GAO Report Released: Water Pollution: EPA Has Improved Its Review of Effluent Guidelines but Could Benefit from More Information on Treatment Technologies

Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)released a report, titled Water Pollution: EPA Has Improved Its Review of Effluent Guidelines but Could Benefit from More Information on Treatment Technologies GAO-12-845 (Sept. 10, 2012). This 72 page report, available here, was conducted in order to

examine [under the Clean Water Act] (1) the process EPA follows to screen and review industrial categories potentially needing new or revised guidelines and the results of that process from 2003 through 2010; (2) limitations to this process, if any, that could hinder EPA’s effectiveness in advancing the goals of the Clean Water Act; and (3) EPA’s actions to address any such limitations.

GAO analyzed the results of EPA’s screening and review process from 2003 through 2010, surveyed state officials, and interviewed EPA officials and experts to obtain their views on EPA’s process and its results.