FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
Why This matters Across the globe, over 24 million tons of plastic (as much weight as 12 million cars) enter the environment each year. Larger plastics gradually break down into smaller microplastics, which can move into the organs, blood, and cells of humans and other animals. Key Takeaways Major sources of microplastics include vehicle tires, synthetic fabrics, plastic bottles, and paint. Exposure to microplastics is associated with health problems in humans and other organisms, but scientists have not determined the extent to which microplastics cause such problems. Federal agencies have announced actions to measure and remove microplastics in the human body, consider potential regulatio.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Through the Moab Cleanup Project, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) has removed over 16 million tons of uranium mill tailings and other materials at the Moab Mill Site in Utah, as of 2026. Tailings are leftover waste after uranium has been removed from rock. EM has sent the tailings and contaminated material to a nearby disposal site. EM is also working to remediate contaminated groundwater, which threatens the nearby Colorado River. Moab Mill Site and Surrounding Area The Moab Cleanup Project has cost approximately $970 million through fiscal year 2025 and is expected to reach around $1.16 billion. The federal government pays 100 percen.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) provide necessary working capital to help small businesses affected by a disaster meet financial obligations until normal operations resume. Relatively low snowfall and warm winters are not included in the statutory definition for “major disaster” contained in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) or the definition of “disaster” in the Small Business Act. The Stafford Act establishes the programs and processes through which the federal government, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides major disaster assistance, and the Small Business..
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What GAO Found The Space Force is the smallest military service, with about 15,400 total personnel in fiscal year 2025. The Space Force largely inherited its workforce from other services and has completed some assessments as it seeks to right-size its force to meet growing missions. However, it determines personnel requirements based on a mix of analyses that are not consistent across Space Force units. Further, some units operate under personnel requirements that are outdated and do not reflect mission growth. The Space Force has not established a process or guidance to consistently and accurately determine its personnel needs to accomplish its missions. Relatedly, although it has estimat.
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What GAO Found Border Patrol—a component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)— established a program in 2017 to help rescue individuals in distress and reduce deaths along the border. The program includes various efforts such as placing rescue beacons and 911 placards in remote areas. Border Patrol Sectors Operating Programs to Reduce Deaths and Rescue Individuals Attempting to Illegally Enter the U.S., as of April 2026 CBP used data in its fiscal year 2025 report to Congress that Border Patrol recorded using practices and systems that have not changed since our April 2025 report on these activities. However, CBP’s fiscal year 2025 report did not include all required information abou.
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What GAO Found Certain types of waste are particularly pervasive or difficult to clean up with existing technologies. Microbes (e.g., bacteria, fungi) can be engineered to break down pollutants more effectively. For example, researchers have inserted genes into bacteria that allow the bacteria to break down contaminants, such as phenol or hydrocarbons, in water and soil. At present, there are no examples of commercially available engineered microbes for waste cleanup. Example areas where engineered microbes could be deployed for waste cleanup Through expert interviews and document reviews, GAO identified two policy goals related to this biotechnology—demonstrating safety and effectiveness a.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In May 2025, GAO identified eight priority recommendations for the General Services Administration (GSA). Since then, GSA has implemented two recommendations and we have removed the priority designation from one recommendation. In June 2026, GAO identified an additional six priority recommendations, bringing the total to 11. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Managing federal real property, Improving agency shared services, and Improving oversight of federal awards. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would improve GSA's ability to manage the federal government's vast real property holdings, help federal agenci.
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What GAO Found In 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) directed the military departments—Army, Navy, and Air Force—to update their policies on clinical quality management to align with Defense Health Agency (DHA) procedures to ensure high-quality care in operational settings. In December 2024, GAO reported that the military departments had not yet issued policies, specifically on provider credentialing and privileging, and recommended that they do so. As of March 2026, GAO found that Army and Air Force had not issued updated policies, while Navy issued several policies on aspects of clinical quality management. GAO maintains that the military departments’ updates to these policies will fac.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Training and development programs help federal agencies achieve their mission and goals by improving individual and, ultimately, organizational performance. This report is a guide that federal agencies can use to ensure their training and development investments are targeted strategically. In recent years, training and development have shifted from primarily classroom-based instruction to more integrated, blended learning approaches that reflect changes in the workplace and advances in technology. In addition, there is a greater focus on aligning learning to agency mission needs and outcomes, with coaching and mentoring playing an important support role in development. The tr.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Millions of consumers rely on the assistance of health insurance agents and brokers to purchase health insurance plans through federal and state Marketplaces established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The federal Marketplace is maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). To assist consumers in the federal Marketplace, agents and brokers must be licensed to sell health plans and be registered with the Marketplace, among other things. CMS conducts routine validation checks to help ensure that federal Marketplace agents and brokers are licensed. The agency also restricts access to its systems to only registered agents and brokers. Howeve.
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What GAO Found The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) provided $125 million in supplemental appropriations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to rebuild and restore units of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and state wildlife management areas. Among other things, the appropriations are intended to increase the resiliency of habitats and infrastructure to withstand weather events. As of April 1, 2026, FWS had obligated 99.6 percent of the appropriations, primarily for financial awards to state agencies and other partners for the design, implementation, and monitoring of nine projects across 23 states and more than 75 NWRS units. For example, a northern forest project ai.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to modernize its IT systems to increase efficiency and accuracy of claims processing for disability compensation. However, past GAO reports have found that VA faces long-standing challenges in managing its disability compensation program and implementing innovative technologies. For example, GAO found gaps in VA’s oversight of the quality of exams provided by contracted medical providers and in the management of training for claims processors. Moreover, in 2009, VA began developing an electronic, paperless system called the Veterans Benefits Management System. GAO found that this effort was not driven by robust planning and d.
