Improvements Needed in EPA Training and Oversight for Risk Management Program Inspections

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Overview

EPA's management controls for ensuring inspector training and inspection quality provide limited assurance of the effectiveness of its RMProgram inspections. Proper training helps inspectors conduct quality inspections. However, 15 of the 45 RMProgram inspectors nationwide received inspector credentials without documentation indicating that they met minimum training requirements. Further, six of the 12 supervisors did not meet minimum training requirements. EPA's management controls did not detect or prevent the cases of missed or undocumented training. Weaknesses in controls included limitations in training tracking systems and a lack of procedures to ensure that supervisors met their training requirements. Also, contracts and cooperative agreements for inspection services did not include training requirements. EPA can strengthen its RMProgram inspection guidance and oversight to increase assurance that inspectors conduct effective inspections. EPA guidance did not establish minimum guidelines for the scope of inspections. Further, EPA did not have a process to monitor the quality of inspections. Generally, inspection reports did not explain the extent to which the inspectors reviewed specific elements of a covered process to determine compliance. Also, our observations of two inspections indicated that procedures to verify the facilities' RMProgram activities were limited.