Labs At EPA Need Better Management

The activities at EPA’s 37 laboratories are fragmented and largely uncoordinated, according to an analysis by the Government Accountability Office. The study (GAO-11-347) lists a number of deficiencies in EPA’s operation of the labs, including the lack of a single top science official with overall responsibility for the agency’s research, unreliable data on lab space and operating costs, and lack of integration of research and technical activities. GAO noted that EPA has had three independent evaluations of its labs but has failed to address the findings of those studies. Among its recommendations, GAO says EPA needs to develop a workforce planning process for all the labs that reflects current and future needs.