OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
                              ( dlcilyst for /tnprarinff ihc Etn'iroiiniettt
     Attestation Report
        Association of State and Interstate
        Water Pollution Control
        Administrators Incurred Costs for
        Seven EPA Assistance Agreements

        Report No. 2006-4-00122
        July 31,2006
EPA
350/
2006-
4-
OOL22

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Report Contributors:             Keith Reichard
                                Richard Valliere
Abbreviations

CFR         Code of Federal Regulations
EPA         U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
OIG         Office of Inspector General
OMB        Office of Management and Budget

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Inspector General

At  a   Glance
2006-4-00122
July 31, 2006
                                            Cntitly\tff>r Iniftrin'insf (he Environment
           Association of State and Interstate Water
           Pollution Control Administrators Incurred
           Costs for Seven EPA Assistance Agreements
            What We Found
            The Association did not comply with the financial and program management
            standards and the procurement standards promulgated in Title 40 Code of Federal
            Regulations (CFR), Subchapter B, Part 30. Specifically, the Association (1) could
            not provide support for any of its general journal entries; (2) included duplicate
            recorded costs in its accounting system; (3) could not always trace grant draws to
            the accounting records; (4) could not always support labor charged to the EPA
            grants; (5) could not support the recorded indirect costs; (6) did not record all of
            its program income; (7) did not have adequate written procedures for determining
            reasonable, allocable, and allowable costs; (8) drew EPA grant funds in excess of
            the funds needed; and (9) did not complete the required single audits for fiscal
            years ended June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005.

            The Association's procurement system did not comply with the procurement
            standards. The Association awarded contracts to the America's Clean Water
            Foundation, contrary to the requirements of Title 40 CFR 30.42 and 30.45.
            Because the Association did not adequately document its costs and did not
            comply with the EPA regulations, we questioned $1,883,590 paid to the
            Association.
            What We Recommend
           We recommend that EPA (1) recover $1,883,590 paid unless the Association is
           able to reconstruct its accounting records to meet the minimum financial
           management standards required in Title 40 CFR 30.21; (2) disallow contract costs
           procured in violation of Title 40 CFR 30.42 and 30.45; (3) rescind provisional
           indirect cost rates for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2005, and June 30, 2006;
           (4) stop work on all active grants and do not award any new grants until EPA has
           assurances that the Association meets minimum financial management
           requirements; (5) keep the Association on the reimbursement payment method
           until the Association meets minimum financial management requirements, settles
           current Federal liabilities, and repays all disallowed costs; and (6) require the
           Association to comply with single audit requirements for fiscal years ended
           June 30, 2004 and June 30, 2005.  The Association stated many improvements
           have already been implemented and will continue to work to implement and
           address any remaining concerns.

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                   UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
% .XU^Z  5                     WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
^i.
                                                                         OFFICE OF
                                                                     INSPECTOR GENERAL
                                        July 31,2006

   MEMORANDUM

   SUBJECT:    Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators
                Incurred Costs for Seven EPA Assistance Agreements
                Report No. 2006-4-00122

   TO:          Richard Kuhlman
                Director, Grants Administration Division
   This is our report on the subject audit conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the
   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report contains findings that describe the
   problems the OIG has identified and corrective actions the OIG recommends. This report
   represents the opinion of the OIG and does not necessarily represent the final EPA position.
   Final determination on matters in this report will be made by EPA managers in accordance with
   established audit resolution procedures.

   On April 13, 2006, we issued a draft report to the Association of State and Interstate Water
   Pollution Control Administrators (Association) for comments. The Association responded and
   generally agreed with our findings, and outlined numerous corrective actions completed or
   underway. The Association's response and the OIG's comments are included in Appendix B.

   The estimated cost of this report - calculated by multiplying the project's staff days by the
   applicable daily full cost billing rates in effect at the time - is $88,404.

   Action Required

   In accordance with EPA Manual 2750, Chapter 3, Section 6(f), you are required to provide us
   your proposed management decision for resolution of the findings contained in this report before
   any formal resolution can be completed with the Association. Your proposed decision is due on
   November 28,2006. To expedite the resolution process, please email an electronic version of
   your proposed management decision to reichard.keith@epa.gov.

   We have no objections to the further release of this report to the public.  For your convenience,
   this report will  be available at http://www.epa.gov/oig. We want to express our appreciation for

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the cooperation and support from your staff during our review. If you have any questions about
this report, please contact Keith Reichard at (312) 886-3045.
                                                 Sincerely,
                                                       rTRoderick
                                                 Acting Inspector General

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     Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators Incurred
                   Costs for Seven EPA Assistance Agreements
                    Table of Contents
Background	   1
Independent Auditor's Report	   4
Results of Examination	   6
Recommendations	  12
Status of Recommendations and Potential Monetary Benefits	  13
Schedule 1: Comparison of Grant Payments with Incurred Costs	  14
A    Scope and Methodology	
B    Recipient Response and OIG Comments.
C    Distribution	
15
16
26

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded seven assistance agreements1
(grants) to the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators
(Association) totaling $2,020,696. The Association, which is located in Washington, DC, was
formed in 1961, and is a Section 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization (per Internal Revenue
Code requirements).  The following table provides some basic information about the authorized
project periods and funds awarded under each of the seven grants:
      X82919901
08/09/2001
$125,000
$125,000
07/28/2003
07/01/2001-10/01/2003
      X82973401
05/02/2002
$240,000
$171,339
10/12/2005
04/01/2002-03/31/2006
    X783105101
06/09/2003
$360,000
$360,000
05/24/2004
05/15/2003-05/14/2006
    CP83106901
08/11/2003
$200,000
$200,000
05/05/2004
07/01/2003-06/30/2005
    CP83107001
08/18/2003
$440,000
$440,000
05/12/2005
06/01/2003-05/30/2006
    X783164601
03/24/2004
$206,892
$206,892
11/15/2004
02/19/2004-08/19/2005
    X783173901
09/24/2004
$448,804
$380,359
11/01/2005
05/15/2004-05/14/2006
   Total
            $2,020,696
          $1,883,590
  * The EPA share for all seven grants was 100 percent of allowable project cost.
All seven grants were awarded under the authority of the Clean Water Act. The scopes of work
for the seven agreements are summarized as follows:

Agreement X82919901: Helped States improve monitoring programs required by the Clean
Water Act for a full range of purposes  including (1) improving the accuracy and completeness of
impaired waters lists and comprehensive State water quality assessments reports,
(2) streamlining the reporting requirements, and (3) enhancing public understanding and use of
the reports.

Agreement X82973401: Provided a State/Federal work group to improve water quality
standards development and implementation.

Agreement X783105101: This 3-year  grant provided $360,000 for technical support to assist
States, Indian Tribes, and territories in  complying with the total maximum daily load
1 EPA's assistance to the Association was either a grant or cooperative agreement. For reporting purposes, all
assistance will be referred to as a grant.

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requirements. The scope of work is identical to Grant X783173901, listed below, and has an
overlapping project period.

Agreement CP83106901: The purpose of this grant was to improve integrating point and
nonpoint source control problems on a national scale through improved communications and
coordination with State water quality agencies responsible for implementing water quality
monitoring and assessment, and data management requirements.

Agreement CP83107001: Created State work groups for (1) permit program integrity and (2)
prioritization and streamlining.  The grant also provided a  forum for national pollutant discharge
elimination system managers to conference with EPA to address priority State concerns with
point source-related water quality issues.

Agreement X783164601: Provided planning, support, and facilitation for three regional forums
to create and enhance a multi-agency approach to implement nonpoint source pollution
management measures at the watershed level.

Agreement X783173901: This 2-year grant provided $448,804 for technical support to assist
States, Indian Tribes, and territories in complying with the total maximum daily load
requirements. This grant provided the same services and overlaps the project period for Grant
X783105101 listed above.

Single Audit Activity

On September 12, 2005, our office issued the Association's single audit report for the year ended
June 30, 2003. Nonfederal entities that expend $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after
December 31, 2003) or more in a year in Federal awards are required by Title 40 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) 30.26 to have a single audit conducted in accordance with applicable
requirements of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-l 33. The single audit
report disclosed four findings that pertained to EPA grants:

    1.  The Association did not have adequate procedures  in place to accurately track and record
       grant balances. The auditor required significant adjustments after the end of the fiscal
       year to properly report grant balances.

   2.  The Association's books of accounts were not accurately maintained on an accrual basis.
       The auditor required significant adjustments to accrue account balances in accordance
       with generally accepted accounting principles. As  a result, the audited financial
       statements reflected results that were significantly different from internal management
       reports.

   3.  There were discrepancies in the net disbursements  reported on the Financial Transaction
       Reports, SF-272, for several grants for the reporting periods ended December 31,2002,
       and June 30, 2003.  Cumulative disbursements reported for the same grants did not
       reconcile with the general ledger for these same periods.

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   4.  The Association did not have adequate procedures to ensure that payments to hourly
       employees were correct and adequately supported. Timesheets for several off-site
       employees were not signed by either the employee or a supervisor with knowledge of the
       activities.

The single audit report disclosed that as of June 30, 2003, the Association drew advances from
EPA in excess of expenditures resulting in a payable of $141,289 due EPA.

Subsequent to the completion of the single audit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003, the
Association hired Raffa & Associates to complete the Association's single audit for the year
ended June 30, 2004. However, Raffa & Associates discontinued audit work after identifying
accounting irregularities that might extend back to prior years,  including the year ended June 30,
2003.  Subsequently, the Association contracted with Raffa & Associates to provide accounting
services and advice. After identifying the accounting irregularities, both the managing partner
for Raffa & Associates and the Association's Executive Director met with EPA officials to report
the accounting irregularities. On July 18, 2005, after being notified of the accounting
irregularities, EPA temporarily placed the Association on the "reimbursement" method of
payment as authorized by Title 40 CFR 30.14 and 30.22(h)(l). EPA took this action pending
completion of corrective action to comply with Title 40 CFR Part 30.

Consequently, the single audit for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003, remains unresolved, and
the Association has not completed the single audits for the years  ended June 30, 2004, and June
30, 2005.

To assist the reader in obtaining an understanding of the report, key terms are defined below:

       Incurred Costs:
       Questioned Costs:
Expenses or outlays identified by the Association and
recorded in the Association's accounting system.

Costs that are (1) contrary to a provision of a law,
regulation, agreement, or other documents governing the
expenditures of funds; or (2) not supported by adequate
documentation.

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We have examined the Schedules of Budgeted & Reported Outlays by Assistance Agreement
prepared by the Association for each of the seven EPA grants: X82919901, X82973401,
X783105101,CP83106901,CP83107001,X783164601,andX783173901. Preparing these
schedules was the Association's responsibility.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on
these schedules to determine the allowable costs incurred in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the grants and applicable EPA regulations.

We conducted our examination in accordance with the Government Auditing Standards issued by
the Comptroller General of the United States, and the attestation standards established for the
United States by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  We also followed the
guidelines and procedures established in the Office of Inspector General Project Management
Handbook, dated January  14,2005. We examined, on a test basis, evidence supporting the costs
incurred, and performed such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances
(see Appendix A for details).  We believe that our examination provides a reasonable basis for
our opinion.

In our opinion, because of the effects of the deficiencies discussed in the Results of Examination,
the Schedules of Budgeted & Reported Outlays by Assistance Agreement do not present fairly, in
all material respects, the allowable costs incurred in accordance with the terms and conditions of
the grants and applicable EPA regulations. Accordingly, we questioned $1,883,590 paid to the
Association because the Association's financial management system was not adequate to account
for grant funds in accordance with Title 40 CFR Part 30.
Office of Inspector General
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
January 20,2006

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Financial and Program Management, and Procurement Systems Did
Not Comply with Standards

The Association did not comply with the financial and program management standards and the
procurement standards promulgated in Title 40 CFR, Subchapter B, Part 30.  Because the
Association did not to meet its fiduciary responsibilities under the regulations, the incurred costs
are not allowable.

When applying for grant assistance, the Association certified that it had the institutional,
managerial, and financial capability to ensure proper planning, management, and completion of
the project described in the grant application, and that it would comply with all applicable
requirements of all Federal laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies governing the  grant.
EPA's administrative grant regulations for nonprofit organizations are codified in Title 40  CFR,
Subchapter B, Part 30. Under the provisions of Title 40 CFR Part 30, the Association was
required to follow (1) the financial and program management standards codified in Title 40 CFR
30.21  through 30.28, and (2) the procurement standards codified in Title 40 CFR 30.41 through
30.48.

The Association's financial and program management system (1) could not provide support for
any of its general journal entries; (2) included numerous duplicate recorded costs in its
accounting system;  (3) could not always trace grant draws to the accounting records; (4) could
not always support labor charged to the EPA grants; (5) could not support the recorded indirect
costs; (6) did not record all of its program income in the general ledger; (7) did not have
adequate written procedures for determining reasonable, allocable, and allowable costs; (8) drew
EPA grant funds in excess of the funds needed; and (9) did not complete the required single
audits for fiscal years ended June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005.

The Association's procurement system did not  comply  with the procurement standards. The
Association awarded contracts to the America's Clean Water Foundation, a related organization,
without competition or a cost analysis contrary to the requirements of Title 40 CFR 30.42 and
30.45.

The provisions of Title 40 CFR 30.62 provides that if a recipient does not comply with the terms
and conditions of an award, whether stated in a Federal statute, regulation, assurance,
application, or notice of award, EPA may disallow all or part of the cost of the activity  or action
not in compliance.  Because the Association  did not adequately document its costs and  did not
comply with the grant regulations, we questioned $1,883,590 paid to the Association. Details on
our findings follow.

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Unsupported General Journal Entries

       The Association did not provide any documentation to support and sufficiently explain
       any of its general journal entries for any grants as required by Title 40 CFR 30.21. The
       provisions of Title 40 CFR 30.21 (b) (7) require the Association's financial management
       system to have accounting records that are supported by source documentation. The
       Association used general journal entries to (1) record accruals such as payroll costs, (2)
       reverse posting entries, (3) correct errors made in recording cash receipts or expenditures,
       (4) allocate indirect costs, (5) record revenue, and (6) post transactions which were not
       recorded in the general ledger by other means. However, the Association could not
       provide supporting documentation to explain and support these general journal entries.

       For the audit period from July 1, 2001, through November 30, 2005, the Association
       could not support or justify any general journal entries. For example, during the fiscal
       year ended June 30, 2005, the Association made a general journal entry to record almost
       $255,000 in labor and fringe benefit costs incurred during a 5-month period beginning in
       January 2005.  However, the Association could not provide the supporting documentation
       for the general journal entry.  The Association's Executive Director indicated that the
       accounting was not done timely because the Association's Comptroller passed away
       during the first part of 2005.  The Executive Director also could not explain why the
       supporting documentation for any of the general journal entries was not available. As a
       result, the Association did not have sufficient records to support the allowability of the
       incurred costs.

Duplicate Recorded Costs

       During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005, the Association used two different databases
       to record grant expenditures in the general ledger.  Based on our review of these
       databases, we noted numerous duplicate recorded costs. The provisions of Title 40 CFR
       30.21 require the Association to maintain a financial management system that is accurate,
       current, and complete, and provide for the effective control over and accountability for all
       funds.  The Executive Director could not explain why the dual data bases were used, and
       why there were duplicate recorded costs.  Because of the duplicate recorded costs, the
       Association's financial management system was not accurate, and the incurred costs were
       incorrect and overstated.

Unsupported Grant Draws

       Contrary to the provisions of Title 40 CFR 30.21, the Association could not always show
       the receipt of Federal cash draws in the Association's accounting records. The provisions
       of Title 40 CFR 30.21 require that the Association's financial management system
       provide records that identify adequately the source and application of funds for federally-
       sponsored activities. For example, the Association could not show where almost
       $378,804 of Federal grant funds drawn under EPA grant X783173901 were recorded in
       the Association's accounting  records. The Executive Director could not explain the
       reason why grant draws were not properly recorded in the accounting system. Further, in

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       the fiscal year ended June 30, 2003,2 the Association's single auditor reported as a
       material weakness that the Association did not have adequate procedures in place to
       accurately track and record grant balances.

Unsupported Labor Costs

       The Association could not support some of its labor costs. From July through October
       2004, the Association recorded labor charges twice in the accounting system. The
       duplicate labor transactions were caused by using two different databases to record grant
       expenditures in the general ledger.

       We also noted that for a 5-month period from January through  May 2005, all labor costs
       were recorded in the accounting system using a single general journal entry.  As stated
       above in the section entitled "Unsupported General Journal Entries," the Association did
       not have any documentation to support and sufficiently explain the general journal entries
       for recorded labor.3  Further, in reviewing the labor charges,  the Association could not
       provide all the required labor activity reports (timesheets). The provisions of Title 40
       CFR 30.21 (b) (7) require the Association's financial management system to have
       accounting records that are supported by source documentation. The provisions of Title
       40 CFR 30.21 also require the Association to maintain a financial management system
       that is accurate, current, and complete, and provide for the effective control over and
       accountability for all funds. Because the Association's accounting transactions were
       inaccurate and unsupported, the Association's financial management system does not
       comply with the provisions of Title 40 CFR 30.21.

       While we cannot verify labor charges, the Association did require employees to prepare
       labor activity reports which met OMB labor documentation requirements.  Therefore, if
       the Association is able to locate all of its timesheets, it may be  able to reconstruct the
       allowable  labor costs for each grant.

Unsupported Indirect Cost Rates

       The Association could not support the recorded indirect costs.  The Association recorded
       indirect costs in the general ledger using general journal entries. As discussed above in
       the section entitled "Unsupported General Journal Entries," the Association did not have
       any documentation to support and sufficiently explain its general journal entries for the
       indirect costs. Accordingly, the Association could not demonstrate how the indirect cost
       rate was calculated or what costs were included in the indirect  rate.

       The Association did not prepare,4 submit,  or receive approved  final indirect cost rates
       from EPA for the fiscal years ended June 30,2001, through June 30,2005, as required by
       the applicable regulations. The provisions of Title 40 CFR 30.27 require non-profit
2 The single audit report was submitted by the Association to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse on January 19,2005.
3 The journal entries also included fringe benefits such as PICA and Medicare.
4 On January 19,2006, the Association emailed the O1G a worksheet of what appears to be the Association's fiscal
year 2003 provisional indirect rate. No explanation was provided with the spreadsheet.

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       organizations to follow the provisions of OMB Circular A-122 for determining allowable
       costs. OMB Circular A-122, Attachment A, subparagraph E (2), requires a nonprofit
       organization to submit an initial indirect cost proposal to the cognizant Federal agency no
       later than 3 months after the effective date of the award.  The Circular also includes the
       requirement that organizations with previously negotiated indirect cost rates must submit
       a new indirect cost proposal to the cognizant agency within 6 months after the close of
       each fiscal year.

       On behalf of EPA, the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Business Center
       (Center) negotiated provisional indirect rates for the years ended June 30, 2005, and June
       30, 2006. However, the Center informed the Association that a final rate for 2005 would
       not be negotiated until the Association submitted a revised proposal containing actual
       costs, based on, and reconciled to, financial statements that meet the requirements of the
       Single Audit Act of 1984. To date, the Single Audit for 2005 has not been completed,
       and the Association has not submitted a revised final indirect cost rate proposal for 2005
       to either EPA or the Center.

Under Reported Program Income

       The Association underreported program income under EPA grants CP83107001,
       X783164601, and CP83106901.  The Association held various summits, forums, and
       other conferences, and earned program income from holding these meetings.  The
       Association recorded $54,256 for program income under the three grants and reduced  the
       grant costs by $54,256. However, the Association provided reports which show that the
       Association earned program income of at least $85,751 for the three grants. Thus, the
       Association's general ledger does not accurately identify all of the program income
       earned. The Association did not have sufficient controls to ensure all the program
       income was properly recorded. By not properly recording the program income, the
       Association's financial management system was not accurate, and the incurred costs may
       have been overstated for EPA grants CP83107001, X783164601, and CP83106901.

Written Accounting Procedures Did Not Meet Standards

       The Association did  not have adequate written accounting procedures for identifying
       direct and indirect costs, and the basis for allocating such costs to projects, as required by
       the regulations. Title 40 CFR 30.2l(b) (6) states that the Association's financial
       management system shall provide written procedures for determining that costs are
       reasonable, allowable, and allocable in accordance with the Federal cost  principles and
       the terms of the agreement.

       In developing written procedures, the Association needs to address the requirements of
       OMB Circular  A-122.  Specifically, the Association needs to address (1) the allocability
       of costs (Attachment A, paragraph A.4), (2) the three allocation methods authorized for
       indirect costs (Attachment A, paragraph D),  (3) definition of direct and indirect costs
       (Attachment A, paragraphs B and C), and (4) the negotiation and approval of indirect cost
       rates (Attachment A, paragraph E).

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       As discussed above in the section entitled "Unsupported Indirect Costs Rates," the
       Association did prepare provisional indirect rates for fiscal years ended June 30,2005,
       and June 30, 2006; however, the Association could not explain, and did not have written
       accounting procedures to identify, what costs were actually included in the indirect cost
       rate calculations. Consequently, the Association could not demonstrate that the proposed
       indirect costs were allowable in accordance with OMB Circular A-122.

       For example, we noted that during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005, the recipient
       accounted for membership services as an indirect cost in its accounting system. The
       provisions of OMB Circular A-122, Attachment A, subparagraph B (4), provides that the
       costs of activities performed primarily as a service to members, clients, or the general
       public when significant and necessary to the organization's mission, must be treated as
       direct costs whether or not allowable and be allocated an equitable share of indirect costs.
       Since the Association could  not explain to us what costs were included in the indirect
       cost rate calculation, we were unable to determine whether the Association correctly
       removed the membership services from the indirect cost pool and appropriately classified
       the membership services as direct costs.  Without written policies and procedures to
       distinguish between direct and indirect expenses, the Association could not properly
       support either the direct or indirect costs reported for the EPA agreements.

Noncompliance with Cash Management Requirements

       For the year ended June 30, 2003, the Association's single auditor reported that the
       Association did not comply with the Federal cash management requirements.  The single
       auditor disclosed that the Association received advances in excess of expenditures
       totaling $141,289. The single auditor reported that the reason for the excess advances
       was that the Association did not properly record grant draws. In addition, cash receipts
       were incorrectly posted to the wrong grant in the accounting records, resulting in the
       balances of the grants being misstated.

       The provisions of Title 40 CFR 30.22 provide that payment methods shall minimize the
       time elapsing between the transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and the
       issuance or redemption of checks, warrants, or payment by the recipient. Cash advances
       shall be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with
       the actual, immediate cash requirements of the recipient organization in carrying out the
       purpose of the approved program or project.
                                           10

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                                             U.S.

                                             1200 Pen.*>ivrn;.L*
3".1- Library
Single Audits Not Completed

       The Association did not obtain single audits for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2004, and
       June 30, 2005, as required by Title 40 CFR 30.26. Title 40 CFR 30.26 provides that
       nonprofit organizations are subject to the audit requirements of OMB Circular A-133.
       OMB Circular A-133, Subpart B, requires nonfederal entities that expend $300,000
       ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December 31,2003) or more in a year in Federal
       awards to have a single audit conducted in accordance with applicable requirements of
       the Circular.  The certified public accountant firm contracted to conduct the Association's
       single audit for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2004, discontinued work after finding
       accounting irregularities.  On July 18,2005, after being notified of the accounting
       irregularities, EPA temporarily placed the Association on the "reimbursement" method of
       payment, as authorized by Title 40 CFR 30.14 and 30.22(h)(l). EPA took this action
       pending completion of corrective action to comply with Title 40 CFR Part 30.

Improper Procurement

       Under Grants X783105101 and X7 83173901, the Association  awarded two sole source
       fixed price contracts to the America's Clean Water Foundation, a related nonprofit
       organization.5 These contracts required the Foundation to provide "Circuit Rider"
       services to the Association.  The first contract, under grant number X783105101, was for
       $284,514.6 The second contract, under grant X783173901, was for $368,524.7 Federal
       regulations (Title 40 CFR 30.42) provide that no employee, officer, or agent shall
       participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by Federal
       funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved. There was a conflict of
       interest since both the Association's Executive Director and Deputy Director were paid
       employees of both  organizations--the Association and the America's Clean Water
       Foundation~and they both signed the contracts. In addition, the Association did not
       conduct a cost analysis of the two contracts in violation of Title 40 CFR 30.45.  Without
       competition and the required cost analysis, there is no assurance that the prices paid were
       reasonable.

       The Association also entered into shared service agreements for financial and
       administrative support services.  These agreements were fixed price and identified as
       "indirect expenses  for ASWIPCA."  The value of these service agreements for a 2-year
       period ending June 30, 2005, was $152,099. These agreements also violate Title 40 CFR
       30.42 and 30.45.
5 The two nonprofit organizations are related through common management, and share office space, the telephone
system, and office equipment.
6 The Association's Schedule of Budgeted & Reported Outlays by Assistance Agreement reported $308,224 for this
contract.
7 The Association's Schedule of Budgeted & Reported Outlays by Assistance Agreement reported $245,682 for this
contract.
                                           11

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We recommend that the Director for the Grants Administration Division:

       1.  Recover $1,883,590 unless the Association is able to:

          •  Reconstruct its accounting records and exclude all duplicate recorded costs from
             its accounting records.
          •  Provide explanations and support for all general journal entries.
          •  Identify and record all grant draws and program income in its accounting system.
          •  Ensure that all transactions are supported by adequate source documentation
             including labor activity reports.
          •  Prepare and submit fringe and indirect cost rate proposals for fiscal years 2001
             through 2005 in accordance with OMB Circular A-122.
          •  Develop written procedures to determine reasonable, allowable, and allocable
             costs in accordance with OMB Circular A-122.
          •  Submit interim or final financial status reports for all seven grants included in this
             report. When submitting these status reports, include a schedule of reported
             outlays for each grant similar to those included in this report.

       2.  Disallow contract costs procured in violation of Title 40 CFR 30.42 and 30.45.

       3.  Rescind provisional indirect cost rates for fiscal years ended June 30, 2005, and
          June 30, 2006.

       4.  Stop work on all active grants and do not award any new grants until EPA has
          assurances that the Association meets minimum financial management requirements.

       5.  Keep the Association on the reimbursement payment method until  the Association
          meets minimum financial management requirements, settles current Federal
          liabilities, and repays all disallowed costs.

       6.  Require the Association to comply with single audit requirements for fiscal years
          ended June 30, 2004, and June 30,2005.
                                           12

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                              Status of Recommendations  and
                                      Potential Monetary Benefits
                                       RECOMMENDATIONS
                                  POTENTIAL MONETARY
                                   BENEFfTS(in$OOOs)
 See.   Page
  No.     No.
                               Subject
                                                       Status1
Action Official
 Planned
Completion
   Date
          12   Recover $1,883,590 unless Die Association is able    U         Director, Grants
              to (a) reconstruct its accounting records and                 Administration Division
              exclude duplicate recorded costs, (b) provide
              explanation and support for all general journal
              entries, (c) identify and record all grant draws and
              program income in its accounting system, (d)
              ensure that all transactions are supported by
              adequate documentation including labor activity
              reports, (e) prepare and submit fringe and indirect
              cost rate proposals for fiscal years 2001 - 2005 in
              accordance with OMB Circular A-122, (f) develop
              written procedures to determine reasonable,
              allowable, and allocate costs in accordance with
              OMB Circular A-122, and (g) submit interim and
              final financial status reports, including a schedule
              of reported outlays for each grant similar to those
              included in this report.

          12   Disallow contract costs procured in violation of       U         Director, Grants
              40 Cf R 30.42 and 30.45.                                Administration Division

          12   Rescind provisional indirect cost rates for fiscal       U         Director, Grants
              years ended June 30,2005. and June 30.2006.              Administration Division

          12   Stop work on alt active grants and do not award      U         Director, Grants
              any new grants until EPA das assurances that the             Administration Division
              Association meets minimum financial management
              requirements.

          12   Keep the Association on the reimbursement         U         Director, Granls
              payment method until trie Association meets                 Administration Division
              minimum financial management requirements,
              settles current Federal liabilities, and repays all
              disallowed costs.

          12   Require the Association to comply with single audit    U         Director, Grants
              requirements for fiscal years ended June 30,2004,            Administration Division
              and June 30,2005.
Incurred    Agreed To
Amount     Amount

 $1,884
                                     (a)


                                     (a)
(a) The values for the questioned contract and indirect costs are $661,105 and $89,515, respectively, and are included in recommendation 1 to recover
$1,883,590.

1  0 - recommendation is open with agreed-to corrective actions pending;
  C = recommendation is aosed with all agreed-lo actions completed;
  U = recommendation is undecided with resolution efforts in progress
                                                            13

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                                                                         Appendix A
                        Scope and Methodology
We performed our examination in accordance with the Government Auditing Standards, issued
by the Comptroller General of the United States, and the attestation standards established by the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. We also followed the guidelines and
procedures established in the Office of Inspector Genera! Project Management Handbook, dated
January 14, 2005.

We conducted this examination to express an opinion on the incurred costs, and determine
whether the recipient complied with all applicable laws and regulations, as well as any special
requirements under the agreement.  We conducted our field work from January 9, 2006, through
January 20, 2006.

In conducting our examination, we performed the following procedures:

    •   We reviewed grant and project files to obtain background information on the Association
       and the agreement.

    •   We interviewed recipient personnel to understand the accounting system and the
       applicable internal controls as they relate to the reported outlays.

    •   We reviewed the most recent single audit reports to identify issues which may impact our
       examination.

    •   We reviewed the recipient's internal controls specifically related to our objectives.

    •   We performed tests of the internal controls to determine whether they were in place and
       operating effectively.

We examined the incurred costs on  a test basis to determine whether the costs  were adequately
supported and eligible for reimbursement under the terms and conditions of the agreements and
Federal regulations and cost principles.
                                          15

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                                                                 Appendix B

          Recipient Response and OIG Comments
June 29, 2006
Mr. Michael A. Rickey
Director, Assistance Agreement Audits
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of the Inspector General
77 West Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60604-3507

Re:   ASIWPCA Response to Office of Inspector General Draft Attestation Report
      Draft Attestation Report on EPA Grants X82919901, X82973401, X783105101,
      CP83106901, CP83107001, X783164601, and X783173901
      Report No. 2006-00620

Dear Mr. Rickey:

The Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators
(ASIWPCA) appreciates the opportunity to respond to the Office of Inspector General's
(OIG) draft audit report entitled, Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution
Control Administrators Incurred Costs For Seven EPA Assistance Agreements (draft
report) dated April 13, 2006.

Please find our detailed response attached which addresses and clarifies the
information in OIG's draft report. Although we understand that not all of the issues
raised in the draft report will be resolved before becoming final, the ASIWPCA Board
asks that the OIG will reconsider aspects of its opinion based on the response provided.

Specifically, the Association is requesting that incurred costs identified as questioned
costs by OIG in the draft report be deemed unresolved, until such time as GAD has
been given the  chance to review the entire record. The Association also requests that
the final report be tempered with an acknowledgement of the limitations of a general
ledger for financial  analysis when embezzlement has occurred.

For those areas where OIG has identified weaknesses, ASIWPCA has revised its
procedures and systems to ensure current and future compliance with Federal
regulations. These have also been identified in the attached detailed response.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to reply to these findings.
                                     16

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Sincerely,
Karen Gautreaux
ASIWPCA President and
Deputy Secretary, Louisiana DEQ
cc:    ASIWPCA Board of Directors
      Linda Eichmiller, ASIWPCA
      Luis Luna, EPA
      Howard Corcoran,  EPA
      Richard Kuhlman, EPA
      Michael Mason, EPA
      Bill Roderick, EPA
      Mark Bialek, EPA
      Melissa Heist, EPA
      Eileen McManon, EPA
      John Manibusan, EPA
      Ben Grumbles, EPA
      James Hanlon, EPA
Enclosure
                                                         -••.,,J
                                   17

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                             ASIWPCA RESPONSE

                             Draft Attestation Report:
        Association of State & Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators
                 Incurred Costs for Seven USEPA Assistant Grants

Summary

The Association of State & Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators
(Association) is hopeful that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) will revise its
recommendation to recover the entire amount of grant monies utilized by the
Association to complete the work on seven grants. OIG has identified several areas
where the Association can improve its processes and procedures. Many improvements
have already been implemented and we will continue to work with the Office of Grants &
Disbarment (GAD) to implement and address any remaining concerns.

We have made great strides in mitigating the damage caused by the bookkeeper who
embezzled Association funds. We are well along in our effort to rebuild all direct
expenses for USEPA grants with backup that provides much greater detail than the
general journal entries. We have removed the duplicate entries caused by the use of
two data systems. We are working to identify and  record all grant draws and other
program income. All of our program  activity reports (timesheets) back to 2002 have
been consolidated and the data entered into spreadsheets. We are working with GAD to
determine the most cost effective way to deal with the final indirect cost rate proposals.
Once our financial rebuild is completed we will be able to provide final financial status
reports for all seven grants.

The Association recognizes the report raises many legitimate issues and would like to
work with the Agency to put into place and implement a corrective action plan. Since
discovering the embezzlement, the Association has:

   >  Hired an accounting firm with a strong background in nonprofit organizations and
      USEPA grants
   >  Reorganized fiscal  paper files which the bookkeeper intentionally put into
      disarray
   >  Secured provisional indirect cost rates for FY2005 and FY2006
   >  Started preparations for final indirect cost rate for 05/06
   >  Continued to  rebuild the Association's electronic accounting system
   >  Rebuilt the Payroll records for FY2002-2006
   >  Organized all fiscal supporting documentation for the original 4 grants identified
      by OIG as subject to review. The scope will be expanded to include all 7 grants
      reviewed in this report.
                                       18

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   >  Updated the Association's personnel and fiscal operation manuals as requested
      by USEPA
   >  Confirmed with USEPA that all prior year Single Audit issues have been
      resolved.
   >  Documented and summarized all program income for each grant

The accounting system and the related software have been "real time" for an entire year
since July 1, 2005.  Accruals are made when they occur, receipts are processed as they
are received, and checks are written within the system. Grant expenditures are tracked
against the grant or cooperative agreement and against the remaining grant balance to
ensure propriety and timeliness of incurring the costs and billing the cost to the Federal
government. The books are closed within 10 days of the subsequent month with a
reconciliation prepared for the cash and other major accounts and the subsidiary
ledgers. Checks and balances are maintained between bookkeeping staff and the on-
site out sourced accounting firm that provide oversight.

The Association understands the difficulty that the OIG Inspectors had in reviewing the
financial status of the organization. The general ledger (GL) had numerous errors,
poorly supported general journal entries, and for a short time period contained
redundant transactions. As such, it is clearly within the purview of the Office of Inspector
General to recommend disallowance of all incurred costs in situations where a grantee
does not comply with financial, program management and procurement standards as
outlined in the  federal regulations.

The Association is instead requesting that these costs be deemed unresolved, until
such time as GAD has been given the chance to review the entire record. The
Association also requests that the final report and analysis be tempered with an
acknowledgement of the limited utility of the general ledger available at the time  of
review.

      OIG Comment: Deeming the questioned costs as unresolved would be
      inconsistent with the OIG's long-standing reporting practice and the Inspector
      General Act of 1978. The OIG's opinion is based on the condition of the records,
      observations and results of analysis at the time field work was conducted.  This
      basis is  consistent with the requirements of the Government Auditing Standards,

      Questioned costs are defined in the report as costs that are (1) contrary to a
      provision of a law, regulation, agreement, or other documents governing the
      expenditures of funds, or (2) not supported by adequate documentation. The
      action official for this report will resolve the report's finings in accordance with
      EPA's Audit Management Process.  If the action official decides to provide a
      supplementary analysis of the findings and recommendations, the action official
      will inform the recipient of the specific information or documentation that will be
      needed  in support of the findings. Any disputes with the action official's decision
      will be resolved in accordance with Title 40 CFR 30.63.
                                       19

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      We agree that the general ledger had limited utility at the time of our review.
      However, the limited use of the general ledger did not relieve the Association of
      its responsibility for maintaining an adequate financial management system as
      required by Title 40 CFR 30.21.

1.     Unsupported General Journal Entries

      The Association recognizes this was a problem with general journal entries which
      made it difficult to use the general ledger (GL)  and validate the entries with
      supporting documentation. However, we are concerned that the scope of this
      issue was mischaracterized by stating that the Association "could not provide
      support for any of its general journal entries" [emphasis added]. This supporting
      documentation was available but because the  investigators did not request these
      materials, we did not think to offer them at that time. For example, support for
      FY2005 general journal entries were all kept in a single binder in the
      bookkeeping office and to our knowledge this was not requested by the
      investigators during the review process.

      The specific example provided in the draft report represents another instance
      where supporting documentation was actually  available during the review.  The
      $255,000.00 general journal entry for labor and fringe benefit costs incurred
      during a 5-month period had supporting documentation behind it. Our  new
      accounting firm, Raffa & Associates was responsible for this particular general
      journal entry and did maintain the appropriate materials as supporting
      documentation. (See Appendix 113) Behind these spreadsheet schedules were  all
      of the individual timesheets, payroll documents, and fringe benefit vendor files.
      Due to the chaos caused by the former bookkeeper and the need to deal with the
      embezzlement, the journal entry was believed  by Raffa to be the best  approach
      under the circumstances.

      For many general journal entries in the GL the documentation is available.
      However, we recognize general journal entries can be a potential vulnerability in
      an accounting system. As we rebuild our financial records, the use of general
      journal entries will be limited, and  proper source documentation will be
      scrupulously retained.

            OIG Comment: According to notes in our audit work papers, the auditors
            (not investigators) made several requests to the Association's Executive
            Director, and the accounting firm's personnel for the documentation
            needed to support all the general journal entries. The supporting
            documentation was not provided, including the $255,000 general journal
            entry prepared by the accounting firm.    ;                           \\

            The support for the journal entries will be necessary to support  the
            reconstruction and revised claims to EPA.
13 The appendices are available from the OIG upon request.
                                      20

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Duplicated Recorded Costs

During our in-house review, the Inspector was given a ledger for FY2004 which
continued past June 30 and ran to the first week of November. The Inspector
was also given the FY2005 ledger which started July 1, 2004. The net effect was
that from July 2004 to November 2004 there were two data systems or ledgers
tracking our financial status. Although our accountants did not know at that time
which of the two systems more accurately represented those months, they did
explain to the Inspector our intent to rebuild our financial records using the more
accurate of the two sets of data.

Since that time, we have initiated action to go back and document all direct
expenditures for each grant and put them in spreadsheet schedules, which will
eliminate all issues with duplicate entries per OIG's recommendation.

      OIG Comment: The Association will need to revise its Schedules of
      Budgeted & Reported Outlays by Assistance Agreement that were
      incorrect and overstated due to the duplicate recorded costs. The
      Association will also need  to revise the outlays reported on the Financial
      Status Reports.

Unsupported Grant Draws

The Association recognizes that this was an issue for our grants. Although we
have not yet determined whether this was an artifact of the embezzlement or not,
we do understand the importance of property tracking this information. As part of
the rebuild, Federal cash draws are now and will be appropriately documented in
the future to comply with Title 40  CFR 30.21. This issue is also addressed in the
revised ASIWPCA Accounting Policies Manual.

Unsupported Labor Costs

As was noted in the duplicate transaction section,  there were two databases
tracking our income and expenses during the time period of July 2004 to
November 2004. This was fully disclosed to the Inspectors at the time of the
review. A decision had not been made by our accountants as to which database
represented the correct information. The Inspectors were informed that as part of
the rebuild this could be determined and all redundant entries for those months
would be eliminated.

Also noted in general journal entry section above,  recorded in the GL is general
journal entry for $255,000.00 representing 5 months of labor and fringe. Backup
support documentation was available at the time and has been provided as apart
of this response. The organization's bookkeeper passed away in March of 2005,
after having been hospitalized off and on for the three months prior. In June of
                                21

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      2005 it was discovered that the labor costs for the prior months had not been
      entered into the financial system and the new accounting firm determined that a
      general journal entry was appropriate under the circumstances.

      We have traditionally been very diligent about tracking our time in labor activity
      reports. In the past, both the employee and supervisor were required to sign off
      on the paper copies. Almost every single signed paper copy for the last 5 years
      has been found to reconstruct our financial records and all data from these labor
      activity reports have been entered into  spreadsheet schedules which have been
      shared with GAD through the reimbursement process. (See Appendix 2)

            OI6 Comment: The supporting  documentation for the $255,000 journal
            entry is not sufficient to fully support the entry.  The assumptions and
            methodology used to determine  the labor allocation and associated costs
            are not clear.  Further, the hours on the schedules supporting the journal
            entry vary somewhat from the hours shown in Appendix 2 of the
            Association's response.

5.    Unsupported Indirect Cost Rates

      As was noted in the section above, in the future, the Association will avoid using
      general journal entries for direct or indirect expenses unless absolutely
      necessary and will retain all appropriate supporting documentation.

      The Association has made a good faith effort to properly document indirect cost
      rates in compliance with the USEPA policy. There appeared to be some
      inconsistencies between the USEPA policy and the Office of Management and
      Budget (OMB) circulars regarding indirect cost documentation. Subsequently,
      the USEPA and OMB policies were amended to reconcile these apparent
      inconsistencies. Because the Association relied on and complied with the
      original USEPA policy, any failure to submit annual indirect cost rate proposals to
      USEPA was unintended. Thus, the Association should not be penalized for the
      previously-submitted documentation.

      The Association acknowledges an understanding of the OMB Circular A-122,
      which requires the recipient to submit new indirect cost proposals to the
      cognizant agency within six months after the close of each fiscal year. The
      Association further understands USEPA cannot accept the reported outlays for
      indirect costs until we resubmit final indirect cost rate proposals for all
      appropriate prior years. Our efforts to do so are now underway with GAD to get
      final rates for FY2005 and FY2006.

            OIG Comment: EPA's policy to allow the recipient to retain the indirect
            cost rate proposal(s) oh file did not comply with OMB Circular A-122,
            Attachment A, subparagraph E (2) and has been rescinded.
            Nevertheless, both EPA and OMB policies required the Association to
                                      22

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            prepare an indirect cost rate proposal. The Association did not provide
            any evidence that it prepared or maintained such documents.
            Accordingly, all indirect costs remain unsupported until the Association
            submits and receives approved indirect rates for ail years beginning with
            the fiscal year ended June 30, 2001.

      Under-reported Program Income

      The Association agrees that this was an issue with the GL. However,  it should be
      noted that ASIWPCA's program staff tracked and documented this information in
      detail on spreadsheets (by event, participant and payment method). The
      methodology was explained to the investigators and those records were available
      for review. To the extent the GL differs from those records, we recognize
      changes must be made as part of the rebuild.

            OIG Comments: The Association may have more program income than is
            supported by supplemental records.  In reviewing the general ledger we
            identified program income from the CAFO roundtables/summits meeting;
            however, there were no Regonline14 reports provided for that meeting.
            Therefore, the program income may be greater than the amount identified
            in the supplemental records.  By not properly recording and reconciling the
            program income, the Association's financial management system was not
            accurate, and the incurred costs may have been overstated for EPA
            grants CP83107001, X783164601, and CP83106901.

      Inadequate Written Accounting Procedures

      The Association agrees there were deficiencies in our written accounting
      procedures. Further, where there may not have been written deficiencies, there
      were areas of concern relating to implementation.

      We request that the OIG review the Association's Accounting Policies Manual,
      dated August 2005, prepared for us by Raffa & Associates. If upon further
      review, more details must be provided, the Association is very willing as part of a
      corrective action plan, to provide more information in those areas. Several layers
      of checks and balances have been instituted to ensure implementation.

      As part of our provisional indirect cost rate application, the Association now
      provides detailed descriptions of any and all assumptions made to develop the
      rate. Although in the past our provisional rate calculations included member
      services, for all current and future applications these costs will be treated as
      direct costs. The Association will further ensure that EPA is provided all relevant
      materials to support rate calculations and that appropriate written procedures are
14 Online event registration software and services for meetings, conferences, training classes, and other corporate
functions.
                                       23

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      in place to provide explanation to EPA regarding our treatment of direct and
      indirect expenses.

            OiG Comment: The Association did not provide us with the Accounting
            Policies Manual either during our field work or in response to this report.
            Accordingly, we cannot comment on the adequacy of the procedures.

8.    Noncompliance with Federal Cash Management Requirements

      The Association agrees that this was an ongoing problem that comes up in the A-
      133 Single Audits Reports. Although no Federal funds have been identified as
      having been stolen, the report provides insight into the methodology of the
      embezzler to use different funds to back pay other expenses. Procedures with
      checks and balances have been put into place to assure this will not be a
      problem in the future.

9.    Single Audits Not Completed

      As was noted above, the FY2003 Single Audit Report was not finalized until June
      24, 2004. In an attempt to go forward with the FY2004 Single Audit, Raffa &
      Associates discovered the embezzlement and the Association agreed that the
      audit should be put on hold until we could place confidence in our financial
      records. The Association is aware that under OMB Circular A-133,  nonfederal
      entities that expend $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December
      31, 2003) or more in a year in Federal awards must have a Single Audit
      conducted. We are currently rebuilding our records and will work with our
      accountants and the Office of Grants to determine the appropriate timing and
      solution for this issue.

      The OIG draft report indicates that issues identified in the FY2003 Single Audit
      have not been addressed and resolved. ASIWPCA has since submitted to the
      agency a summary of actions that have been completed to resolve the issues
      identified  in that audit (See Appendix 3). Those measures are in place and
      operational.

10.   Improper Procurement

      It is agreed that in situations where two organizations are related through
      common management, share office space, the  telephone system, office
      equipment, etc., that greater scrutiny must exist to avoid a conflict of interest for
      decisions to spend Federal grant dollars on contractual services inter-
      organizationally. The specific issues raised in the OIG draft report focused on the
      TMDL Circuit Rider Grants and the Shared Services Agreement with America's
      Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as well as several other smaller contracts.
                                      24

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The Association believes that these issues can be worked out with USEPA
upon further discussion and review of ASIWPCA records.  For instance we
believe that information can be provided and presented by ASIWPCA that the
rates from most work were at or below market rates and that the work was
effectively completed. We look forward to discussing this further with USEPA.
                              25

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                                                                         Appendix C
                                    Distribution
Office of the Administrator
Director, Grants Administration Division (Action Official)
       (responsible for report distribution to recipient)
Director, Office of Grants and Debarment
Audit Followup Coordinator, Office of Grants and Debarment
Assistant Administrator for Water
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation
Agency Followup Official (the CFO)
Agency Followup Coordinator
Associate Administrator for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
Associate Administrator for Public Affairs
General Counsel
Acting Inspector General
                                    d-.-.•-";:'•
                                                 NW
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