Water pollution

Water pollution | Stronger enforcement needed to improve compliance at federal facilities | Federal compliance with Clean Water Act

1988

In response to a congressional request, GAO assessed: (1) federal facilities' compliance with the Water Pollution Control Act; and (2) the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) and states' oversight and enforcement of the facilities' compliance with the act.

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GAO found that: (1) most federal facilities did not comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program priority requirements; (2) in fiscal years 1986 and 1987, federal facilities' noncompliance rate was twice that of private industrial facilities; (3) more than 40 percent of federal facilities had a significant noncompliance problem for more than 1 year; (4) Navy and Department of Energy facilities had the highest noncompliance rates; (5) agency and facility officials cited lengthy budget and procurement processes as factors affecting facilities' noncompliance; (6) EPA and states failed to take timely enforcement actions on 31 of 46 facilities without permits; and (7) EPA did not exercise its authority in 18 instances of untimely state enforcement.

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