EPA's Innovative Technology Program for Waste Water Treatment Needs Better Controls
RCED-84-79
Published: Aug 20, 1984. Publicly Released: Aug 20, 1984.
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Highlights
GAO discussed the need for better controls in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) innovative technology program for wastewater treatment. The program has significant potential to improve wastewater treatment technology and can reduce expenditures for energy, construction, and operation of future projects.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To help ensure that the objectives of the innovative technology program are achieved, the Administrator, EPA, should determine the extent to which all EPA regions are ensuring that projects are technologically innovative. |
EPA conducted a review to determine if fiscal year (FY) 1985 projects designated as innovative are technologically innovative. This review determined that the procedural changes made in response to the GAO draft report are being followed, and that all of the 48 projects, determined to be innovative by the regions, in FY 1985 were innovative.
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| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should direct regional administrators to establish procedures which will help ensure that the factors constituting technological risk are identified and evaluated. The procedures should include having the regional administrator: (1) independently verify that all proposed innovative projects are thoroughly and systematically evaluated for technological risk, including projects proposed under regional discretion authority; (2) sending all innovative project requests to the Cincinnati technical support group for review; unless actions to the contrary are appropriately justified, the regions should be required to follow the support group's recommendations; and (3) providing a written explanation of the basis for each innovative decision, including the evaluation of risk and potential benefits and actions taken on the technical support group's recommendations. |
EPA issued guidance related to verifying innovative projects and documentation. EPA disagreed with having the technical support group review all projects and requiring regions to follow their recommendations. EPA stated that specific project decisions are delegated to states with minimum federal oversight.
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| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should establish a targeted demonstration program for potential innovative technologies. EPA should examine the possibility of using funds from other EPA programs or, if funds are not available, EPA should prepare a justification for additional funds and provide such information to the appropriate congressional committees for their consideration. |
EPA believes that the concept of a targeted demonstration program has merit; however, because the Construction Grant Program is being phased out and seeking additional funds for wastewater programs is not consistent with the administration's position, EPA is not seeking additional funds to start this program.
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