Our objective was to assess the quality control process of the USGS Energy Resources Program's (ERP) science center laboratories. Government and private organizations rely on ERP's products to make resource-based decisions. The information provided by these organizations, therefore, must be very reliable.
OIG found that ERP's system of quality controls has not always detected significant quality-related issues in its science center laboratories. We found two instances when workers had violated established laboratory practices without detection for many years. In addition, quality related deficiencies discovered in 2013 at a major laboratory resulted in the postponement of an external quality audit.
We made three recommendations that should increase ERP's quality management: 1) Complete a quality management system for its science center laboratories; 2) resolve findings from a previous external audit, and correct deficiencies in the Eastern Energy Environmental Laboratory; and 3) request an external review of ERP's mission and operations.
USGS concurred with the recommendations and is beginning to address them.