View PDF Document

Summary

FTA has not fully implemented the processes and internal controls it established for the award and oversight of Hurricane Sandy funds, in response to the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (DRAA) of 2013 and Federal guidelines. For example, FTA accepted grantee support for its use of their labor forces to carry out projects that did not meet established timeframes. In addition, FTA’s risk-based oversight process was not adequately documented or consistently applied. Furthermore, grantees’ Hurricane Sandy reports often lacked evidence of FTA review or complete and accurate information. While FTA established some controls to reduce the risk of duplicating Hurricane Sandy reimbursements, such as informally coordinating with FEMA, it has not formalized these controls to effectively respond to future emergencies. FTA did implement formal reporting and tracking procedures for insurance proceeds that grantees receive, but faces years of ongoing monitoring before settlements are reached, which could impact the final amount of Hurricane Sandy funds that grantees are entitled to receive. Finally, FTA has allocated most of the $10.2 billion in DRAA funds. However, factors—such as FTA’s review process and its decision to establish a competitive resilience program of several billion dollars in Hurricane Sandy grants—have slowed the pace of relief fund awards and grantee expenditures.

We made five recommendations to further develop and implement the processes FTA has established and to document the actions it will take in regard to its Hurricane Sandy funding and future ERP-related activities. FTA concurred with four recommendations and partially concurred with one recommendation.