.tfto sr/|,
I
5
                   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                   Office of Inspector General

                  At   a  Glance
                                                         10-P-0027
                                                  November 10, 2009
Why We Did This Review

Representative Heath Shuler
requested that we investigate the
events surrounding a response to
an April 25, 2009, telephone
report of a leaking well in
Skyland, North Carolina.
We conducted this review to
determine whether the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) receipt and
disposition of that telephone call
followed applicable policies and
procedures.

Background

The National Response Center
(NRC), operated by the U.S.
Coast Guard, Department of
Homeland Security, is the sole
national point of contact for
reporting all oil, chemical,
radiological, and biological
discharges into the environment.
During non-business hours, the
EPA emergency hotline is
programmed to forward all
incoming calls to the NRC phone
system, which is staffed at all
times.

For further information,
contact our Office of
Congressional, Public Affairs and
Management at (202) 566-2391.

To view the full report,
click on the following link:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/2010/
20091110-10-P-0027.pdf
                                                               Catalyst for Improving the Environment
Congressionally Requested Inquiry into EPA's
Response to a Report of a Leaking Well in North
Carolina and the National Response Center Hotline
 What We Found
We found that EPA staff did not receive any calls or voicemail messages on
April 25, 2009, from the Skyland, North Carolina, constituent about a leaking
well. However, when the Agency was informed of the leak by a local news
reporter, EPA's On-Scene Coordinator contacted the constituent and the
constituent's neighbors. The On-Scene Coordinator then arranged for
permanent repairs to the well, which were completed April 28, 2009.

We found that NRC did receive voicemails about the leaking well.  On
April 25, 2009, two other callers reported separate environmental emergencies
by voicemail. The NRC Operations Officer informed us NRC did not listen to
the voicemails until September 2009. We confirmed that NRC did not provide
any response to these voicemails. Once the voicemails were discovered, NRC
staff took no actions to inform EPA that callers had been channeled into a
voicemail system.

Prior to April 25, 2009, we determined that  12 voicemails were left with NRC.
The earliest of these voicemails was dated October 12, 2006. We have found
inconsistencies in the statements of NRC and NRC telephone contractors
regarding who within NRC may have been aware of the voicemail problem and
when.

We will present our findings to the Department of Homeland Security Office of
Inspector General so it may determine the degree to which the telephone
contractors have repaired the NRC phone system and to fully investigate the
inconsistencies in information provided by NRC staff and telephone
contractors.

-------