Skip to main content

Further Federal Action Needed To Detect and Control Environmental Contamination of Food

CED-81-19 Published: Dec 31, 1980. Publicly Released: Dec 31, 1980.
Jump To:

Highlights

GAO was requested to investigate the circumstances surrounding an incident involving the contamination of chickens and other food items in several Western States by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). Because numerous Federal, State, and local investigators were checking into the situation at the time, it was decided that GAO would monitor the Federal agencies' investigations and report the corrective actions taken or planned to prevent similar incidents.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretaries of Agriculture and HHS and the Administrator of EPA should, as part of their cooperative program to identify and control harmful substances such as PCBs, clearly define which agency will assume the leadership role under the various circumstances and conditions which are anticipated.
Closed
GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretaries of Agriculture and HHS and the Administrator of EPA should, as part of their cooperative program to identify and control harmful substances such as PCBs, clearly define which agency will assume the leadership role under the various circumstances and conditions which are anticipated.
Closed
GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Environmental Protection Agency The Secretaries of Agriculture and HHS and the Administrator of EPA should, as part of their cooperative program to identify and control harmful substances such as PCBs, clearly define which agency will assume the leadership role under the various circumstances and conditions which are anticipated.
Closed
GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.

Full Report

Full Report (88 pages)

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Natural Resources and Environment
Agricultural chemicalsAgricultural productsAgricultural researchContaminated foodsContaminationTechnology assessmentEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesFood inspectionPesticides