Investigations
On this page:
- Podcasts on Investigation Topics
- News Releases Highlighting Investigations
- Employee Integrity Cases
Investigators conduct the EPA OIG’s criminal investigations, which look for violations of the law. Investigations may involve such areas as financial fraud, employee misconduct, intrusion into EPA systems and computers, impersonating EPA officials and theft of EPA property and funds. If a federal law is violated, the OIG presents the evidence to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which determines if the subject(s) will be prosecuted. If the OIG’s investigation uncovers no evidence that a crime was committed, the case is closed. If the investigation finds administrative but no criminal violation, a report is given to the agency for action.
The OIG typically does not announce, confirm or deny the existence of an open investigation or make public the results of investigations. However, once an investigation has been closed, the report of investigation (ROI) and related documents may be available under the Freedom of Information Act.
Learn more about the types of investigations that the OIG may undertake related to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on EPA and CSB programs and operations.
What is the EPA OIG?
The Office of Inspector General is an independent organization that performs audits and investigations of the EPA to detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse. Learn more
Podcasts on Investigation Topics
Listen to our investigations staff talk about the most intriguing topics of their work. Anyone who wishes to broadcast these audio files (or soundbites from them), including the news media, is welcome to do so. We also produce podcasts relating to our audits and evaluations.
- Investigating a Consumer Fraud Case (8:38)
- Phishing at the EPA (10:46)
- Victim-Witness Assistance Program (5:09)
- Data Analytics (8:09)
- The Darknet (5:33)
- The Role of an EPA OIG Special Agent (5:53)
- The Electronic Crimes Division (4:04)
- Prevention and Detection Fraud, Waste and Abuse in the EPA (4:34)
- Scientific Integrity and Lab Fraud (8:54)
- How the EPA OIG Hotline Works (4:47)
- The Guardians Project (6:30)
News Releases Highlighting Investigations
News releases reporting on the specific results of investigations, including criminal sentencings and convictions. The following links exit the site Exit
Employee Integrity Cases
Summaries of employee integrity investigation cases closed during semiannual reporting periods now are included within our Semiannual Reports to Congress. The first such report captures data covering October 2016 through March 2017.
For those consulting earlier reports posted on this page, please be aware that numbers compared within a chart, or in relation to the narratives, may not correlate. Beginning with the set of summaries covering October 2015 through March 2016, statistical charts are not included.
OIG Independence of EPA
The EPA's Office of Inspector General is a part of the EPA, although Congress provides our funding separate from the agency, to ensure our independence. We were created pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended Exit.
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Environmental Protection Agency | Office of Inspector General
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. (2410T) | Washington, DC 20460 | (202) 566-2391
OIG Hotline: 1-888-546-8740.