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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Inspector General
At a Glance
11-P-0171
March 21, 2011
Catalyst for Improving the Environment
Why We Did This Review
We conducted this evaluation
to determine whether the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) tribal solid
waste management activities
are helping tribes develop the
capacity they need to eliminate
open dumps.
EPA Needs an Agency-Wide Plan to Provide Tribal
Solid Waste Management Capacity Assistance
Background
Illegal dumping of solid waste
poses significant health and
environmental risks to the
members of 564 federally
recognized Indian tribes
throughout the country.
Currently, there are nearly
4,000 reported open dumps
located on tribal lands. EPA
has been working for over
25 years to help tribes develop
the capacity to manage solid
waste and enforce against
illegal dumping. This work is
facilitated through the Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency
Response, the Office of
Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance, and the American
Indian Environmental Office.
For further information,
contact our Office of
Congressional, Public Affairs
and Management at
(202)566-2391.
The full report is at:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/20117
20110321-11-P-0171.pdf
What We Found
EPA cannot determine whether its efforts are assisting tribal governments in
developing the capacity to manage solid waste or reduce the risks of open dumps
in Indian country. EPA's performance measures do not assess whether the
Agency's efforts are effective in building solid waste management capacity in
Indian country. EPA also lacks internal data controls to track the status of open
dumps.
EPA does not have an Agency-wide plan that defines the roles and responsibilities
of the EPA program offices and regions. EPA also lacks internal controls that
hold these offices accountable for providing consistent solid waste management
assistance to tribes. The lack of a single, Agency-wide plan results in poor
coordination and limited oversight, and may lead to an ineffective use of resources.
As a result, EPA cannot (1) ensure that consistent solid waste management
assistance is provided, (2) accurately determine the risks of open dumps, or
(3) determine whether efforts are effective nationwide.
What We Recommend
We recommend that the EPA Deputy Administrator develop an Agency-wide
plan to implement consistent and effective tribal solid waste management
capacity assistance. We recommend that this single plan outlines the roles and
responsibilities of EPA program offices and regions, and identifies the Agency
resources required for these activities. The plan should also implement output and
outcome measures that track how consistently and effectively EPA activities are
provided for tribes. Further, this plan should include (1) internal controls to
ensure consistent data collection, (2) a process to ensure coordination between
EPA program offices and regions, and (3) a timeline specifying when the
activities and outcomes outlined in the plan are expected to be accomplished.
The Agency did not agree with our conclusion or most of the recommendations
in the report. The Agency did not agree to develop a national plan to manage and
implement tribal solid waste management capacity assistance. EPA did agree to
identify resources required for providing solid waste assistance and to improve
program office coordination. However, EPA rejected recommendations aimed at
improving data collection, outcome measures, and internal management controls.
These recommendations will remain unresolved until such time as the Office of
Inspector General and EPA can reach agreement on required actions.
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