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Open Recommendations (79 total)

Critical Infrastructure Protection: EPA Urgently Needs a Strategy to Address Cybersecurity Risks to Water and Wastewater Systems

GAO-24-106744
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should evaluate its existing legal authorities for carrying out EPA's cybersecurity responsibilities and seek any needed enhancements to such authorities from the administration and Congress. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should, as required by law, conduct a water sector risk assessment, considering physical security and cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should submit the Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT) for independent peer review and revise the tool as appropriate. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should develop and implement a risk-informed cybersecurity strategy, in coordination with other federal and sector stakeholders, to guide its water sector cybersecurity programs. Such a strategy should include information from a risk assessment and should identify objectives, activities, and performance measures; roles, responsibilities, and coordination; and needed resources and investments. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Clean Water: Revolving Fund Grant Formula Could Better Reflect Infrastructure Needs, and EPA Could Improve Needs Estimate

GAO-24-106251
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should ensure that the Director of the Office of Wastewater Management directly collects data on centralized clean water infrastructure needs from a sample of small communities, using an approach that is consistent with Office of Management and Budget survey guidance. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should ensure that the Director of the Office of Wastewater Management works with states that did not report any needs in one or more of the noncentralized clean water infrastructure need categories to use cost estimating tools and state-specific approaches to assess these needs for the next Clean Watersheds Needs Survey. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should ensure that the Director of the Office of Wastewater Management provides guidance to states to submit estimates of large communities' centralized clean water infrastructure needs for a minimum time frame, such as 5 years. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Justice40: Additional Efforts Needed to Improve Tribal Applicants' Access to Federal Programs Under Environmental Justice Initiative

GAO-24-106511
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should ensure that program offices implementing Justice40 covered programs maintain records of related consultations with Tribes and consider—with tribal input—publicly sharing a high-level summary of consultation results, as appropriate, to improve tribal applicants' access to information about tribal input on federal programs and decrease the burden on Tribes and eligible Indigenous communities. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, EPA stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on improving tribal applicants' access to Justice40 covered programs. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agency.

Justice40: Additional Efforts Needed to Improve Tribal Applicants' Access to Federal Programs Under Environmental Justice Initiative

GAO-24-106511
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should ensure that program offices consult with federally recognized Tribes and conduct outreach to eligible Indigenous communities to ensure meaningful involvement when determining benefits for Justice40 covered programs in accordance with EOP guidance and determine how to incorporate the input into future Justice40 implementation efforts. (Recommendation 7)
Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, EPA stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on improving tribal applicants' access to Justice40 covered programs. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agency.
Environmental Protection Agency The Administrator of EPA should ensure that the program offices of EPA Justice40 covered programs document previously identified statutory and regulatory barriers to access for tribal applicants informing their implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. As a part of this process, the agency should—with input from Tribes—identify any additional changes necessary to address remaining statutory and regulatory barriers, recommending legislative changes where the agency determines appropriate. The agency should make a summary of the results of this process publicly available. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, EPA stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on improving tribal applicants' access to Justice40 covered programs. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agency.
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