Report PDF - US Environmental Protection Agency

On January 24, 2012, we made a site visit to TDOT’s office in Nashville,
Tennessee, to conduct interviews and obtain documentation to address our
objectives.
To determine if TDOT followed all applicable laws, regulations, and terms and
conditions of the cooperative agreement in the procurement of contracts for
truck stop electrification (TSE) facilities, we:
Conducted interviews with TDOT to gain an understanding of the
procurement policies and procedures used to award grant contracts for the
construction of TSE facilities.
Obtained documentation and analyzed all proposals received in response
to TDOT’s RFA to determine whether TDOT followed its selection
criteria and process for awarding the contracts.
To determine if TDOT monitored the performance of the grant contracts to ensure
compliance with all applicable regulations, statutes, and terms and conditions that
flowed down from the cooperative agreement, including Recovery Act
requirements, we:
Conducted interviews with TDOT to gain an understanding of the process
used to monitor contract performance.
Obtained and reviewed copies of reports and documents used to monitor
and evaluate contract performance during construction of the facilities and
throughout the contract period (i.e., progress, monitoring, monthly and
quarterly usage, etc.).
Reviewed grant contracts to determine the nature of the work to be
performed.
Identified and analyzed change orders for necessity and scope.
Reviewed grant contracts for compliance with the Recovery Act’s Buy
American provisions, as well as the reporting requirements of the Davis
Bacon Act and the Recovery Act.
To determine if TDOT achieved the objectives of the cooperative agreement and
accurately reported results to EPA, we:
Identified the objectives of the cooperative agreement, including any
considerations for air quality.
Conducted interviews with TDOT to identify how progress under the
cooperative agreement is measured and communicated to EPA.
Obtained and reviewed copies of information that TDOT maintained to
track progress and any reports provided to EPA.
Conducted interviews with EPA project officers to discuss their role in
TDOT’s contract-selection process and their review of contract documents
to ensure compliance with the requirements of the cooperative agreement.
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