The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take several steps along the way to deciding how it goes about replacing two legacy IT systems that it has used since the 1990s to manage and report on air quality data collected by state, local, Tribal, and territorial government agencies that operate air monitoring sites.
The two systems provide the public with near real-time information about air pollution levels.
According to the GAO report released on Sept. 29, EPA is considering replacing the two legacy IT systems – the Air Quality System (AQS) and AirNow – with a new, single system. Progress toward that goal has been “limited partly due to competing priorities and resource limitations,” GAO said, citing comments from EPA officials.
The age and design of the existing systems makes them “difficult to maintain, access, and use,” GAO said based on its own analysis of EPA and stakeholder views.
“This limits their functionality and poses resource and other challenges for EPA, monitoring agencies, and other data users,” GAO said.
“For example, EPA officials said it was particularly challenging to find and retain IT staff with experience or knowledge to work with AQS’s outdated software,” the watchdog agency said. “Moreover, the use of multiple systems to manage air quality data results in inefficient use of resources for EPA and monitoring agencies,” GAO said.
Commenting on the agency’s processes for identifying older IT systems that need to be replaced, GAO said, “Despite listing AQS as a system in need of modernization in 2017, EPA has not clearly identified AQS and AirNow as candidates for replacement through its recent IT management and oversight processes.”
“According to EPA guidance, the agency should assess mature systems to ascertain their continued effectiveness in supporting mission requirements and consider replacement options,” GAO said. “However, EPA’s processes do not specify factors for evaluating systems that may be ready for replacement, such as if the system has deteriorated beyond economical repair. Identifying factors for consideration could help ensure that EPA identifies such systems and collects information it needs to optimize its resources.”
GAO continued, “EPA has not developed a business case for a new system, which is a step in EPA’s IT management process needed to secure management approval for modernizing IT systems or developing a new one. Developing and documenting a business case for a new system could better position EPA to make decisions about whether to replace AQS and AirNow.”
On the broader IT replacement process front, EPA disagreed with GAO’s recommendation that the agency’s Office of Mission Support should identify factors for evaluating whether EPA’s IT systems may be ready for replacement or retirement.
But on the narrower issue of replacing the AQS and AirNow systems, EPA agreed with GAO’s recommendation that the agency’s Office of Air and Radiation consider documenting an operational analysis for the two systems, and develop and document a business case for a “new IT system for air quality data based on considerations for how such a system could address the challenges currently posed by AQS and AirNow,” including an analysis of alternatives.
