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  (17)GAO’s reports and testimonies give Congress, federal agencies, and the public timely, fact-based, non-partisan information that can improve government operations and save taxpayers billions of dollars.Jump To:
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                    Most Recent Reports**1 - 20 of 3820 Reports**
	
	

	
	  **Released on   Apr 10, 2024**
          Justice40: Additional Efforts Needed to Improve Tribal Applicants' Access to Federal Programs   Under Environmental Justice Initiative
    GAO-24-106511
      Published:   Apr 10, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 10, 2024
.
    Underserved communities, such as Tribes, face barriers to accessing federal funding—like cost-share requirements that require participants to contribute some funding up front. The Justice40 Initiative aims to increase underserved communities' access to funding, with a goal of directing 40% of the benefits of covered federal programs to such communities. However, some Justice40 program requirements also create access barriers. For example, competitive grants can include significant...
      **Released on   Apr 2, 2024**
          Nuclear Power Plants: NRC Should Take Actions to Fully Consider the Potential Effects of Climate Change
    GAO-24-106326
      Published:   Apr 2, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Apr 2, 2024
.
    Climate change is likely to exacerbate natural hazards—such as floods and drought. The risks to nuclear power plants from such hazards include damage to systems and equipment that ensure safe operation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's oversight process includes addressing safety risks at these plants. However, NRC doesn't fully consider potential increases in risk from climate change. For example, NRC mostly uses historical data to identify...
      **Released on   Mar 19, 2024**
          Air Quality Sensors: Policy Options to Help Address Implementation Challenges
    GAO-24-106393
      Published:   Mar 19, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 19, 2024
.
    Portable, low-cost air quality sensors could identify pollution hot spots, improve wildfire smoke warnings, and provide air quality information in rural areas. Current sensors are accurate enough to accomplish these tasks for some pollutants, but more capabilities are still in development. Also, there are challenges to using these sensors. For example, users may not have access to the expertise and information they need to deploy...
      **Released on   Mar 14, 2024**
          Wildfire Disasters: Opportunities to Improve Federal Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Efforts
    GAO-24-107382
      Published:   Mar 14, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Mar 14, 2024
.
    Wildfires are growing in size and severity, and the nation is experiencing longer wildfire seasons. In August 2023, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century was on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Numerous federal departments and agencies have roles in wildfire preparedness, response, and recovery. Demand for related federal programs and resources is expected to increase. We testified on: Our ongoing work looking...
      **Released on   Feb 28, 2024**
          Justice40: Use of Leading Practices Would Strengthen Efforts to Guide Environmental Justice Initiative
    GAO-24-105869
      Published:   Jan 29, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 28, 2024
.
    Some U.S. communities face heavy socioeconomic and environmental burdens like high rates of poverty, disease, and pollution. The Justice40 Initiative goal is for 40% of benefits from certain federal grants and programs to flow to disadvantaged communities. The Executive Office of the President collaborated with federal agencies, nonfederal entities, and federally recognized Tribes to develop Justice40 guidance and tools, such as a tool to identify...
      **Released on   Feb 20, 2024**
          Offshore Oil and Gas: Interior Needs to Improve Decommissioning Enforcement and Mitigate Related Risks
    GAO-24-106229
      Published:   Jan 25, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 20, 2024
.
    Oil and gas companies with offshore infrastructure must decommission it when it's no longer useful—by plugging wells and removing platforms within set deadlines. As of June 2023, more than 2,700 wells and 500 platforms were overdue for decommissioning in the Gulf of Mexico. Delays can increase environmental, safety, and financial risks. For example, delays could indicate that companies are in financial trouble and may leave...
          Oil and Gas Pipelines: Agencies Should Improve Oversight of Decommissioning
    GAO-24-106444
      Published:   Jan 18, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 20, 2024
.
    "Gathering pipelines" carry oil and natural gas from wells to other pipelines or facilities. Many—although an exact number is unknown—are located on federal lands and were installed decades ago. If not taken out of service properly, the pipelines may pose safety and environmental risks—including spills, emissions, or explosions. In this Q&A report, we look at the challenges several federal agencies face with ensuring the pipelines...
      **Released on   Feb 15, 2024**
          Climate Change: Options to Enhance the Resilience of Federally Funded Flood Risk Management Infrastructure
    GAO-24-105496
      Published:   Jan 16, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 15, 2024
.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans and builds much of the nation's flood risk management infrastructure—including levees, dams, and floodgates—that protect communities from extreme weather events and rising sea levels due to climate change. We identified 14 options the Corps can take to enhance the climate resilience of flood risk management infrastructure. This includes updating planning guidance to require that all projects incorporate how...
      **Released on   Feb 14, 2024**
          Environmental Cleanup: DOD Should Communicate Future Costs for Red Hill Remediation and Closure
    GAO-24-106185
      Published:   Feb 14, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 14, 2024
.
    In November 2021, a large fuel spill at the Red Hill facility—part of a fuel storage system the Navy manages on O'ahu, Hawaii—contaminated portions of the surrounding area and a nearby well. DOD plans to close the facility but cleaning up the contamination could take decades. Yet the agency's reports to Congress about the work haven't included cost estimates beyond FY 2024. As a result...
      **Released on   Feb 13, 2024**
          Coral Reef Conservation Program: Opportunities Exist to Better Track Expenditures and Share Information
    GAO-24-106692
      Published:   Feb 13, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Feb 13, 2024
.
    Coral reefs host rich marine ecosystems and protect coastlines from flooding and erosion—providing global benefits estimated to be worth trillions of dollars annually. But coral reefs face threats such as ocean warming, disease, and tourism. The federal Coral Reef Conservation Program plays a key role in conserving and restoring coral reefs. In this Q&A report, we looked at the program's budget and accounting practices. The...
      **Released on   Jan 31, 2024**
          Nuclear Waste: Changing Conditions May Affect Future Management of Contamination Deposited Abroad During U.S. Cold War Activities
    GAO-24-104082
      Published:   Jan 31, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 31, 2024
.
    U.S. Cold War activities caused radioactive contamination in three other countries. The contamination in Greenland—from a closed nuclear reactor—and in Spain—from an aircraft accident—is being monitored. But changing climate and economic conditions have raised concerns about future effects on local areas. In the Marshall Islands—where the U.S. tested nuclear weapons—local officials are worried that rising sea levels may impact contaminated sites. The Department of Energy...
      **Released on   Jan 10, 2024**
          Deferred Maintenance: Agencies' Project Selection and Challenges
    GAO-24-107234
      Published:   Jan 10, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 10, 2024
.
    Buildings, roads, and other structures on the federal government's public lands require billions of dollars to maintain each year. Agencies may defer maintenance projects to future years when funds are unavailable. This testimony discusses a fund Congress established in 2020 to address deferred maintenance in fiscal years 2021-2025. The money—as much as $1.9 billion annually—is divided among 5 eligible agencies at 70% for the National...
      **Released on   Jan 8, 2024**
          Deferred Maintenance: Agencies Generally Followed Leading Practices in Selections but Faced Challenges
    GAO-24-106495
      Published:   Jan 8, 2024
. 
        Publicly Released:   Jan 8, 2024
.
    Buildings, roads, and other structures on the federal government's public lands require billions of dollars to maintain each year. Agencies may defer maintenance projects to future years when funds are unavailable. In 2020, Congress established a fund to address deferred maintenance in fiscal years 2021-2025. The money—as much as $1.9 billion annually—is divided among 5 eligible agencies at 70% for the National Park Service, 15%...
      **Released on   Dec 14, 2023**
          Artificial Intelligence in Natural Hazard Modeling: Severe Storms, Hurricanes, Floods, and Wildfires
    GAO-24-106213
      Published:   Dec 14, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 14, 2023
.
    Severe storms, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires kill hundreds of people and cause billions of dollars in damage in the U.S. each year. Forecasting models can help predict these hazards. Machine learning—a type of artificial intelligence —can help improve model accuracy, increase warning times, and reduce uncertainty. Some machine learning forecasting models are in use, but there are challenges to developing and adopting them more widely...
      **Released on   Dec 7, 2023**
          Nuclear Materials: DOE Plans for Savannah River Site's H-Canyon Facility
    GAO-24-106494
      Published:   Dec 7, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 7, 2023
.
    The Department of Energy uses the H-Canyon facility in South Carolina to help process certain nuclear materials for disposal—such as spent nuclear fuel that contains highly enriched uranium. Some of these materials have no other means of disposal, are unstable, and pose risks to people and the environment. Several programs within DOE and one at another federal agency rely on this facility that may close...
          Low-Dose Radiation: Agency Leadership and Collaboration Are Needed to Set the Direction of Future Research
    GAO-24-106317
      Published:   Dec 7, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Dec 7, 2023
.
    Exposure to high doses of radiation is unhealthy—but what about low doses? The Department of Energy and other agencies have been supporting and conducting research to answer this question for more than 2 decades. In 2018, Congress directed DOE to lead a low-dose radiation research program. Congress also directed DOE to work with the National Academies to outline research priorities for the program. Its June...
      **Released on   Nov 30, 2023**
          Science & Tech Spotlight: Ocean Warming
    GAO-24-107068
      Published:   Nov 30, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 30, 2023
.
    The ocean is storing much of Earth's excess heat. The resulting ocean warming contributes to problems such as rising sea level, ice-sheet melting, and coral bleaching. This Spotlight report covers these and other issues, including effects on coastal communities and difficulty predicting change in complex systems like global ocean currents. We also discuss opportunities, like restoring mangroves as barriers against storm surges and other "nature-based...
      **Released on   Nov 16, 2023**
          U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Use of Other Transaction Agreements in Water Development Projects
    GAO-24-106746
      Published:   Nov 16, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 16, 2023
.
    The Army Corps of Engineers takes on water infrastructure-related civil works projects such as dams, levees, and more. A 2022 law allowed the Corps to use types of contracts for these projects that aren't procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants. These are known as "other transaction agreements." Corps officials said they have drafted guidance for using these agreements. However, they can't finalize this guidance until...
          Financial Audit Guidance: FY 2024 and FY 2025 Audit Procedures for Government Land
    GAO-24-106986
      Published:   Nov 16, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 16, 2023
.
    Beginning in FY 2026, estimated federal government land acreage—categorized by usage—will be reported in audited federal financial statements. To prepare for the transition to this requirement, agencies have been required to report land acreage as unaudited information in their annual financial reports since FY 2022. We worked with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to develop this guidance for FY 2024...
      **Released on   Nov 8, 2023**
          Puget Sound: Further Actions Could Improve Efforts to Address Impaired Water Quality That Threatens Salmon
    GAO-24-105687
      Published:   Nov 8, 2023
. 
        Publicly Released:   Nov 8, 2023
.
    Poor water quality has played a key role in the decline of salmon populations in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Salmon are culturally significant to area Tribes and are a cornerstone of the local economy. The Clean Water Act requires states to develop lists of bodies of water that don't meet quality standards. The Environmental Protection Agency approves these lists, which are used...
    
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