An awards program sponsored by the EPA benefits from having the word “presidential” in its name but may not merit continuing because the results claimed by applicants are not independently verified, according to an IG report.
It said the “Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards” program was established in 1995 as part of the Clinton administration’s government reinvention initiative, designed to promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using green chemistry by recognizing industry innovations.
“Yet, we found that Green Chemistry Awards lack presidential support. According to the EPA, the awards program . . . had not received that level of endorsement in several years,” said the report.
Results claimed in the awards can be significant, involving reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, for example. However, those results are self-reported by those seeking them, and the EPA “does not verify nor validate the results, and award recipients are not required to conduct any quality-assurance certification on results they report.”
Management disagreed with the report’s recommendation to discontinue the program at least until controls are put in place to determine whether the claimed accomplishments are valid.