Download PDF

The Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an Amended Project Notification (“Notification”) dated February 4th titled:

Communication of Human Health Risks Posed by Sites in the Office of Land and Emergency Management’s Programs

The Notification originates from Christina Lovingood, of the Land Cleanup and Waste Management Directorate Office of Audit and Evaluation and is transmitted to Barry N. Breen, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Land and Emergency Management.

The February 4th Notification is revising a previous Notification on the same subject. OIG notes that the original Notification’s objective was to:

. . . address whether the EPA is communicating sampling results or other indicators of human health risk at select EPA-led sites in Office of Land and Emergency Management programs in a manner that allows the impacted communities to avoid exposure to harmful contaminants or substances.

OIG states that it is revising the project objective because it has learned that for non-EPA-led sites the agency may have a role regarding risk communication of sample results and other indicators. As a result, it states that the objective will now address whether the EPA is communicating sampling results or other indicators of human health risks at select sites in Office of Land and Emergency Management programs in a manner that allows impacted communities to avoid exposure to harmful contaminants or substances.

The Notification states that OIG will conduct work in the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management and in EPA regions. The project is projected to include the analysis of data and communications at select sites.

A copy of the Notification can be found here.