“The Office of Inspector General received a hotline complaint from Citizen Action New Mexico (CANM) alleging that the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) mismanaged the Sandia National Laboratory’s Mixed Waste Landfill (MWL) monitoring wells – Region 6 [New Mexico] withheld information from the public regarding the MWL [Mixed Waste Landfill] monitoring wells through: discontinuation of record keeping, misleading communications, and inappropriate classification.

The Region 6 Project Engineer for Sandia stated that her section discontinued record keeping in favor of undocumented phone calls and conversations with NMED to prevent the production of documents. During an interview with the OIG, the Project Engineer for Sandia informed us that her section had discontinued record keeping of phone calls and discussions between the Region and NMED because of CANM’s requests for documentation regarding the MWL, including extensive requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act. According to EPA’s Records Management Policy, the Federal Records Act of 1950, as amended, requires all federal agencies to make and preserve records containing adequate and proper documentation of their organization, function, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions. The policy requires EPA offices to create, receive, and maintain official records providing adequate and proper documentation and evidence of EPA’s activities.”