Hotline Allegations Unsubstantiated, but Region 7 Contract Administration and Award Issues Identified. Quick Reaction Report

摘要

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) receives hotline complaints of fraud, waste, and abuse within EPA programs and operations. In June 2010, a complainant alleged that EPA Region 7 possibly replaced appropriated funds for a contract with ASW Associates, Inc., with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funds and used the appropriated funds for another project. The complainant also alleged that EPA terminated an ASW contract for the convenience of the government and awarded a contract to another contractor that had higher rates. Based on the complainants allegations, our objectives were to determine whether Region 7: (1) Replaced appropriated funds with Recovery Act funds; (2) Terminated the ASW contract for the convenience of the government.