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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Inspector General
At a Glance
12-P-0417
April 19, 2012
Why We Did This Review
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Office
of Inspector General (OIG)
sought to determine whether EPA
is following quality control
procedures to ensure that data
submitted from Radiation
Network (RadNet) monitors
nationwide are reliable and
accurate, and whether EPA
effectively implemented
corrective actions in response to
the EPA OIG's January 27, 2009,
audit report on RadNet.
Background
EPA's December 2004 Critical
Infrastructure and Key Resources
Protection Plan identified RadNet
monitors as critical infrastructure.
The mission of RadNet is to
monitor environmental
radioactivity in the United States
to provide high-quality data for
assessing public exposure and
environmental impacts resulting
from nuclear emergencies, and to
provide baseline data during
routine conditions. RadNet
played a critical role in
monitoring radiation levels in the
United States during the March
2011 Japan nuclear incident.
For further information, contact
our Office of Congressional and
Public Affairs at (202) 566-2391.
The full report is at:
www.epa.aov/oia/reports/2012/
20120419-12-P-0417.pdf
Weaknesses in EPA's Management of the
Radiation Network System Demand Attention
What We Found
Broken RadNet monitors and late filter changes impaired this critical
infrastructure asset. On March 11, 2011, at the time of the Japan nuclear
incident, 25 of the 124 installed RadNet monitors, or 20 percent, were out of
service for an average of 130 days. The service contractor completed repairs
for all monitors by April 8, 2011. In addition, 6 of the 12 RadNet monitors
we sampled had gone over 8 weeks without a filter change, and 2 of those
for over 300 days. Because EPA managed RadNet with lower than required
priority, parts shortages and insufficient contract oversight contributed to
extensive delays in fixing broken monitors. In addition, broken RadNet
monitors and relaxed quality controls contributed to the filters not being
changed timely. Out-of-service monitors and unchanged filters may reduce
the quality and availability of critical data needed to assess radioactive
threats to public health and the environment.
EPA remains behind schedule for installing the RadNet monitors and did
not fully resolve contracting issues identified in the OIG's January 2009
report. Until EPA improves contractor oversight, the Agency's ability to use
RadNet data to protect human health and the environment, and meet
requirements established in the National Response Framework for Nuclear
Radiological Incidents, is potentially impaired.
What We Recommend
We recommend that the Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation
establish and enforce expectations for RadNet operations readiness. We
recommend improved planning and management of parts availability,
monitoring of filter replacement and operators, and monitoring of the
installation of the remaining RadNet monitors. Further, we recommend that
the Assistant Administrator, in conjunction with the Assistant Administrator
for Administration and Resources Management, hold contractors
accountable by establishing milestones, using incentives and disincentives,
requiring contracting officers and contracting officers' representatives to
formally evaluate RadNet contractors annually, and ensure that the
Agency's Management Audit Tracking System is accurate and current. The
Agency concurred with the recommendations except for developing metrics
for evaluating frequency of filter changes and completing contractor
performance evaluations, which is considered unresolved. The Agency also
proposed revised language, which we incorporated where appropriate.

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