Twenty to 50 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) are exported worldwide said Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) in a hearing today. Watson said it is possible to export these materials from the United States because this type of waste is exempt from export laws. According to Watson, “e-waste” pollutes water, air, and soil. She calls this development a “cyber-age nightmare.”

E-Waste is harmful because it contains dangerous toxins like lead and mercury, said Rep. Eni Faleomavaega (D-A.S.). It can be harmful for the United States as well because products we import “exposed to dangerous levels of toxins,” Faleomavaega continued. He said we have made developing countries a “dumping ground” for our “e-waste.”

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Environment Protection Agency’s enforcement in this area is not sufficient. Even though there were regulations for the export of cathode-ray tubes, a particularly hazardous type of e-waste, the GAO found that companies are easily circumventing these rules. John Stephenson, director of natural resources and environment issues at the GAO, said that the countries most affected by e-waste are Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Singapore, and Pakistan. He called the exporting of e-waste a “public health issue.”

Rep. Eni Faleomavaega explains the problems from beginning to end regarding the export of e-waste. (0:45)

 

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Over 1.6 million businesses owe more than $58 billion to Uncle Sam, according to Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) at a hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on unpaid payroll tax abuse. A study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that more than half this debt is now uncollectible. (more…)

A new strategy in Iraq needs to be developed, according to a recent progress report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). (more…)

A hearing on “One year later: Implementing the bio-surveillance requirements of the 9/11 act” before the Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Subcommittee. Chairman James R. Langevin (D-R.I.) said that the threat of biological attack is real and wanted to address one of the ‘most glaring vulnerabilities’ facing America. (more…)

John Sammon, assistant administrator for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, spoke today about the TSA’s actions toward fulfilling the air cargo security provisions of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The act mandates that 100 percent of all air cargo aboard passenger aircraft be screened by the year 2010.

The major challenges faced by the TSA is that there is not enough capacity at all the airports to do all the screening that needs to be done, Sammon said. The lack of capacity makes it impractical to attempt to break down, screen and reassemble large consolidated loads on airport property with any timelines or efficiency and it also poses a security threat, he said.

Cathleen Berrick, director of the Homeland Security and Justice Issues at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said that TSA faces five major challenges: TSA has noted some technologies that will be allowed but has not finished that assessment, TSA has not finished it’s air cargo vulnerability assessments, TSA may face resource challenges, TSA is working with outbound and domestic air cargo but more work is needed on inbound international flights, and finally TSA needs to set standards that all air cargo companies are willing to work with.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell speaks about the Government Accountability Office report that sided with a protest lodged by Boeing over a government contract for a refueling tanker given to a competitor. Morrell says that the process of this procurement has gone on seven years too long and that the GAO report is holding up the process even further. (0:28)

 

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The long term budget outlook for slowing the growth of health care costs was discussed at a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Panelist Dr. Peter R. Orszag, Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), gave the analogy of a dysfunctional relationship to illustrate the unsustainable state of the federal budget. Orszag said that, like such a relationship, there was no telling how long the budget would last but the end was bound to be messy. (more…)

At a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting to discuss the acquisition of major weapons systems by the Department of Defense, Katherine Schinasi of the Government Accountability Office says that the DOD has “failed the war fighter” by delivering capability late and in fewer quantities than planned. She also said that when equipment is delivered, it is not what is needed for current operations. (0:18)

 

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