To restore the health of the Sound, EPA partnered with the two states in  1985 to form the Long Island Sound Study, a partnership consisting of  federal and state agencies, nonprofit and public organizations, and  individuals dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sound. One year after the program was established, EPA  designated the Sound as such an estuary. In 2000, Connecticut and New York developed a total maximum daily  load (TMDL) to achieve water quality standards for dissolved oxygen in  Long Island Sound. Although a Comprehensive Assessment of Progress Has Not Been Conducted, Study Members Believe Moderate Progress Has Been Made Since 1994 The Study Collected a Wide Range of Data and Issued Progress Reports, but Did Not Conduct a Comprehensive Assessment of Progress Toward Achieving the 1994 Plan

Although the Study has collected a wide range of data to measure the  health of Long Island Sound and has issued periodic progress reports  since 2001, these progress reports have not contained a comprehensive  assessment of progress toward the goals of the 1994 plan. The  data were gathered by federal and state agencies and universities, and  were provided to the Study, which published the data on its website. Although the Study members we  interviewed cited various data to support their views, without a  comprehensive assessment of that data it is not possible to definitively  determine to what extent their assessment of progress reflects actual  progress made. For the other eight indicators, not all experts we interviewed agreed on  these indicators. By working with the Study as it finalizes its reporting format to  incorporate the leading practices of performance reporting, EPA could  help ensure that the Study provides the public and Congress with the  information they need to determine whether the Study is making progress  toward achieving the long-term targets associated with the goals of the  2015 plan, or whether the Study should take additional action to meet the  targets. In the 2015 plan, the Study estimated that  future activities will cost at least $18.9 billion over 20 years, but these  estimates may not reflect all future restoration costs because they  address only some of the plan’s long-term targets. Officials from EPA, the states of Connecticut  and New York, and the U.S. However, they  provided examples of activities for which they expended about $337  million. As of June 2018, the Study has not yet  fully incorporated leading practices for performance reporting, such as  evaluating actions for unmet goals, in the web pages the Study plans to  use to report progress for the 20 long-term targets. EPA stated that working with the Study the agency:  plans to further evaluate, develop, and apply leading practices of  performance reporting as it finalizes its reporting format, estimating  enhancements to the reporting format will be available on the Study’s  website by the end of 2019; will evaluate the range of costs needed to  attain each of the targets and include cost estimates with uncertainty  bounds in future updates of the plan, expecting the enhanced cost  information will be available on the Study’s website by the end of 2019;  and will ensure that the planned update to implementation actions  includes a range of costs for all implementation actions, estimating  actions will be completed in 2020. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This appendix provides information on the scope of work and the  methodology used to examine (1) what is known about the progress  made toward achieving the 1994 Long Island Sound Comprehensive  Conservation and Management Plan (1994 plan); (2) the goals of the  2015 Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management  Plan (2015 plan) and factors that may hinder progress according to Long  Island Sound Study (the Study) members; (3) how Study members plan  to measure and report on progress toward the goals of the 2015 plan; and  (4) what Study members expended on restoration activities in fiscal years  2012 through 2016 and cost estimates for future activities. Representatives from all 5 work group agreed to participate in this  review. GAO-15-526.
Why GAO Did This Study

Long Island Sound, an estuary bordered by Connecticut and New York, provides numerous economic and recreational benefits. However, development and pollution have resulted in environmental impacts, such as the degradation of water quality. EPA partnered with both states to create the Study to restore and protect the Sound. The Study developed a comprehensive conservation and management plan in 1994 and updated the plan in 2015.
GAO was asked to examine federal efforts to restore the Sound. This report examines, among other objectives, (1) what is known about the progress made toward achieving the 1994 plan, (2) how Study members plan to measure and report on progress toward achieving the 2015 plan, and (3) estimated costs of the restoration. GAO reviewed Study plans, reports, and data. GAO also interviewed 12 Study members—including federal and state agency officials—and representatives of 5 Study work groups about restoration efforts and progress made.

What GAO Found

The Long Island Sound Study (the Study) is a federal-state partnership formed in 1985 to restore Long Island Sound. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and officials from Connecticut and New York provide oversight for the Study, which includes federal and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other groups. GAO found the following:
Progress toward 1994 Plan. The Study established an initial plan for the Sound in 1994 and has collected data on certain indicators of the Sound's health and published progress reports on its website. However, the Study has not comprehensively assessed progress against the 1994 plan. In the absence of such an assessment, GAO interviewed Study members who generally agreed that moderate progress has been made in achieving goals for five of the six problem areas in the 1994 plan. Without a comprehensive assessment, it is not possible to determine the extent these views reflect actual progress.
Reporting Progress for the 2015 Plan. The Study's 2015 management plan identifies 20 long-term targets and associated numerical indicators that will be used to measure future progress. The Study has also updated the format for pages on its website to provide more consistent progress reports for these targets. However, the reports do not yet fully incorporate leading practices for performance reporting that GAO has previously identified. For example, they do not include evaluations of goals that are not met for 15 targets. By ensuring that leading practices are fully incorporated into the Study's performance reporting efforts, EPA can help the Study better assess and report on future progress.
Estimating Costs of Restoration. The Study has estimated that the future costs of restoration will be at least $18.9 billion through 2035. However, the current estimates are understated because they do not include the costs of all activities that will be needed to accomplish the 2015 plan, and they do not reflect the uncertainty associated with some of the costs. By capturing the full costs and uncertainties in cost estimates, the Study can provide decision makers critical information needed to allocate resources effectively.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that EPA work with the Study to ensure that it fully incorporates leading practices into its performance reporting efforts and that its cost estimates include the full range of activities as well as those for which there is uncertainty. EPA agreed with GAO's recommendations and highlighted steps the agency will take to meet the recommendations.