GAO: NASA Has Significant Environmental Liabilities
Environmental Liabilities: NASA’s Reported Financial Liabilities Have Grown, and Several Factors Contribute to Future Uncertainties, GAO
“NASA’s reported fiscal year 2019 environmental liabilities estimate for restoration projects does not include certain costs, and some factors may affect NASA’s future environmental liabilities, potentially increasing or decreasing the federal government’s fiscal exposure. Certain costs are not included in the fiscal year 2019 estimate because some projects are in a developing stage where NASA needs to gather more information to fully estimate cleanup costs. Further, NASA limits its restoration project estimates to 30 years, as the agency views anything beyond 30 years as not reasonably estimable. Sixty of NASA’s 115 open restoration projects in fiscal year 2019 are expected to last longer than 30 years.”