The Environmental Protection Agency Should Collect Overdue Industrial Cost Recovery Payments
CED-82-92: Published: Jun 3, 1982. Publicly Released: Jun 3, 1982.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
(202) 275-5489
contact@gao.gov
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 512-4800
youngc1@gao.gov
GAO reviewed the Industrial Cost Recovery (ICR) Program to determine the extent of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) control over collections of ICR payments which municipalities had collected from industrial users. The specific objectives of the review were to: (1) identify the grantees that might have collected ICR payments, (2) determine the amounts due the federal government from these grantees, (3) suggest procedures to collect the federal share, and (4) determine if EPA has the authority to collect ICR payments from grantees that had or had not received payments from industrial users.
Not all grantees that collected ICR payments from industries have remitted the federal share to EPA as required by legislation. GAO discovered a lack of control over ICR payments in one EPA region that may exist in other regions. None of the eight regions reviewed had set up accounting entries for ICR payments due and amounts collected. EPA officials were unsure about the magnitude of the problem, because EPA has not conducted a nationwide survey to identify the extent of ICR payments due the federal government. In one region, officials suggested that all the ICR funds that EPA collected should be given back to the grantees for the operation and maintenance or upgrading of the treatment systems. EPA has no authority to do this. GAO believes that EPA has the authority to collect the federal share of ICR payments that grantees have already received from industrial users, but that EPA no longer has the authority to require grantees to collect ICR payments from industries which have not made payments to the grantees before the program's repeal. Grantees owing ICR payments could be identified quickly by using the Grants Information Control System. ICR coordinators and project engineers with knowledge of when the treatment facilities began functioning could contact those grantees that are likely to have collected ICR payments from industrial users. Minimal cost should be involved to collect these funds.
Recommendation for Executive Action
Status: Closed - Implemented
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Administrator of EPA should require the regional administrators to identify those grantees that have collected ICR payments from industrial users and require the grantees to remit the Federal share of these collections to EPA.
Agency Affected: Environmental Protection Agency
Explore the full database of GAO's Open Recommendations
»
Mar 12, 2018
-
Chemical Innovation:
Technologies to Make Processes and Products More SustainableGAO-18-307: Published: Feb 8, 2018. Publicly Released: Mar 12, 2018.
Feb 22, 2018
-
Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration:
Competitive Grant Programs Managed Consistently with Relevant Regulations, but Monitoring Could Be ImprovedGAO-18-303: Published: Feb 22, 2018. Publicly Released: Feb 22, 2018.
Jan 26, 2018
-
Water and Wastewater Workforce:
Recruiting Approaches Helped Industry Hire Operators, but Additional EPA Guidance Could Help Identify Future NeedsGAO-18-102: Published: Jan 26, 2018. Publicly Released: Jan 26, 2018.
Jan 19, 2018
-
Offshore Seismic Surveys:
Additional Guidance Needed to Help Ensure Timely ReviewsGAO-18-342T: Published: Jan 19, 2018. Publicly Released: Jan 19, 2018.
Jan 4, 2018
-
Offshore Seismic Surveys:
Additional Guidance Needed to Help Ensure Timely ReviewsGAO-18-60: Published: Dec 11, 2017. Publicly Released: Jan 4, 2018.
Dec 22, 2017
-
Natural Gas Storage:
Department of Transportation Could Take Additional Steps to Improve Safety Enforcement PlanningGAO-18-89: Published: Nov 22, 2017. Publicly Released: Dec 22, 2017.
Dec 13, 2017
-
Climate Change Adaptation:
DOD Needs to Better Incorporate Adaptation into Planning and Collaboration at Overseas InstallationsGAO-18-206: Published: Nov 13, 2017. Publicly Released: Dec 13, 2017.
Nov 15, 2017
-
Plutonium Disposition:
Observations on DOE and Army Corps Assessments of the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility ContractGAO-18-122R: Published: Nov 15, 2017. Publicly Released: Nov 15, 2017.
Nov 2, 2017
-
Strategic Petroleum Reserve:
Preliminary Observations on the Emergency Oil StockpileGAO-18-209T: Published: Nov 2, 2017. Publicly Released: Nov 2, 2017.
Oct 30, 2017
-
Stormwater Management:
EPA Pilot Project to Increase Use of Green Infrastructure Could Benefit from Documenting Collaborative AgreementsGAO-17-750: Published: Sep 28, 2017. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2017.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here