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CED-78-24 1 (1978-04-03)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaawwr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: DOCUMENT RESUME 05370 - [B09458511 Environmental Protection Agency's Constiuction Grant Program: stronger Financial Controls Needed. CED-78-24; B-166506. April 3, 1978. 41 pp. * appendix (2 pp.). Report to Douglas Cestle, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; by Henry Eschwege, Director, Community and Economic Development Div. Issue Area: Environmental Protection Programs: Federal Controls Over Wastewater Treatment Construction Grant Funds (2202). Contact: Commurity and Economic Development Div. Budget Function: Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy: Pollution Control and Abatement (304). Congressional Relevance: House Committee on Public Works and Transportation; Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Authority: Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1956 (P.L. 84-660; 70 Stat. 498). Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (P.L. 92-500; 33 U.S.C. 1251). P.L. 94-U47. OMB Circular A-102. Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments authorized grants for constructing wastewater treatment facilities to prevent untreated or inadequately treated sewage and other waste discharges into waterways. Grant recipients or grantees (State, municipality, or intermunicipal or interstate agency) can receive up to 75% of the funds from the Federal Government. Because of the magnitude of Federal funds being spent for constructing waste treatment facilities and the potential for improprieties in a program this large, the financial procedures and fiscal controls exercised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and grantees in the administration of the construction grant prcgram were reviewed. Findinqs/Conclusions: Host grantees included in the review were not maintaining required accounting records and, as a result, many reqinested and obtained improper reimbursements from EPA. Both large and small grantees had this problem. Grantees in some regions have delegated the task oL preparing EPA progress payment requests to consulting engineers. Some grantees need to better account for project funds or expenditures and to identify costs which are considered unnecessary, unreasonable, or unallowable for Federal participation. Present grantee procurement practices for obtaining consulting engineer and construction contractor services for the prcjects do not assure grantees that the lowest practicable fees and prices were obtained. Some of EPA's regional offices were computing progress payments to grantees on costs that included amounts withheld by the graLtee from construction contractor billings, a practice contrary to regulations. Recommendations: The Administrator of EPA should: assure that grantees establish and maintain adequate accounting systems for waste treatment projects by providing

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