Region 4 Should Strengthen Oversight of Georgia's Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Program. Evaluation Report

摘要

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), received a Hotline complaint alleging that EPA Region 4 was not adequately overseeing Georgia's Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) program. In response, the OIG evaluated EPA's management controls over Georgia's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) CAFO program. The Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibits the discharge of pollutants from any point source to a water of the United States unless authorized under an NPDES permit issued by EPA or an authorized state. The CWA defines a CAFO as a point source. A CAFO is a facility where animals are confined and fed for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period. An NPDES permit controls water pollution by establishing limits on the types and amounts of pollution that can be discharged into waterways.