Overview

We have audited the consolidated balance sheet of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as of September 30, 2012, and September 30, 2011, and the related consolidated statements of net cost, net cost by goal, changes in net position, and custodial activity; and the combined statement of budgetary resources for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of EPA management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based upon our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with U.S. generally accepted auditing standards; the standards applicable to financial statements contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Bulletin 07-04, Audit Requirements for Federal Financial Statements. These standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatements. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. The financial statements include expenses of grantees, contractors, and other federal agencies. Our audit work pertaining to these expenses included testing only within EPA. The U.S. Treasury collects and accounts for excise taxes that are deposited into the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund. The U.S. Treasury is also responsible for investing amounts not needed for current disbursements and transferring funds to EPA as authorized in legislation. Since the U.S. Treasury, and not EPA, is responsible for these activities, our audit work did not cover these activities.