Citation Section Sample Entry Accession Number Title/Subtitle (Testimony Titles Are Document Date- GAO Issue Area Budget Function (Code Numbers in Parentheses) Legislative Authority Abstract Findings/Conclusions 128973 Hazardous Waste: Status of Private Contact: Resources, Community, and Budget Function: Natural Resources and Environment: Pollution Control and Organization Concerned: Environmental Protection Agency. Congressional Relevance; House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Environmental Response, Compensation, Abstract: In response to a congressional cleanup at priority hazardous waste sites Findings/Conclusions: EPA has the Document Report Number - Addressee - Author GAO Contact Agency/Organization Concerned Congressional Relevance 136459 [Management of Public Rangelands Contact: Resources, Community, and Congressional Relevance: House Authority: Grazing Act. Land Policy and Abstract: GAO discussed how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered public rangelands. GAO found that: (1) although Congress mandated that BLM manage rangelands for the benefit of all and to ensure their future maintenance, much rangeland remained in unsatisfactory condition; (2) almost 60 percent of the grazing allotments were in only poor or fair condition and the riparian areas were worse; (3) the primary cause of rangeland and riparian degradation is poorly managed livestock grazing, since livestock tend to congregate in riparian areas, eat most of the vegetation, and trample streambanks; (4) BLM has done little to reduce authorized grazing levels in overgrazed areas and has not established appropriate grazing levels; (5) BLM staff believe that neither BLM management nor ranchers would support efforts to improve riparian areas; and (6) BLM reduced staffing levels for those specialist positions needed to achieve range management goals. GAO believes that BLM needs to: (1) establish finite goals for riparian-area restoration; and (2) annually measure the progress made to achieve those goals. 136504 Aircraft Noise: Implementation of FAA's Expanded East Coast Plan. RCED-88-143; B-230870. August 5, 1988. 10 pp. plus 8 appendices (49 pp.). Report to Rep. Jim Courter; Rep. James J. Florio; Rep. Dean A. Gallo; Rep. Matthew J. Rinaldo; Rep. Peter W. Rodino; Rep. Marge Roukema; Rep. Christopher H. Smith; Rep. Robert G. Torricelli; by J. Dexter Peach, Assistant Comptroller General, Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division. Refer to RCED-89-84, May 8, 1989, Accession Number 138774; RCED-89-189, September 14, 1989, Accession Number 139584; T-RCED-90-4, October 26, 1989, Accession Number 139890; and RCED-90-11, October 12, 1989, Accession Number 140041. Issue Area: Transportation: Other Issue Contact: Resources, Community, and Organization Concerned: Department of Congressional Relevance: House Committee on Appropriations: Transportation Subcommittee; House Committee on Public Works and Transportation; Senate Committee on Appropriations: Transportation Subcommittee; Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; Rep. Matthew J. Rinaldo; Rep. Dean A. Gallo; Rep. James J. Florio; Rep. Jim Courter; Rep. Robert G. Torricelli; Rep. Christopher H. Smith; Rep. Marge Roukema; Rep. Peter W. Rodino, Jr. . Authority: Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (National). Abstract: Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) implementation of its Expanded East Coast Plan, focusing on: (1) agencies' responsibilities for assessing the environmental impact of revising air routes and flight procedures; (2) the plan's effects on noise and air routes; (3) how FAA measured aircraft noise; (4) reasons why FAA did not perform an environmental assessment of the plan; and (5) actions FAA took in response to citizens' complaints regarding increased aircraft noise. Findings/Conclusions: GAO found that FAA: (1) designed the plan to reduce air traffic delays by revising air traffic control routes and flight procedures; (2) had sole responsibility for assessing the plan's environmental impact and used a measure of day-night noise level (Ldn) to determine cumulative exposure to aircraft noise; (3) did not assess the plan's environmental impact, based on its long-standing policy to exempt routes and flight procedures carried out at over 3,000 feet from such assessment; and (4) concluded that the plan significantly reduced flight delays, but failed to link any delay reductions to specific plan components. GAO also found that: (1) the plan resulted in three new departure routes, two new arrival routes, and six realigned routes over New Jersey; (2) New Jersey residents lodged numerous complaints about increased aircraft noise after the plan's implementation; (3) a 1day FAA study in one affected area showed aircraft noise to be within FAA guidelines; and (4) in response to citizen complaints, FAA directed air traffic controllers to, when possible, direct flights along more varied paths to spread traffic over a wider area. Recommendation To Agencies: The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to improve the information base available on which to assess the merits of the Expanded East Coast Plan and other such major airspace changes by: (1) preparing an environmental assessment of the effects of the plan and, if significant impacts from the plan are found, preparing an environmental impact statement; (2) making a qualitative determination of which portions of the reduced delays are due to the plan and which are due to other factors; and (3) preparing an environmental assessment of any major proposal for making widespread air route or flight procedure changes on the West Coast or in other areas of the country where delays and congestion warrant such changes. 136508 [Background and Business Contact: Office of Special Investigations. relationships. GAO noted that the Buffalo, New York-based firm, incorporated in July 1984: (1) specialized in the disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); and (2) had commercial, industrial, and government customers, at one time deriving 60 percent of its business from the Defense Logistics Agency. GAO also noted that the: (1) former owner of another waste management firm allegedly broke his noncompetition agreement with its acquirers by lending $1 million to finance the establishment of the firm under investigation; (2) firm allegedly repaid the loan by selling stock into a trust fund for the lender's daughter; (3) lender became a consultant with the firm shortly after the noncompetition agreement expired; (4) lender owned the property the firm leased for its headquarters and waived the firm's lease payments when it experienced financial difficulties; (5) firm frequently conducted business with other companies the lender owned; (6) firm's owners, stockholders, and executives were jointly involved in numerous business enterprises; (7) firm had an exclusive marketing agreement with two Kansas City waste disposal firms; and (8) Environmental Protection Agency repeatedly cited those two firms and some of their affiliates for noncompliance with PCB regulations. In addition, GAO noted that many of the individuals involved with the firm declined to talk with GAO but denied allegations regarding their financial backing of and involvement with the firm. 136566 Airspace Use: FAA Needs to Improve Its Management of Special Use Airspace. RCED-88-147; B226538. August 5, 1988. Released August 15, 1988. 9 pp. plus 11 Issue Area: Transportation: FAA Contact: Resources, Community, and Organization Concerned: Federal Environmental Quality; Department of Defense; Department of the Navy. Congressional Relevance: House Committee on Appropriations: Transportation Subcommittee; House Committee on Public Works and Transportation: Aviation Subcommittee; Senate Committee on Appropriations: Transportation Subcommittee; Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation: Aviation Subcommittee; Sen. Jesse A. Helms. Authority: Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (National). Aviation Act. Abstract: In response to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) management of special-use airspace set aside for military training, focusing on its: (1) approval process for special-use proposals; and (2) monitoring of existing special-use airspace. Findings/Conclusions: GAO found that FAA: (1) lacked adequate data to effectively manage special-use airspace areas and did not require military services to provide such data; (2) did not establish guidance for its regions to reduce or eliminate inappropriate use of special airspace areas; and (3) planned to discuss its role in evaluating military environmental assessments in specialuse proposals with the Council on Environmental Quality. GAO noted that, in 1987, two Navy staff studies on special-use airspace utilization showed that the Navy: (1) lacked a standard, centralized system for documenting and reporting its airspace usage; and (2) inefficiently and inappropriately used special airspace areas. Recommendation To Agencies: The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to require standardized user reporting of actual usage data for restricted areas and expand the reporting requirement to other areas, such as military operations areas. The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to review periodically the usage reports and ensure that the airspace is being used for the designated purpose. The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to establish standards for measuring the effectiveness of special-use airspace utilization to develop a starting point for all regional discussion of modification or disestablishment of special-use airspace. 136581 Environmental Protection Agency: Protecting Human Health and the Environment Through Improved Management. RCED-88-101; B231234. August 16, 1988. 235 pp. plus 5 appendices (11 pp.). Report to Issue Area: Environmental Protection: Contact: Resources, Community, and Budget Function: Natural Resources Environmental Protection Agency: Office of the Comptroller. Congressional Relevance: House Subcommittee; Senate Committee on |