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GAO-04-340R 1 (2004-01-13)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptapvd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: G AO Aco untability * Integrity * Reliability United States General Accounting Office Washington, D.C. 20548 January 13, 2004 The Honorable Lane Evans Ranking Democratic Member Committee on Veterans Affairs House of Representatives The Honorable Bob Filner Ranking Democratic Member Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure House of Representatives The Honorable Corrine Brown House of Representatives Subject: U.S. Coast Guard National Pollution Funds Center: Improvements Are Needed in Internal Control Over Disbursements The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (Fund) is a $1 billion fund that has two major components: the Emergency Fund and the Principal Fund. The Emergency Fund is used for paying for federal removal actions and the initiation of natural resource damage assessments by designated federal, state, or Indian tribe officials, resulting from oil spills or the substantial threat of oil spills to the waters or shorelines of the United States. The Principal Fund is used for paying certain claims for uncompensated removal costs and damages resulting from oil spills or the substantial threat of oil spills to the waters or shorelines of the United States. The Fund is administered by the National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC) of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). In May 2002, at your request, we issued a legal opinion related to the uses and limitations of the Fund and concluded that the Fund is not available to pay employee salaries and other operating expenses.' The USCG reported that from fiscal years 1998 through 2002, $32.8 million from the Fund was used to pay costs associated with processing claims, including salaries and other operating expenses. In April 2003, the USCG returned the $32.8 1These costs are to be paid out of an annual operating expense appropriation. GAO-04-340R Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Disbursements Page 1

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