Priority Open Recommendations: Environmental Protection Agency

Summary

What GAO Found In April 2025, GAO identified 9 priority recommendations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since then, EPA has implemented one of those recommendations, bringing the total to 8 as of May 2026. GAO is highlighting the following two areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Managing the nation's air quality issues, and Protecting the nation's water quality. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would allow EPA to target its resources to the highest priorities for wildfire smoke events and help EPA better position the national ambient air quality monitoring system to provide critical information for managing air quality and protecting public health. It would also enhance EPA efforts to manage threats to water quality and safety, such as those posed by harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. Taking action to implement all of GAO's open priority recommendations would help enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations across EPA. Why GAO Did This Study Priority open recommendations are GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or make progress toward addressing a high risk or duplication issue, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations. For more information, contact Allison Bawden at bawdena@gao.gov.