2011 CPEO Brownfields List Archive

From: Peter Strauss <petestrauss1@comcast.net>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:08:58 -0800 (PST)
Reply: cpeo-brownfields
Subject: Re: [CPEO-BIF] EPA's Inspector General reviews All Appropriate Inquiries reports
 
Barry:

You're statement sounds a bit strong. The IG's report was aimed at EPA: not having a system in place to review and/or verify the findings of the EPs. Have you had experience when Certified Environmental Professions (EP) have wrongly certified properties to be in compliance? As a lawyer, what have you done when you find this is the case? What Is the legal recourse for parties that believe that a site was wrongly-certified?

For full disclosure, I am a lapsed Certified Environmental Professional - I let my CA certification go because I don't prepare AAI-type reports.

Peter Strauss
On Feb 15, 2011, at 11:50 AM, Trilling, Barry wrote:

Having seen this curse spread in both the public and private sectors, I favor the enactment of legislation or promulgation of regulation that will give EPA and state agencies the authority to issue monetary sanctions and/or lift the license to practice of so- called environmental professionals who certify compliance with the regulatory standard when it is far from the truth to do so. Corporate officials who certify statements submitted to EPA are subject to criminal penalties; these folks who louse up the process for everyone else and endanger human health and the environment by doing so should also be subject to punishment.

Barry J. Trilling
 W I G G I N  A N D  D A N A

-----Original Message-----
From: brownfields-bounces@lists.cpeo.org [mailto:brownfields-bounces@lists.cpeo.org ] On Behalf Of Lenny Siegel
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 2:24 PM
To: Brownfields Internet Forum
Subject: [CPEO-BIF] EPA's Inspector General reviews All Appropriate Inquiries reports

[This new reports finds that EPA does not normally review All
Appropriate Inquiries reports submitted by Brownfields Assessment
grantees, and that those reports often do not meet the legal
requirements under the AAI rule. What can and should be done to improve the quality of those reports? What can and should be done to ensure that
AAI reports prepared for other purposes meet the legal requirements?
Does anyone have evidence of serious on-the-ground consequences of poor
AAI documentation?- LS]


EPA Must Implement Controls to Ensure Proper Investigations Are
Conducted at Brownfields Sites

U.S. EPA Office of Inspector General
Report No. 11-P-0107
February 14, 2011

At a Glance

What We Found

EPA does not review AAI [All Appropriate Inquiries] reports submitted by
grantees to assure that they comply with federal requirements. Rather,
EPA has relied on the environmental professional conducting the AAI to
self-certify that requirements are met. Of the 35 AAI reports we
reviewed, from three EPA regions, none contained all the required
documentation elements. This occurred because the Agency does not have
management controls requiring EPA project officers to conduct oversight
of AAI reports. Management controls regarding EPA oversight of
Brownfields grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 (ARRA) are also missing. EPA has issued specific guidance and
management controls for ARRA grant activities. However, the guidance and
controls do not address oversight of AAI reports.

Because of EPA's lack of oversight and reliance on environmental
professionals' self-certifications, AAI investigations not meeting
federal requirements may go undetected by Agency staff. The Office of
Inspector General found instances of noncompliance that were not
detected by Agency staff. Improper AAI investigations introduce risk
that the environmental conditions of a property have not been properly
or adequately assessed, which may lead to improper decisions about
appropriate uses of brownfields properties. Ultimately, threats to human
health and the environment could go unrecognized.

Noncompliant AAI investigations may result in future grant denials and
possible government reimbursement. The AAI reports the OIG reviewed were
generated from $2.14 million in grant awards. If conditions merit, EPA
is authorized to take back funds from noncompliant grantees. The OIG
questions the value of the reports we reviewed.

What We Recommend

We recommend that EPA establish accountability for compliant AAI
reports, to include those conducted under ARRA Brownfields grants;
develop a plan to review AAI reports to determine the reports'
compliance with AAI documentation requirements; and establish criteria
to determine whether noncompliant grantees should return federal grant
money. The Agency did not clearly agree or disagree with OIG
recommendations. In its final response to the report, the Agency needs
to agree or disagree with recommendations and, as appropriate, provide a
corrective action plan to address the recommendations.



To download the full 19-page 140 KB report, go to
http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2011/20110214-11-P-0107.pdf

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org


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