From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov Transcript for: High Risk: U.S. Government's Environmental Liabilities Description: As part of GAO's High Risk series, David Trimble, a director in GAO's Natural Resources and Environment team, describes why GAO put the federal government's environmental liabilities on its list of programs at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement. Related GAO Work: GAO-17-317: High-Risk Series: Progress On Many High-Risk Areas, While Substantial Efforts Needed On Others Released: February 2017 [ Background Music ] [First Screen] GAO 2017 High Risk List US Government's Environmental Liability >> [Photos of cleanup and abandoned mine sites] When federal government activities contaminate the environment, various federal laws, agreements with states, and court decisions put the government on the hook for the cleaning bill. [Dollar figures for cleanup] For fiscal year 2016, Treasury estimated that the federal government’s environmental liability was $447 billion—up from $212 billion for fiscal year 1997. However, this estimate does not reflect all of the future cleanup responsibilities facing federal agencies, so the actual cost is likely even more. [Video of David Trimble] Hi, I'm David Trimble, a director in GAO's Natural Resources and Environment team. [Photos of cleanup equipment and individuals] Nuclear weapons production facilities, shuttered military installations, and abandoned mines are all sites where the federal government may have to pay environmental cleanup costs. We have found that the agencies responsible for environmental cleanup work at these sites could address these liabilities better. Specifically, better inventories of contaminated sites and more oversight of cleanup efforts could help agencies estimate future costs. In addition, prioritizing cleanup efforts based on the risks certain hazards pose to public health and the environment could help agencies get a better handle on what’s needed both now and for the future. [Video of David Trimble] Because environmental liabilities have the potential to cost taxpayers and the government billions more than estimated, GAO has added them to its 2017 High Risk List. [ Image: GAO logo ]