Facilities in Many National Parks and Forests Do Not Meet Health and Safety Standards
CED-80-115
Published: Oct 10, 1980. Publicly Released: Nov 10, 1980.
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Highlights
The National Park and Forest Services have not protected the health and safety of their visitors and employees. Substandard water and sewer systems and hazardous lodges, dormitories, bridges, and tunnels need to be repaired, upgraded, or limited in their use.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should require that the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior periodically report on the condition of the facilities until they are improved to meet all health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
|
Please call 202/512-6100 for information. |
| Congress should repeal section 402 of Public Law 96-87 (93 stat. 666) to permit the Park Service to increase entrance fees and direct that the Services use funds resulting from increased entrance and camping fees for health and safety projects in the parks and forests where they are collected. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
Congress has funded health and safety improvements out of general revenue funds, rather than repealing legislation to increase fees. The recommendation to repeal section 402 is still valid and is tracked in GAO report CED-82-84. |
| Congress should give priority to funding projects for repairing and upgrading facilities with the most serious health and safety hazards at parks and forests. |
Closed – Implemented
|
Please call 202/512-6100 for information. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should request a greater share of their construction funds for repairing and upgrading facilities to bring them up to health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of the Interior | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should request a greater share of their construction funds for repairing and upgrading facilities to bring them up to health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should request a special appropriation from the Congress to correct the most serious health and safety hazards. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Congress has made appropriations from general revenue funds to correct the most serious health and safety hazards.
|
| Department of the Interior | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should request a special appropriation from the Congress to correct the most serious health and safety hazards. |
Closed – Not Implemented
Congress has made appropriations from general revenue funds to correct the most serious health and safety hazards.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should negotiate with concessioners to have them make corrections to facilities they own or operate to bring them up to applicable health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of the Interior | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should negotiate with concessioners to have them make corrections to facilities they own or operate to bring them up to applicable health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should take immediate action to correct health and safety problems with available funds or restrict the use of facilities that do not meet health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
| Department of the Interior | The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior should take immediate action to correct health and safety problems with available funds or restrict the use of facilities that do not meet health and safety standards. |
Closed – Implemented
Please call 202/512-6100 for information.
|
Full Report
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Topics
Concessions contractsFacility repairsFunds managementHealth hazardsHighway safetyLand managementNational parksNational recreation areasSafety standardsWater pollution