The small EPA office charged with responding to radiological hazards is plagued by high employee turnover, training gaps and underutilization, the agency’s inspector general reported in an audit released Thursday.
Without changes, the National Center for Radiation Field Operations, or NCRFO, “may lack the skills needed to effectively assist other federal agencies during a radiological emergency,” auditors found.
They recommended that EPA air chief Aaron Szabo come up with a strategy to improve the Las Vegas-based operation’s preparedness “to assure that it can effectively fulfill its roles and responsibilities.”
In a response dated last month before Szabo had won Senate confirmation for the post, Abigale Tardif, another top air office appointee, agreed with the recommendation, writing that the strategic action plan will be in place by the end of next month, with other steps to follow in the next two years.
