Priority Open Recommendations: Environmental Protection Agency

Highlights

What GAO Found

In May 2024, GAO identified 12 priority recommendations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since then, EPA has implemented three of those recommendations. EPA implemented two of the three recommendations by developing an interagency framework to expand both monitoring and forecasting of freshwater harmful algal blooms. EPA implemented the third recommendation by building a network of climate-focused technical assistance providers for water and wastewater systems to address climate-related infrastructure challenges.

In April 2025, GAO identified no new priority recommendations for EPA, bringing the total number of open priority recommendation to nine. These recommendations involve the four following areas:

• Ensuring cybersecurity at EPA,
• Protecting the nation's water quality,
• Improving the nation's air quality, and
• Addressing data and risk communication issues related to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

EPA's continued attention to these issues could lead to significant improvements in government operations.

Why GAO Did This Study

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or ensure that programs comply with laws and funds are legally spent, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.

For more information, contact Mark Gaffigan at gaffiganm@gao.gov.

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