Water Pollution: Poor Quality Assurance and Limited Pollutant Coverage Undermine EPA's Control of Toxic Substances

Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the quality of information and activities the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to control the discharge of toxic pollutants to surface water.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter	Status	Comments
The Clean Water Act emphasizes a standards approach for controlling toxic pollutants. In its reauthorization of the act, Congress should consider augmenting this approach with additional authority to allow EPA to emphasize pollution prevention as a way of managing toxic pollutant discharges.	Closed – Implemented	Reauthorization of the Clean Water Act emphasizes pollution prevention as an additional method for controlling toxic pollutants.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Environmental Protection Agency	The Administrator, EPA, should direct the Assistant Administrator for Water Quality to initiate immediate efforts to address the information quality assurance problems identified in the 5 toxic control activities in which these problems occur.	Closed – Implemented EPA has instituted data quality assurance procedures that apply to all programs.
Environmental Protection Agency	The Administrator, EPA, should direct the Assistant Administrator for Water Quality to expand the use of the Toxic Release Inventory database to identify nonpriority pollutants being discharged to water that should be considered for control through the permit process.	Closed – Not Implemented EPA does not intend to implement this recommendation.

Full Report

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Topics

Natural Resources and Environment

DatabasesEnvironmental policiesHealth hazardsMonitoringQuality assuranceRisk managementToxic substancesWastewater managementWater pollutionWater pollution controlPollutants