General Accountability Office / Statement of Anu K. Mittal, Director Natural Resources and Environment http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09893t.pdf [Summary] This testimony summarizes findings of a May 2009 report (GAO-09-657), where GAO was asked to examine (1) stakeholders’ views on the issues that would need to be addressed in designing and establishing a clean water trust fund and (2) … Continue reading »
Posted on July 31, 2009 …
National Park Service : Donations and Related Partnerships Benefit Parks, but Management Refinements Could Better Target Risks and Enhance Accountability
General Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09386.pdf [Summary] The National Park Service (Park Service) in the Department of the Interior (Interior) annually receives hundreds of millions of dollars in donated funds, goods, and services to support its 391 parks and other sites. But concerns have been raised about potential accompanying risks, such as undue donor influence, new long-term … Continue reading »
Gulf Coast Disaster Recovery : Community Development Block Grant Program Guidance to States Needs to Be Improved
General Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09541.pdf [Summary] Almost 4 years after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the region continues to face daunting rebuilding challenges. To date, $19.7 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds have been appropriated for Gulf Coast rebuilding assistance—the largest amount in the history of the program. GAO was asked to report on … Continue reading »
Disaster Assistance : Greater Coordination and an Evaluation of Programs’ Outcomes Could Improve Disaster Case Management
Government Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09561.pdf [Summary] As a result of the unprecedented damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the federal government, for the first time, funded several disaster case management programs. These programs help victims access services for disaster-related needs. GAO was asked to review (1) steps the federal government took to support … Continue reading »
Air Pollution : Air Quality, Visibility, and the Potential Impacts of Coal-Fired Power Plants on Great Basin National Park
General Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09788r.pdf [Excerpt] This report responds to a congressional directive in the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2008. The report describes (1) current air quality and visibility in and around Great Basin National Park and (2) stakeholders’ views about the potential impacts of the proposed coalfired power … Continue reading »
Small Business Administration : Additional Steps Should Be Taken to Address Reforms to the Disaster Loan Program and Improve the Application Process for Future Disasters
General Accounting Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09755.pdf [Summary] After the Small Business Administration (SBA) was widely criticized for its performance following the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the agency took steps to reform the Disaster Loan Program and Congress enacted the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2008 (Act). GAO was asked to determine (1) the … Continue reading »
Energy Markets : Refinery Outages Can Have Varying Gasoline Price Impacts, but Gaps in Federal Data Limit Understanding of Impacts
General Accountabilty Office http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09700.pdf [Summary] In 2008, GAO reported that, with the exception of the period following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, refinery outages in the United States did not show discernible trends in reduced production capacity, frequency, and location from 2002 through 2007. Some outages are planned to perform routine maintenance or upgrades, while unplanned … Continue reading »
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program : Overview Issues
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R40471/ [Summary] Since 1989, the federal government has spent over $96.1 billion for disaster assistance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Over $4.4 billion of the disaster assistance was for hazard mitigation of natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes. The unpredictable nature of the location and … Continue reading »
