The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s fleet management program needs more oversight of its law enforcement vehicles, according to a report released by the agency.

The investigation looked into 29 vehicles from the Inspector General's Office. The report highlighted three areas of weakness of the $6 million-per-year program. The first is the failure to issue guidance documents on fleet managers for the last five years, according to the report. Fleet managers were also not complying with program requirements for vehicle emission testing, vehicle usage tracking or ensuring operator responsibilities. The third reported issue was no documentation to support employees who are on home-to-work status.

The agency has an Automotive Statistical Tool (AST) to track fleet information, but the investigation showed it is being underutilized. The investigation also revealed the data that was input to AST did not match up with other system reports. One of the requirements the agency must adhere to is adding an AST manual for users to put this information in correctly.

The agency will have to make changes such as finalizing and issuing a fleet management manual to make sure the policies and procedures are being followed, requiring fleet managers to perform vehicle emission testing, use a tracking system for vehicle usage, and require operators to acknowledge responsibilities.

The agency will also have to consult with the Office of Administration and Resources Management to make sure the agency has an acceptable level of documentation to meet reporting requirements.

EPA management agreed with the report’s recommendations. Read the full report here.

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