"EPA Data Quality System Has Fallen to Wayside, Watchdog Reports"

"The EPA may be masking risks to health and the environment because its Quality System has become outdated and inaccurate, the agency’s internal watchdog reported on Monday.

Since 2015, $1.3 million has been spent on a tracking system for the Quality System, which provides requirements for managing the quality of all environmental data at the EPA, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

But five years later, the status of the Quality System is unknown.

The OIG’s performance audit, conducted from September to April, reviewed the EPA’s policies and procedures and interviewed staff responsible for the Quality System."

Alexandra Yetter reports for Bloomberg Environment June 22, 2020.