EPA System That Checks Pollution Called Obsolete
The computer system used by the Environmental Protection Agency to monitor water pollution is incomplete, obsolete and difficult to use, the agency’s internal watchdog said.
In a report dated May 20, the Office of Inspector General criticized the agency for devoting insufficient funds to upgrade the Permit Compliance System, or PCS.
“It is essential that this system, used by EPA and many states to administer permits for water discharges and ensure enforcement, be modernized,” it said.
“However, the modernization program is facing a large cost escalation and a consequent funding shortfall and slippage in time frames.”
PCS is a data system that tracks the issuing of permits, permit limits, self-monitoring, and enforcement and inspection activities for more than 64,000 facilities regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
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