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Environmental Cleanup Costs: NASA Is Making Progress in Identifying Contamination, but More Effort Is Needed

NSIAD-97-98 Published: Jun 27, 1997. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 1997.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) environmental cleanup costs, focusing on NASA's: (1) determination of the extent of contamination it may be responsible for cleaning up and progress in its cleanup program; (2) cost estimates for accomplishing cleanup; and (3) efforts to determine whether "potentially responsible parties" should share in cleanup costs.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator should establish facility-based implementation schedules for completing cleanup of contaminated sites.
Closed – Implemented
The schedules have been approved and included in the budget.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator should estimate probable future costs by: (1) identifying all site-specific costs, including operation and maintenance costs, for sites believed to require remediation; (2) requesting contractors' remediation cost estimates for cleaning up contamination at contractor facilities that could represent future costs for NASA and taking any necessary contract action to require such estimates in the future; and (3) identifying infrastructure changes, such as planned property use and applicable cleanup standards that are consistent with requirements for the Annual Accountability Report, and documenting the impact of facility closure decisions on environmental cleanup costs.
Closed – Implemented
Contact with NASA in September 1997 indicates two of the three elements of this recommendation have been accomplished. The liability estimates are now reported in the Annual Accountability Report and are included in the liability estimates in the financial statements. NASA has not implemented the part of the recommendation that asks for contractors' remediation cost estimates for cleaning up contamination at contractor facilities that could represent future costs for NASA because it is uncertain what authority it has for requesting such information, since this is not a contract requirement. Although NASA can ask for this information, the contractor does not have to provide it. GAO's recent contact (July 2001) with NASA indicates that there is no intention to pursue this further.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator should prioritize the application of environmental funds in its cleanup efforts.
Closed – Implemented
The cleanup schedule has been prioritized and included in the budget documents.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The NASA Administrator should issue a policy statement concerning potentially responsible parties and cost recovery.
Closed – Implemented
The policy statement was issued in July 1997.

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Topics

ContaminationCost analysisEnvironmental lawEnvironmental monitoringEnvironmental policiesFuture budget projectionsHazardous substancesHealth hazardsPollution controlResearch and development facilitiesWaste disposalEnvironmental cleanups