"U.S. EPA's internal watchdog has put the White House on notice that its lean budgets could hinder its efforts to root out waste and fraud.

EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins sent a memo this past fall, obtained by E&E News under the Freedom of Information Act, to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney taking issue with the administration's fiscal 2019 budget proposal. The blueprint, which will be released next month, creates "a significant challenge" for the agency watchdog's oversight mission, according to Elkins.

"A budget at this level would destabilize the OIG and have an immediate negative impact on the OIG's production capacity. As such, I do not agree with the OMB budget request, and argue that such a proposal would substantially inhibit the OIG from performing the duties of the office, including mandatory OIG responsibilities explicitly required by federal law," Elkins said in the Sept. 7, 2017, memo, which was signed on his behalf by Deputy Inspector General Charles Sheehan."

Kevin Bogardus reports for Greenwire January 29, 2018. [2]