function area. SB & Company concluded that the CSB should ensure that its information can be reliably accessed in a timely manner even if key personnel are absent. Specifically, the CSB should ensure that its deputy chief information officer position is filled or that another CSB representative is available to respond to Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 inquiries.

As part of its Delivering for America plan, the U.S. Postal Service plans to create a modernized network based around Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDC), local processing centers and sorting and delivery centers. RPDCs merge mail processing into a central facility within a region to reduce transportation and improve service reliability. In July 2023, the Postal Service began consolidating operations into the Boise facility and in October 2024, officially recognized it as the fifth RPDC in its network. Efficient and effective RPDCs are critical to the success of the Postal Service’s Delivering for America plan and its goal of being financially self-sustaining.

Why We Did This Report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this audit to determine the extent to which the EPA prioritizes and awards Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to tribes through the Clean Water Indian Set-Aside Grant Program and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants—Tribal Set-Aside Program, in accordance with applicable statutes, regulations, and EPA guidance.

Summary of Findings

The EPA’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, funds for the Clean Water Indian Set-Aside, or CWISA, Program and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants—Tribal Set-Aside, or DWIG-TSA, Program, collectively referred to as the tribal set-aside programs, were not awarded in a timely manner. About $86.3 million, or roughly 57 percent, of the $152.1 million allocated in fiscal year 2022 IIJA tribal set-aside funds were not awarded to tribes in a timely manner. At the time of our data collection, about $125.3 million, or roughly 76 percent, of the $164.1 million allocated in FY 2023 IIJA tribal set-aside funds had not been awarded to tribes.

As of December 2023, about $140.6 million, or roughly 93 percent, of $152.0 million of the FYs 2022 and 2023 DWIG-TSA funds allocated for emerging contaminants and lead service line replacements had not been awarded to tribal projects.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not fully leverage its large-scale non-intrusive inspection (NII) systems to detect contraband coming into the United States, potentially wasting taxpayer funds, missing opportunities to detect and seize contraband, and losing an important tool to fight the fentanyl epidemic.

The GPO OIG Investigations Division investigated GPO-issued cell phones, comparing application data against GPO policy, particularly Section 7, Subsection C, paragraphs 6 and 14 of GPO Directive 825.29E on Internet and Email Policy.