RCRIS Is Not Meeting User Needs

RCRIS falls short of meeting its overall goal of helping EPA and the states manage the hazardous waste program because it has not met three of its primary objectives. RCRIS Is Difficult to Use

RCRIS is not easy to use, particularly with regard to data entry and retrieval. RCRIS Data Are Not Reliable

RCRIS does not provide a mechanism for maintaining highly reliable data. These data provided information on the types of violations detected and enforcement actions taken. RCRIS Shortfalls Have Not Significantly Affected the RCRA Program

Although RCRIS has not met its original objectives, system problems have not significantly affected the RCRA program because users do not rely on it as a primary management tool. At that time, we will send copies to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and interested congressional committees.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on whether the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System (RCRIS) is meeting its primary objectives and its effect on implementation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) RCRIS does not meet its overall goal of helping EPA and the states manage the hazardous waste program; (2) most users of RCRIS do not rely on the system because they find data entry and retrieval to be too difficult; (3) RCRIS data are not reliable because the system requires users to manually verify data; and (4) RCRIS shortfalls have not significantly affected RCRA implementation because users do not consider the system to be the key tool for program management and have developed workarounds.