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 November 28, 2001 Whitman Attempts to Dismantle the EPA Ombudsman Function |
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 For Immediate ReleaseContact: Danielle Brian or Danni Downing, (202)347-1122 Washington, DC - EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman's decision to relocate the Ombudsman function to the EPA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an ineffectual attempt to restore its independence. Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, the General Accounting Office (GAO), and community organizations from around the nation have supported the Ombudsman's work and have voiced concerns regarding the EPA's ongoing efforts to undermine the Ombudsman's independence. "This plan essentially dismantles the Ombudsman function by giving the OIG final authority over Ombudsman decisions," said Danielle Brian, Executive Director of the Project On Government Oversight. While it is necessary to remove the Ombudsman function from the control of the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (the office which the Ombudsman is meant to investigate), the move alone will not provide the Ombudsman independence. The GAO stated that, for the Ombudsman to be truly independent, he should be provided "with a separate budget and ... the authority to hire, fire, and supervise his own staff." Rather than provide the Ombudsman with these resources, however, the EPA is putting the function under the control of the OIG. According to the EPA press release, "as part of this shift, the EPA Inspector General will conduct a systematic review of open inquiries for citizens who have sought Agency assistance." In other words, it appears that the OIG will be making the decisions on which cases the Ombudsman will be allowed to investigate and will have control over both budgetary and staffing resources. "Whitman's 'solution' of moving the Ombudsman function to the OIG to give it more independence is unfortunately little more than window dressing," said Brian. POGO awarded its 1998 "Beyond the Headlines Award" to the EPA Ombudsman Robert Martin. The Beyond the Headlines Award recognizes a person who is devoted to advancing the public interest over private gain, and who has initiated substantial public policy improvements. The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) investigates, exposes, and seeks to remedy systemic abuses of power, mismanagement, and subservience by the federal government to powerful special interests. Founded in 1981, POGO is a politically-independent, nonprofit watchdog that strives to promote a government that is accountable to the citizenry. ####
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