Water Pollution: Stronger Enforcement Needed To Improve Compliance at Federal Facilities
RCED-89-13
Published: Dec 27, 1988. Publicly Released: Jan 17, 1989.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO assessed: (1) federal facilities' compliance with the Water Pollution Control Act; and (2) the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) and states' oversight and enforcement of the facilities' compliance with the act.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To ensure that NPDES regulators take timely and appropriate enforcement actions, the Administrator, EPA, should direct the Office of Water Programs to set criteria for following up with regions on a quarterly basis on the appropriate compliance strategy to use against all federal facilities for which timely enforcement has not been taken. |
Closed – Implemented
EPA headquarters has requested regions to closely review federal facilities appearing on the Exceptions List. Regions were also directed to inform headquarters of any problems in negotiating compliance agreements with federal facilities. Headquarters just completed the quarterly review and found fewer federal facilities in noncompliance and fewer lacking a compliance agreement.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | To ensure that NPDES regulators take timely and appropriate enforcement actions, the Administrator, EPA, should establish management control procedures to ensure that regions are submitting accurate information for all federal facilities on which timely enforcement has not been taken. |
Closed – Implemented
EPA is spot-checking noncompliance reports on a quarterly basis. Headquarters plans to continue this activity.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | In conjunction with issuing the compliance strategy for federal facilities, the Administrator, EPA, should take steps necessary to overcome EPA regional staff reluctance to enforce federal facilities in nondelegated states. Steps that should be considered include conducting training or issuing special guidance that: (1) emphasizes to regional staffs the importance of obtaining compliance agreements before federal facilities are reported in significant noncompliance for two consecutive quarters; and (2) emphasizes to regional office program managers the need to ensure regional staff compliance with the EPA policy. |
Closed – Implemented
In November 1988, EPA issued a "Federal Facilities' Compliance Strategy" that defines regional office's responsibility for obtaining compliance agreements. Regional office managers will be evaluated on federal facility compliance efforts.
|
| Environmental Protection Agency | The Administrator, EPA, should instruct regions to treat noncompliant federal facilities in delegated states the same as nonfederal facilities by issuing notices to the states when they fail to take timely enforcement actions against federal facilities. If the delegated states do not act after receiving these notices, EPA regional offices should enter into compliance agreements with noncompliant federal facilities. |
Closed – Implemented
The December 1988 Federal Facilities' Compliance Strategy instructs EPA and states to address violations at federal facilities in a manner similar to addressing violations at nonfederal facilities.
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Environmental lawEnvironmental policiesFederal facilitiesstate relationsNoncompliancePollution monitoringProgram managementState-administered programsWater pollution controlWater qualityPollutants