GENERAL46067

• Permit No: M1988112
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 7/17/1992
• Doc Name: NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ADVANTAGES PITFALLS IN CHOOSING LABS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

.~J: _ __ _ _. ~i~. ,..i._ r...
I: ~L•oraton~

1)rnecdure6 used w manaKe samples antl daw within the
!allnr¢wry are specified in the greatest detail w address
evidentiary problems.
Greater certainty and defensihility associated with this I~vcl
IV Iai)oratory data comes at a premium. Recognizing the need (or
cost effectiveness, EPA also promulgated leaser levels of
reporting :hat may he appropriate to use in n project. Notably, if
data from lower ieveis of reporting are challenged, "co.s[
cffecliveness" is not sn answer; they will be subject w the same
evidentiary standards discussed pretdously.
If Level P/ emerges as "the standard." it means that in a legal
pruteerling, data from nonfiLP laborawries will be held w the
same standards for ducurnentatien as data from CLP lxbo•
raturirs. Typically, must analytiral laboratories operate at the
equivalent of Levels 11 nr Ill. Data from these sources may not be
admipsihlc depending upon [hc lnborrttot'y's ability to gu back and
Cell in et~dcntiary yaps in its operational procedures and
documentation.
7b add w the confusion, even J~vc] 1V CLP laboraorics have
]imimtions.'1'hese include:
• Procedures and methods in thi6 program are limited and do
not cncontpass the broad rungs of tests required by users of
laboratory servicep;
• Tito lnburawry structure is rigia'v defined and hierarchical.
It. does not I)lace emphasis on efficiencies rey»ired w operate
cornn)crcial f:+ti!ilies in an increasingly competitive marketplace;
and
• Gape: _~rg time may be long end p<ided caluc scrrice
minimal.
Ob~inusl}', choosing the right laboratory is ^ key decision, and
use of a Inwer qualit}' laborawry to hold down Lid rusts ur
improve profit margin may be 6hort•sighted.
Info.~atatian required to determine the qualifications of a
particular laboratory may not be readily avai:able. Qna inaiuttor
- acceptance within ¢ state laborswry certifcalion program -
protides some insight as to adherence to minimal 6tandat•ds.
However. laboratory sniff and procedures change, and most
certification programs specify only minimtrrn rnquiretnents for
trai»irg and documentation.
Labnratary 'marketing' efFarts seldom mince any information
relevant to the requirements of admi~sibil:ty and credihility.
Statistics such ae lnburawry size, number of offices or price are of
little value when fulfilling requirnmenls for "due diligence,"
ideally', a tronaultant will hive a formal p•~licy for selecting e
subcontracting laboratory. This policy should be as wmpre-
hen6ive as s particular situation werranu, and ideally contains
written criteria for tl)c selection ptvicess. In the beat of worlds,
these criteria should confirm the fallowing characteristics of an
acceptable laboratory:
• ? preponderance of senior, ospcrienced analysts in a direct
analytical role;
• -eta~L' °..=tten operpting ptrotedurea .'or all analyses, ¢s
well as samples and doeumcat handling;
• Fur all new employees, an in•house training program that
provides (Fequent periodic evnluatiun of pcrfot7trance and
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