WASHINGTON–Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its report on its investigation into the Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) missions, policies, procedures, and quality assurance. On July 17, 2024, EPA opened its initial investigation into the ASPECT flight mission over East Palestine, Ohio, following the toxic derailment in February 2023 and whistleblower disclosure from former ASPECT data quality manager and creator of the ASPECT software, Dr. Robert Kroutil.
In the report, EPA OIG found the On-Scene Coordinators may have been unaware of the technology’s abilities and recommended the coordinators be trained on the plane’s capabilities. The report concluded that the procedures remain “largely unknown to all stakeholders” and there is a lack of clarity that could negatively impact emergency decision-making, leaving EPA without a formal deployment guide for ASPECT.
However, parts of Dr. Kroutil’s disclosure were not addressed in the final report, including the incomplete data that was passed over for analysis and sensors being turned off during the flight.
“While the EPA OIG report vindicates Dr. Kroutil by confirming systemic procedural deficiencies and knowledge gaps that supported his broader concerns about ASPECT program management, the investigation’s scope was too narrow, failing to address the most serious allegations about data collection practices, sensor shutdowns, and...
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