EPA Launches Audit of Its AI Practices

The EPA inspector general's compliance audit will assess whether the agency follows federal rules on AI tools.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

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The EPA inspector general's office launched a compliance audit of the agency's artificial intelligence practices, disclosed online in an Oct. 19 filing. The audit will assess whether the EPA complies with an OMB directive on federal AI tools.

Why it matters

The audit followed a Monitor report finding the EPA was deploying custom AI products without sharing legally required details. Independent experts said the agency was out of compliance on two disclosed high-impact AI tools, raising questions about oversight of AI used in environmental decisions across the country.

The EPA's proposed 2027 budget includes more than $202 million for U.S. AI leadership and $3.5 million to use AI in pesticide permitting. One disclosed high-impact tool prioritizes inspections of facilities generating large amounts of hazardous waste, but the agency's full AI tool inventory remains incomplete.

The players

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The federal agency responsible for environmental protection, which is the subject of the inspector general's AI compliance audit and proposed AI funding in its 2027 budget.

Lee Zeldin

EPA Administrator who released an AI-focused plan on Oct. 5 as the agency expanded its use of artificial intelligence.

The details

The inspector general's office disclosed the audit in an online filing dated Oct. 19, and it will assess whether the EPA complies with an OMB directive on federal AI tools. The Monitor sent the EPA a detailed list of questions and extended the response deadline at the EPA press office's request, but the agency did not provide a response.

March 2025: EPA targeted 31 environmental regulations for deregulation.
Oct. 5: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin released an AI-focused plan.
Oct. 19: Inspector general disclosed the AI compliance audit online.
2027: EPA's proposed budget includes $202 million for AI.

Tech Race

The audit measures EPA compliance against the OMB directive that governs federal AI tool use, a benchmark federal agencies are now expected to meet as they adopt AI. The agency's AI push sits alongside its March 2025 plan to deregulate 31 environmental rules, shaping how quickly federal AI reaches environmental enforcement.

The audit could determine whether AI tools shaping pesticide and chemical reviews, and inspection priorities for hazardous waste facilities, meet federal transparency requirements. Residents near regulated facilities may eventually see how those tools influence environmental enforcement.

The takeaway

Federal AI oversight depends on agencies disclosing the tools they use, and the EPA's audit will test whether that disclosure has happened. Readers tracking environmental policy can watch for the inspector general's published findings.