EPA Needs an Agencywide Strategic Action Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms

Submitting OIG:

Report Description:

Scientists predict that harmful algal bloom occurrences in recreational waters and drinking water sources will increase as excess nutrients continue to flow into water bodies, temperatures warm, and extreme weather events occur due to climate change.

Date Issued:

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Agency Reviewed / Investigated:

Environmental Protection Agency

Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:

21-E-0264

Location(s):

Agency-Wide

Type of Report:

Inspection / Evaluation

Questioned Costs:

Funds for Better Use:

Number of Recommendations:

Report updated under NDAA 5274:

Additional Details Link:

https://www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/report-epa-needs-agencywide-strateg…

Recommendation Number	Recommendation Status	Significant Recommendation
21-E-0264_1	Open	No
Develop an agencywide strategic action plan, including milestones, to direct the EPA’s efforts to maintain and enhance a national program to forecast, monitor, and respond to freshwater harmful algal blooms. This plan should incorporate strategies for: (a) identifying knowledge gaps; (b) closing identified knowledge gaps, particularly related to health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and during recreational activities; (c) monitoring and tracking harmful algal blooms; (d) enhancing the EPA’s national leadership role in addressing freshwater algal blooms; (e) coordinating EPA activities internally and with states; and (f) assessing the health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and during recreational activities and establishing additional criteria, standards, and advisories, as the scientific information allows.
21-E-0264_3	Open	No
Mindful that the EPA has substantial work to complete before publishing final numeric water quality criteria recommendations for nitrogen and phosphorus under the Clean Water Act for rivers and streams, establish a plan, including milestones and identification of resource needs, for developing and publishing those criteria recommendations.
21-E-0264_4	Open	No
Assess and evaluate the available information on human health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and recreational waters to determine whether actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act are warranted.

Recommendation Number

Recommendation Status

Significant Recommendation

Additional Details

21-E-0264_1

Open

Develop an agencywide strategic action plan, including milestones, to direct the EPA’s efforts to maintain and enhance a national program to forecast, monitor, and respond to freshwater harmful algal blooms. This plan should incorporate strategies for: (a) identifying knowledge gaps; (b) closing identified knowledge gaps, particularly related to health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and during recreational activities; (c) monitoring and tracking harmful algal blooms; (d) enhancing the EPA’s national leadership role in addressing freshwater algal blooms; (e) coordinating EPA activities internally and with states; and (f) assessing the health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and during recreational activities and establishing additional criteria, standards, and advisories, as the scientific information allows.

21-E-0264_3

Open

Mindful that the EPA has substantial work to complete before publishing final numeric water quality criteria recommendations for nitrogen and phosphorus under the Clean Water Act for rivers and streams, establish a plan, including milestones and identification of resource needs, for developing and publishing those criteria recommendations.

21-E-0264_4

Open

Assess and evaluate the available information on human health risks from exposure to cyanotoxins in drinking water and recreational waters to determine whether actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act are warranted.

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EPA Needs an Agencywide Strategic Action Plan to Address Harmful Algal Blooms

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