Project Grants Awarded in Fiscal Years 1996 Through 1999 Were Concentrated in Five Grant Categories and on Three Types of Recipients

EPA awarded about 17,000 project grants totaling $2.8 billion in fiscal years 1996 through 1999. Project grant funds were concentrated in five categories—investigations, surveys or studies; research; Superfund site cleanup support; senior environmental employment program; and training, which accounted for $2.3 billion, or 80 percent of all funds. Approximately 82 percent of the $1.4 billion in project grants EPA awarded in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 that were assigned a PRC concentrated in 4 of EPA’s 10 goals: clean air, clean and safe water, waste management, and sound science. For 7 of the 100 grants we reviewed, the relationship between the activities funded by the grant and the goal(s), objective(s), and subobjective(s) that EPA identified was not clear. Most Project Grants Aligned With One of Four Results Act Goals

EPA assigned PRCs to approximately $1.2 billion of the project grants made in fiscal years 1999 and 2000. EPA Frequently Used Its Authority to Deviate From Relevant Regulations

EPA approved at least one deviation from its regulations for 25 of the 100 grants we reviewed, and for 15 grants EPA authorized more than one deviation. To determine the extent EPA used its authority to deviate from regulations, we reviewed the same 100 randomly selected grants. Appendix IV: Comments From the Environmental Protection Agency
Why GAO Did This Study

This report provides information on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) management and oversight of project grants. Specifically, GAO examines (1) the dollar amounts of project grants EPA awarded in fiscal years 1996 through 1999 and the program activities they funded, by grantee type; (2) how the activities funded by the project grants align with the Government Performance and Results Act goals and objectives identified by EPA; and (3) the extent to which EPA uses its authority to deviate from relevant regulations in awarding grants.

What GAO Found

GAO found that EPA awarded about 17,000 project grants totaling more than $2.8 billion in fiscal years 1996 through 1999. Five categories accounted for nearly 80 percent of all project grant funds (1) general investigations, surveys or studies involving air and water quality; (2) research; (3) studies and cleanups of specific hazardous waste sites; (4) nonprofit organizations; and (5) training activities. EPA identified about 82 percent of the $1.4 billion in project grants awarded in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 as supporting four strategic goals under the Results Act. GAO found this to be the case in 93 of 100 grants reviewed. EPA used its authority to deviate from regulations in awarding 25 of the 100 grants GAO reviewed.