U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Catalyst for Improving the Environment 

Special Report 

EPA’s Unliquidated Obligations 

for Grants 

 Report No. 09-N-0150 

 May 1, 2009
 
Report Contributors:	 Paul Curtis 

 Meg Hiatt

 Javier Negron 

 Alfred Falciani 
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

May 1, 2009 

The Honorable Norman D. Dicks 

Chairman 

Subcommittee on Interior, Environment 

and Related Agencies 

Committee on Appropriations 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Mr. Chairman: 

On March 4, 2009, I briefed you and Ranking Member Simpson on some of the financial 

and programmatic challenges facing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on 

prior Office of Inspector General work. During this briefing, you requested that I provide 

information regarding outstanding unliquidated obligations for the EPA. 

Enclosed is the information we obtained from EPA’s records. It is listed in alphabetical 

order, summarized by the program name, and includes outstanding unliquidated obligations 

associated with that program as of March 31, 2009. The amounts are grouped by year beginning 

with Fiscal Years 1980-1999 and 2000-2005; and by individual fiscal year for 2006, 2007, 2008, 

and 2009. We also grouped those programs that had amounts outstanding under $100,000 on 

one line. 

We appreciate your interest in our work. Should you or your staff have any questions on 

this report, please contact Melissa Heist, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, at 

(202) 566-0824. 

Sincerely, 

Bill A. Roderick 

Acting Inspector General 

Enclosure 
Alphabetical Listing of EPA Unliquidated Obligations by Pro

Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Office of Acquisition Management 0.00 89,597.41 89,941.15 333,465.41 4,40

Agency Data Against Risks; Information Technology 

0.00 825,182.61 

Air Toxics 629.00 206,524.91 

Alaska Native Villages 0.00 39,257,346.66 19,333,963.27 26,468,812.85 20,04

Alternative Dispute Resolution 0.00 47,875.45 79,070.06 262,653.07 64

Analysis of Society Impacts Risks 17,971.80 118,857.76 80Audits, Evaluations, & Investigations 0.00 39,382.11 25,286.96 288,989.17 4,95

Beach / Fish Programs 0.00 26,933.72 7,877.95 9,136.43 79

Beaches Protection 0.00 547,200.50 194,888.08 2,045,838.29 8,21

Brownfields 1,777,137.66 72,214,883.93 50,930,258.73 62,011,745.41 96,71Categorical Grant 0.00 3,329,372.81 4,393,412.76 11,657,163.90 47,07

Central Planning, Budgeting, Finance 0.00 556,168.95 417,694.47 1,130,691.09 16,68

Chemical Risk Review & Reduction 0.00 104,107.09 105,043.47 257,820.80 4,17

Chesapeake Bay 0.00 358,885.19 1,052,563.48 7,273,952.82 19,59Children's Health 0.00 138,664.34 678,364.60 1,020,296.92 1,96

Civil Enforcement 0.00 100,897.69 118,815.01 716,867.03 4,61

Civil Rights / Title VI Compliance 0.00 73,568.88 46,829.13 32,131.76 40Clean Air Allowance Trading 0.00 191,694.16 145,438.58 1,104,635.58 5,39

Clean School Bus Initiative 0.00 432,718.44 1,069,500.08 4,63

Climate Change Initiative 15,801.20 741,494.42 

Climate Protection Program 0.00 1,134,089.99 1,260,453.93 6,867,961.25 18,07

Compliance Act Product 0.00 227,473.25 

Reregestration; Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Compliance Programs For Environmental Impact 

0.00 209,815.89 778,474.00 1,761,659.94 5,42

Congressionally Mandated Projects 0.00 149,421,247.57 162,116,368.88 66,294,277.97 64,05

Construction Grants 6,707,746.00 0.00 

Construction Grants/State Revolving Fund Title 6 

0.00 13,849,520.14 

Create Information Network Data; Information Technology 

0.00 193,532.59 

1 
Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Criminal Enforcement 0.00 51,359.34 176,791.46 250,398.97 2,23

Decibal Support Tools & Weather 0.00 1,700,530.06 Control; Office of Research and Development Device Tools to Query Data; IT, Database Development 

0.00 435,079.80 

Diesel Emissions Grants 0.00 0.00 22,74

Drinking Water Programs 0.00 485,952.86 335,767.25 2,595,215.66 9,77

Ecosystems Research; Office of Research and Development 

0.00 645,451.44 

Emerging Risks Research; Office of Research and Development 

0.00 616,476.81 

Endocrine Disruptors Research 0.00 101,672.04 647,238.54 3,291,633.29 2,19

Program; Office of Research and Development Enforcement Training 0.00 0.00 232.13 33,951.79 59

Environmental Data Multiple Formats; OA 

0.00 176,792.47 

Environmental Cooperation 0.00 0.00 18

Environmental Education 0.00 48,751.46 175,636.97 348,544.62 4,84

Environmental Information 0.00 5,576,388.14 8,259,605.38 9,684,959.16 13,59

Environmental Justice 0.00 171,521.65 773,706.87 293,577.80 1,72

Exchange Network 0.00 351,642.84 159,182.41 644,737.24 4,56

Existing Chemicals; Office of 0.00 130,722.46 

Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Facilities Information and Operations 300,000.00 3,158,305.97 3,981,232.31 11,448,041.64 52,73

Federal Stationary Source Regulations 

0.00 229,542.54 135,447.65 1,019,720.31 3,49

Federal Support For Air Quality 0.00 346,075.42 4,569,276.77 1,994,707.54 5,28

Federal Support For Air Toxics 0.00 444,461.49 12,877.72 725,963.17 3,01

Federal Vehicle & Fuels Standards 0.00 185,224.06 101,616.36 2,438,061.44 9,93Financial Assistance Grants / Interagency Agreement Management 

0.00 88,445.84 276,056.47 1,021,163.59 1,65

Forensics Support 0.00 26,524.98 33,616.86 68,783.58 1,21

Geographic Program: Other 0.00 757,504.43 2,028,996.00 4,672,153.85 16,83

Great Lakes 0.00 878,435.31 10,917,095.64 29,208,072.04 12,80

2 
Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Research 

0.00 1,067,436.55 

Gulf of Mexico 0.00 326,614.15 405,616.68 821,035.38 3,12

Hardship Grants/Rural Communities 516,343.00 0.00 

Hazardous Spill & Site Response 27,868,828.28 0.00 

Hazardous Substance Tech Enforcement 

181,371.68 0.00 

Hazardous Waste Financial Assistance 

0.00 703,826.10 548,385.23 1,189,220.26 7,00

Headquarters Full Time Equivalents - 0.00 189,614.52 

Office of Administration and Resource Management Distribution Account High Priority Resource Conservation 0.00 291,059.30 

And Recovery Act Fac Exposure; Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Homeland Security 0.00 2,424,158.53 1,250,789.89 1,074,360.05 4,54

Homeland Security Communication And Information 

0.00 28,125.10 144,164.80 635,988.83 3,46

Homeland Security Critical Infrastructure Program 

0.00 196,705.12 204,303.63 20,606,690.16 7,88

Homeland Security Preparedness, Response, Reconstruction 

15,401.87 2,074,228.19 3,909,652.36 10,693,597.98 31,90

Homeland Security Protection of EPA Personnel 

0.00 1,005,561.27 81,530.61 3,393,046.96 9,29

Human Health Risk 0.00 1,197,065.82 1,030,483.27 3,180,333.22 7,70

Human Resources Management 595.00 78,947.69 231,151.45 972,531.35 1,96

Implement CSI & Project Xl 0.00 158,005.89 

Increase Public Information Access 602.13 191,034.62 

Increase System Meeting Health-Base Requirements; Office of Water 

1,747,561.48 85,881,263.54 

Increase Wetlands Area; Office of Water 

0.00 3,756,775.95 

Indoor Air 0.00 95,475.72 119,409.83 123,061.61 55

Indoor Environments; Office of Air and Radiation 

0.00 270,841.00 

Information Security 874.00 29,028.45 461,419.99 1,11

Information Technology / Data Management 

0.00 1,569,147.61 1,310,617.73 5,552,775.97 32,60

Infrastructure: Puerto Rico 0.00 0.00 

3 
Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Internal Sources of Pollution 0.00 0.00 

International Capacity Building 0.00 618,242.02 316,471.77 1,522,183.42 52Lake Champlain 0.00 33,028.55 61,402.52 324,729.79 1,42

Lead Risk Reduction Program 0.00 23,352.84 50,843.44 224,482.96 69

Leaking Underground Storage Tanks/ Underground Storage Tanks 

0.00 187,909.15 604,087.74 1,685,478.63 7,58

Legal Advice 0.00 9,644.03 36,056.08 87,158.85 79Long Island Sound 0.00 262,971.90 40,449.58 711,183.74 4,75Lust Cooperative Agreements 0.00 872,074.11 12,669,630.85 6,082,654.93 48,26

Management, Services & Stewardship 43,705.59 898,210.34 

Marine Pollution 0.00 133,449.81 163,439.30 243,323.88 4,02

National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

0.00 1,520,915.07 

National Environmental Policy Act Implementation 

0.00 8,416.13 42,854.52 123,417.08 69

National Estuary Program /Coastal Waters 

0.00 1,264,086.51 1,797,773.15 3,545,197.89 13,82

Nationwide Support Services 900,000.00 0.00 

New Construction; Office of 160,697.39 1,646,592.60 

Administration and Resources Management Nonpoint Source Management Programs (Sec. 319) 

4,810.99 92,510,979.58 73,473,083.83 108,268,723.02 158,76

Office of Administrative Law Judges 0.00 348.00 23,840.00 7,916.73 12

Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations 

0.00 84,730.88 158,509.99 374,945.03 1,15

Office of International Affairs; Environment and Trade 

0.00 32,945.54 62,682.46 886,419.35 1,16

Office of Research and Development Distribution Accounts 

0.00 131,782.34 

Office of Underground Storage Tanks; 10,873.26 255,461.81 

Office of Solid Waste Emergency Response Oil Spill Prevention & Response 137,511.12 1,004,794.08 808,794.96 2,619,126.35 7,37

Oil Spills - Reimbursable 383,429.36 0.00 ORD Administrative Support Account, Distribution Accounts 

0.00 751,583.60 

Ozone: Domestic Programs 0.00 10,744.64 1,436.18 31,065.21 28Pesticide and Toxic Chemical Implementation 

0.00 182,053.73 4,960.57 222,911.02 6

4 
Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Pesticides 1,553.00 1,050,357.87 1,267,876.87 4,085,490.22 23,66

Planning & Resource Managemnt; Office of the Chief Financial Officer 

0.00 103,830.57 

Pollution Prevention & New Technology Environment Program 

0.00 622,070.00 

Pollution Prevention Program 0.00 287,603.72 330,572.93 2,700,737.37 6,12Prevent Releases from Hazardous Waste Management Facilities 

0.00 222,807.10 

Program Results Code 8,003,293.00 0.00 

Promote Sector Based Environmental Management 

1,892.00 145,679.17 

Public Water System Supervisors 0.00 300,867.20 324,377.69 1,429,741.82 7,90Radiation 0.00 37,902.12 125,807.62 394,048.92 2,15

Reduce Keypoint Source Loading 28%; Office of Water 

55,393,240.24 117,456,210.02 

Reduce Loadings & Air Deposition 0.00 823,800.43 

Reduce Non-Point Source Sed&Nut Lds; Office of Water 

0.00 1,254,512.76 

Reduce Risks From Indoor Air 0.00 0.00 832,804.62 2,187,358.40 8,14

Reduce Risks From Lead; Office of 0.00 119,190.14 

Prevention Pesticides And Toxic Substances Regional Economic-Management & Analysis 

844.00 171,394.00 740,749.15 763,636.59 1,49

Regional Geographic Initiative 0.00 521,541.40 610,796.37 2,568,849.40 4

Regional Program Support Infrastructure 

0.00 291,803.97 

Regional Science and Technology 0.00 11,795.67 12,356.10 50,000.02 33

Regulatory Innovation 0.00 732,500.35 851,073.49 2,556,722.90 4,05

Research 0.18 25,160,409.96 30,774,006.78 56,537,286.54 100,94

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: Corrective Action 

0.00 414,236.19 333,773.41 1,357,685.23 2,25

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: Waste Management 

0.00 291,406.26 634,677.57 1,484,618.88 6,12

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: Waste Minimization & Recreation 

0.00 127,127.47 252,381.30 437,275.66 1,71

Respond to Superfund Hazardous 2,673,408.99 24,047,116.42 Waste Sites; Office of Solid Waste 

and Emergency Response Restore & Protect Watersheds Office of Water 

425.00 2,708,404.86 

5 
Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Science Advisory Board 0.00 3,627.45 2,354.13 83,186.78 16

Science Based/Safe Drinking Water 0.00 877,422.10 

Act; Office of Research And Development Science Policy aad Biotech 0.00 33,905.62 310.84 58,813.62 21

Sector Program 0.00 878,527.60 695,635.00 583,331.21 1,43

Small Business Ombudsman 0.00 17,541.54 2,573.67 38,489.13 65

Small Minority Business Assist 0.00 7,499.96 21,719.35 232,184.98 36Source Water Protection Program; Office of Water 

0.00 2,433,173.65 

State & Local Air Quality Management 0.00 1,345,875.38 2,438,740.31 7,560,169.78 47,30State And Tribal Assistance GrantsMexican Border Projects 2,057,167.36 0.00 

State And Tribal Assistance GrantsSpecial Projects/Hardship Cities 13,272,616.17 0.00 State Revolving Fund Program-Clean Water 

26,743,822.62 112,361,842.77 108,187,735.39 355,194,293.19 379,49

State Revolving Fund, Title VI, FY 93 1,939,303.42 0.00 State Revolving Fund-Drinking Water 4,085,801.97 293,248,739.52 277,411,486.38 364,258,929.59 732,49State& Local Prevention & Preparation 0.00 65,432.98 228,023.01 498,706.58 1,88

Stratospheric Ozone: Multilateral 0.00 0.00 2,315,000.00 2,34

Superfund Reimbursable Cash Advance 

114,707.31 0.00 

Superfund: Enforcement 15,707.45 1,757,085.04 3,417,656.35 4,179,658.30 21,76

Superfund: Remedial 0.00 23,585,397.17 50,209,670.01 85,495,123.12 364,13Superfund: Emergency Response 59,249.55 18,381,385.34 9,289,015.78 23,977,411.71 88,69

Superfund: EPA Emergency Preparedness 

0.00 100,949.97 499,184.36 756,218.50 2,08

Superfund: Federal Facilities 0.00 1,819,915.00 2,604,869.47 4,588,175.18 11,01Superfund: Support Other Federal Agencies 

0.00 0.00 321,504.75 4,88

Surface Water Protection 0.00 1,170,415.32 1,029,188.84 4,665,084.42 20,14

Targeted Watersheds 0.00 5,406,032.66 6,325,049.67 3,045,615.06 18,10

Title II Projects 7,492,069.00 0.00 Toxic Substances 88,236.84 229,615.78 119,710.89 558,411.27 2,49

Trade and Governance 0.00 0.00 

Tribal 0.00 1,775,697.10 2,091,530.35 12,769,334.06 53,06

Tribal Pollution Grant Control Program 0.00 187,894.79 Tribal Right to Know 0.00 79,063.89 152,289.74 361,723.62 3,35

6 
Program 1999 & Prior 2000 to 2005 2006 2007 200

Underground Injection Control 0.00 213,514.78 26,841.76 144,085.78 2,11Underground Storage Tanks 0.00 193,725.50 419,961.13 5,105,058.00 1,37

United States Mexico Border 0.00 79,662,474.63 9,799,009.49 45,071,926.90 66,32

Wastewater Operator Training 0.00 0.00 51,298.79 162,242.43 29

Water Pollution Control Program (Sec. 106) 

0.00 2,278,256.42 2,496,140.43 10,173,995.83 62,58

Water Quality Cooperative Agreement 1,719.24 1,035,815.21 2,142,522.79 258,948.59 35

Wetlands 0.00 3,375,950.54 15,878,895.37 8,660,494.16 57,04Unliquidated Obligations Under $100,000 

193,799.59 1,396,062.03 0.00 0.00 

Totals 162,930,747.74 1,235,848,537.64 906,544,210.92 1,453,683,833.59 2,971,24

7 
09-N-0150 

Appendix A 

Distribution 

Office of the Administrator 

Agency Follow-up Official (the CFO) 

Agency Follow-up Coordinator 

Acting General Counsel 

Acting Associate Administrator for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations 

Acting Associate Administrator for Public Affairs 

Acting Inspector General 

8