Natural Resources and Environment

Persistent Chemicals: DOD Needs to Provide Congress More Information on Costs Associated with Addressing PFAS [Reissued with revisions on Feb. 25, 2025]

GAO-25-107401

Published: Feb 24, 2025

Publicly Released: Feb 25, 2025

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Open Recommendations

Army Corps of Engineers: Commercial Fishing Data Could Help Inform Budget Process

GAO-25-107447

Apr 28, 2025

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1 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Civil Works	The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works should ensure that the Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conduct and document an assessment to determine whether incorporating commercial fish landings data into tonnage could impact the Corps' prioritization of navigation projects. If the agency determines that the inclusion of these data could impact the Corps' prioritization of navigation projects, it should document a plan to include commercial fish landings data in tonnage.	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

New Chemicals Program: EPA Needs a Systematic Process to Better Manage and Assess Performance

GAO-25-106839

Jan 22, 2025

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2 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Environmental Protection Agency	The Administrator of EPA should ensure that NCD, as it finalizes its strategic plan, addresses relevant key practices for managing and assessing the New Chemicals Program, including involving stakeholders and identifying resources. (Recommendation 1)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Environmental Protection Agency	The Administrator of EPA should ensure NCD implements a systematic process that aligns the division's performance management approach with key management and assessment practices. (Recommendation 2)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Oil and Gas: Bureau of Indian Affairs Could Improve Lease Management of Trust and Restricted Land

GAO-25-106307

Dec 19, 2024

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6 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Bureau of Indian Affairs	The Director of BIA should compile comprehensive bond information for oil and gas leases—including bond amounts, bond types, and leases covered by each bond—and develop and implement an approach to maintain a record of bond information over time. (Recommendation 1)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs	The Director of BIA should compile comprehensive information on bond claims for oil and gas leases and develop and implement an approach to maintain a record of bond claims over time. (Recommendation 2)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs	The Director of BIA should provide greater specificity in current guidance or develop additional policy or guidance for BIA offices related to their responsibilities for bonding including setting initial bond amounts for lessees, when and how to increase existing bond amounts, collecting bonds, and requiring bonds for non-lessee operators. (Recommendation 3)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs	The Director of BIA should establish a policy for bond reviews that includes clear guidance on the frequency of reviews or specific triggers for reviews and factors to be included in reviews. (Recommendation 4)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs	The Director of BIA should, in consultation with Tribes, assess its bond requirements to determine if they are sufficient to ensure lessees do not abandon wells and make changes, accordingly, to guidance or regulations, including considering if changes are needed to minimum bond amounts. (Recommendation 5)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Indian Affairs	The Director of BIA, to help ensure that bond amounts are sufficient to meet their intended purpose, should provide information to Tribes on options for tailoring bond amounts to their needs, including mechanisms to require bond amounts higher than the regulatory minimum. (Recommendation 6)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Climate Change: Improved Data and Performance Management Would Strengthen U.S. Support to the Indo-Pacific

GAO-25-106236

Dec 10, 2024

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7 Open Recommendations

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of State	The Secretary of State should ensure that all relevant bureaus and offices implement improvements to track award amounts by country for multi-country activities provided to countries in the Indo-Pacific region to address climate risks, when possible. (Recommendation 1)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
U.S. Trade and Development Agency	The Director of USTDA should ensure that all relevant offices track award amounts by country for multi-country activities provided to countries in the Indo-Pacific region to address climate risks, when possible. (Recommendation 2)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
U.S. Agency for International Development	The USAID Administrator should clarify agency guidance for context monitoring to ensure the officials who manage the performance of climate activities develop mitigation strategies in their activity planning documents to address any identified external or internal factors that could affect achieving the activity's results. (Recommendation 3)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of State	The Secretary of State should ensure that the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs establishes procedures for the officials who manage the performance of climate activities to develop activity plans that identify external or internal factors that could affect achieving results and associated mitigation strategies. (Recommendation 4)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Interior	The Secretary of the Interior should ensure that the Office of Insular Affairs establishes procedures for the officials who manage the performance of climate activities to develop activity plans that identify external or internal factors that could affect achieving results and associated mitigation strategies. (Recommendation 5)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	The Administrator of NOAA should ensure that the Director of the CRCP establishes procedures for the officials who manage the performance of climate activities to develop activity plans that identify external or internal factors that could affect achieving results and associated mitigation strategies. (Recommendation 6)	Open When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.