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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a February 26th notification of an audit titled:

Audit of the EPA Award of Drinking Water and Clean Water Earmark Grants (“Audit”)

See Project No. OA-FY24-0064.

The Audit memorandum is transmitted from Michael D. Davis, Director of OIG Environmental Investment and Infrastructure, Office of Audit to EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, Radhika Fox, and Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Mission Support, Kimberly Patrick.

The OIG Audit memo states that it will address EPA’s awarding of:

. . . drinking water and clean water infrastructure projects designated in the Community Project Funding and Congressionally Directed Spending provisions in the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 appropriation legislation.

These are typically denominated “earmark grants.”

The stated rationale for the Audit is OIG’s 2024 oversight plan because of what it describes as the “influx and growth of appropriated earmark grants.”

The Audit will also focus on fiscal year 2024 top management challenges for EPA which include:

• Managing Grants
• Contracts
• Data Systems

A stated objective is described as determining whether EPA is awarding the fiscal year 2022 and 2023 water infrastructure earmark grants expeditiously and in accordance with federal requirements (which include EPA policies and procedures).

A copy of the Audit notification can be downloaded here.