Louisiana residents who are worried about the state's environment and the public's health will find nothing to reassure them in a critical audit report issued by the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General.
The audit examines how well EPA's regional office in Dallas oversaw federal programs dealing with air, water and hazardous waste that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has been authorized to carry out.
The audit concluded that EPA Region 6 was inconsistent in its dealings with the state agency. It also found that the regional office failed to hold Louisiana accountable for meeting commitments and failed to correct bad data.
Because of those failings, the inspector general's office concluded that Region 6 could not "fully assure the public that Louisiana was operating programs in a way that effectively protects human health and the environment."
That's a disturbing conclusion, especially since DEQ itself has been criticized for poor performance. Last year, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office criticized DEQ for its large permit backlog, its failure to routinely review self-monitoring reports and for putting erroneous information into EPA's data base.
This more recent audit was performed in response to Louisiana environmental groups who asked EPA to rescind the state's authority over three federal programs: the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System water program, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act for hazardous waste and the Title V air permit program.
What this audit found, though, doesn't inspire much confidence in EPA as an environmental watchdog.
The report found that the different divisions within Region 6 had different ideas about what successful oversight meant. The team that oversaw the water program, for example, visited DEQ twice a year, while the staff that oversees the Title V air permit program had not made a visit in almost six years.
The report also faulted EPA Region 6 for not holding DEQ accountable for its shortcomings. Despite the problems revealed by the Legislative Auditor's report, the audit said, EPA didn't step up its oversight, put pressure on DEQ or even hold public fact finding hearings.
The audit points to lack of public trust, as evidenced by complaints from citizen groups, and urges Region 6 to "help Louisiana gain the trust of the public."
That won't happen, though, unless Region 6 gets tougher. The audit's most important recommendations are for Region 6 to develop and communicate a clear vision for oversight and to hold Louisiana accountable, by placing conditions on grants and even withholding funds if necessary.
EPA can play a role in rehabilitating DEQ's image, but only if it provides consistent and rigorous oversight.
The Times-Picayune - 2/10/2003
