A new audit says the state Department of Environmental Quality didn't have proper controls over a state program meant to keep tires from being dumped illegally, allowing overpayments.
The report from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office says DEQ allows waste tire processors to weigh their own tire shipments, rather than confirming the weight through a third party. Since the payments are based on weight, the audit says the lack of confirmation gives processors an ability to overstate what they've done.
The waste tire program paid out $10.5 million in the 2010-11 budget year.
DEQ says the risk of a processor overstating the weight of the tires is minimized because of controls over the scales. The department also says it plans to randomly audit the waste tire processors.