Office of Inspector General

Congressionally Requested OIG Reports

Report: EPA Needs to Improve Processes for Preserving Text Messages as Federal Records

Report #17-P-0062, December 21, 2016. The EPA can better prevent deaths and serious injuries caused during residential fumigations by amending sulfuryl fluoride labels and monitoring compliance.

Report: Early Warning Report: Internal Controls and Management Actions Concerning John C. Beale’s Travel

Report #14-P-0037, December 11, 2013. John C. Beale admitted to $45,094 in fraudulent travel expenses, and additional expenses are questionable.

Report: Improvements to EPA Policies and Guidance Could Enhance Protection of Human Study Subjects

Report #14-P-0154, March 31, 2014. The EPA can enhance its human studies by improving how it obtains approval for studies; how it communicates risk to people who participate in EPA studies; and how it addresses adverse events in its guidance.

Report: Early Warning Report: Internal Controls and Management Actions Concerning John C. Beale Pay Issues

Report #14-P-0036, December 11, 2013. The fraud committed by John C. Beale was enabled by ineffective internal controls and a lack of management attention.

Report: Improvements Needed to Ensure EPA Terminates Exceptions to Biweekly Pay Limits at Completion of Emergency Response Work

Report #15-P-0170, June 19, 2015. EPA made payments totaling $4,141 to employees in excess of biweekly pay limits because authorized exceptions were not terminated at the end of emergency response work.

Report: Audit Follow-Up Process Needed for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

Report #13-P-0128, February 1, 2013. CSB does not have a follow-up process to allow for prompt implementation of agreed-to OIG audit recommendations.

Report: EPA Needs Better Management Controls for Approval of Employee Travel

Report #15-P-0294, September 22, 2015. Weak internal controls make EPA travel dollars vulnerable to fraud waste and misuse.

Report: EPA Not Fully Compliant With Overtime Policies

Report #15-P-0293, September 22, 2015. The EPA may have incurred overtime charges without proper authorization and advance approval, and did not maintain overtime request forms as required.

Report: Response to Congressional Request Concerning Political Interference in Release of Documents Under the Freedom of Information Act

Report #15-N-0261, August 20, 2015. We did not find any indications of political interference or delay in the release of FOIA documents.

Report: Improvements Needed by EPA to Reduce Risk in Employee Hiring Process

Report #15-P-0253, August 3, 2015. Without verification of prior employment or references, the potential exists that the EPA will not hire the best possible staff, or will hire an employee based on false statements.

Report: EPA Met or Exceeded Most Internal Climate Change Goals, But Data Quality and Records Management Procedures Need Improvement

Report #14-P-0325, July 29, 2014. Improving data quality and records management procedures can support confidence in the reliability of EPA's progress reports on its climate change goals.

Report: EPA OIG Compliance With Retention Incentive Regulations and Policies

Report #14-B-0246, May 2, 2014. Unauthorized retention incentive payments totaling $64,204 were made to EPA OIG employees due to a lack of adequate internal controls and agency follow-up.

Report: EPA Compliance With Retention Incentive Regulations and Policies

Report #14-P-0245, May 2, 2014. EPA did not comply with Office of Personnel Management regulations or agency policies on retention incentive pay.

Report: EPA OIG’s Compliance With EPA Passport Guidance

Report #14-B-0244, May 1, 2014. The EPA OIG needs to ensure that it complies with EPA passport guidance to protect sensitive PII.

Report: Audit of EPA Passport Controls

Report #14-P-0243, May 1, 2014. EPA needs to strengthen controls for official passports to protect sensitive personally identifiable information.

Report: Response to Congressional Inquiry Regarding the EPA’s Emergency Order to the Range Resources Gas Drilling Company

Report #14-P-0044, December 20, 2013. The EPA withdrew its emergency order regarding Range Resources hydraulic fracturing operations, but continues to monitor the situation for evidence of widespread contamination.

Report: Congressionally Requested Inquiry Into the EPA’s Use of Private and Alias Email Accounts

Report #13-P-0433, September 26, 2013. We found no evidence that the EPA used, promoted or encouraged the use of private “non-governmental” email accounts to circumvent records management responsibilities

Report: EPA Can Better Document Resolution of Ethics and Partiality Concerns in Managing Clean Air Federal Advisory Committees

Report #13-P-0387, September 11, 2013. In general, the EPA managed the CASAC and Council in accordance with applicable statutes and regulations.

Report: Response to Congressional Request on EPA Enforcement

Report #13-P-0168, February 28, 2013. EPA enforcement data show that the amount of monetary results EPA regions achieve from concluded enforcement cases varies from year to year and from region to region.