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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Inspector General
At a Glance
20-P-0001
October 7, 2019
Why We Did This Project
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) Office of
Inspector General (OIG) is
conducting an audit to determine
how the EPA's preparedness and
response efforts for the three major
hurricanes of calendar year 2017—
Harvey, Irma and Maria—protected
human health and water resources
from storm-related drinking water
and surface water contamination.
This report addresses EPA
Region 4 water-related
preparedness and response efforts
for Hurricane Irma. Hurricanes
Harvey and Maria are addressed in
separate OIG reports.
Hurricane Irma made landfall in
Florida on September 10, 2017.
The National Hurricane Center
rated the hurricane as a Category 4
storm, with wind speeds of
130 miles per hour when it reached
Florida. Over half of the state's
residents were left without power
and the storm caused $50 billion in
damage to residential and
commercial property. In addition,
the storm impacted approximately
85 percent of the state's drinking
water and wastewater facilities.
This report addresses the
following:
•	Ensuring clean and safe water.
•	Partnering with states and
other stakeholders.
•	Operating efficiently and
effectively.
Address inquiries to our public
affairs office at (202) 566-2391 or
OIG WEBCOMMENTS@epa.oiq.
List of OIG reports.
Region 4 Quickly Assessed Water
Systems After Hurricane irma but Can
Improve Emergency Preparedness
What We Found
The EPA completed its Hurricane Irma mission
assignment, to assess water systems, within a
15-day period. Region 4's water emergency
response team gathered and reported data on
the status of drinking and wastewater facilities
and response efforts in Florida—the only state
where the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) tasked Region 4 with a mission assignment. The state's
drinking water and wastewater facilities returned to service within days or
weeks after the hurricane, limiting the public's exposure to contaminated
water.
Region 4's close working relationship with the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and the development of a supplemental
database to complement the state's water and wastewater data systems
were key factors in protecting human health and water resources in the
aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Region 4 developed a draft standard
operating procedure for managing an emergency response in 2010,
which was revised in 2012, that addresses these issues, but the
procedure was never finalized. We found that some EPA staff members
were unfamiliar with some of the region's internal emergency response
protocols. We also found that the Water Division had not conducted any
emergency response training or exercises with its state partners in
preparation for Hurricane Irma. By finalizing procedures and conducting
regular training, Region 4 can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
its response efforts.
Recommendations and Planned Agency Corrective Actions
We recommend that the EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator direct the
Water Division to finalize its standard operating procedure for disaster
response and conduct annual hurricane emergency response exercises with
state partners.
Region 4 agreed with the two recommendations and implemented corrective
actions for Recommendation 2 by beginning to conduct annual hurricane
emergency response exercises with state partners. The corrective actions for
Recommendation 2 are complete upon issuance of this report. A corrective
action for Recommendation 1—finalizing a standard operating procedure for
disaster response—is pending.
EPA staff training with
state partners and
development of standard
operating procedures
could improve
emergency response.

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