Federal Reports

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a select review of Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA's) implementation of the 2022 United States Department of Veterans Affairs Sustainability Plan, which describes priority actions for achieving federal environmental sustainability goals outlined in Executive Order 14057. The review consisted of three healthcare delivery objectives to estimate VHA’s progress toward environmental sustainability. Objective 1 broadly looked at VHA’s approach to implementing the plan; objective 2 focused on a foundational priority action to help VHA’s sustainability efforts; and objective 3 examined the sustainability of VHA’s healthcare activities by analyzing purchased inhalational anesthetics to determine their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, waste stream processes and tracking, and ethylene oxide use for sterile processing.Although VHA has started planning and implementing environmental sustainability actions, the OIG identified areas that would benefit from further evaluation. Most facility leaders reported that Green Environment Management System program managers are responsible for leading the implementation of the sustainability plan but the corresponding national program office reported program manager workload capacity as a barrier. VA, inclusive of VHA, implemented training focused on climate change but did not “incorporate environmental stewardship values,” as the executive order required. VHA increased attention to the use of inhalational anesthetics and the impact on greenhouse gas emissions, but the long-term cumulative environmental impact of inhalational anesthetics warrants consideration of a comprehensive mitigation strategy. VHA tracks waste streams and diversion rates from landfill but prohibits repurposing single-use medical devices, which impedes improvement of diversion rates. VHA reported elimination of ethylene oxide usage in sterile processing for healthcare operations.The OIG made one recommendation to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to incorporate required training content, and four recommendations to the Under Secretary for Health related to position responsibilities, training content, and sustainable health care practices.

Every year, U.S. Postal Service employees risk illness and injury while working in extreme hot or cold temperatures. Mail carriers, especially, experience daily weather challenges and when exposed to extreme heat may be at risk of heat stress. Heat stress can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or heat rashes. Employees can also face cold stress while performing their daily duties in cold environments, which can potentially lead to frostbite or hypothermia. Employers must take steps to prevent illnesses, injuries, or fatalities by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by extreme temperatures.

What We Looked AtWe queried and downloaded 60 single audit reports prepared by non-Federal auditors and submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse between January 1, 2024, and March 31, 2024, to identify significant findings related to programs directly funded by the Department of Transportation (DOT).What We FoundWe found that reports contained a range of findings that impacted DOT programs. The auditors reported 23 incidents of significant noncompliance with Federal guidelines, related to 16 grantees, that require prompt action from DOT’s Operating Administrations. Of the 23 significant findings, 8 were repeat findings related to 5 grantees. The auditors also identified questioned costs totaling $2,682,526 for nine grantees. Of this amount, $993,739 was related to the Logan County Commission, Logan, WV, and $1,106,389 was related to the Yolo County Transportation District, Woodland, CA. Additionally, we identified nonmonetary repeat findings that caused modified opinions for the State of Illinois, Springfield, IL, the Joint Programs of the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation, and the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, Roanoke, VA.RecommendationsWe recommend that DOT coordinate with the impacted Operating Administrations to develop a corrective action plan to resolve and close the findings identified in this report. We also recommend that DOT determine the allowability of the questioned transactions and recover $2,576,852, if applicable. Finally, we recommend that OST work with FTA to determine the allowability of the questioned tribal transactions and recover $105,674, if applicable.