ENFORCE30621

• Permit No: M1988112
• IBM Index Class Name: Enforcement
• Doc Date: 7/17/1993
• Doc Name: NEWSPAPER CLIPPING
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

HLH TECHfJpLU~~IE Ih•li; . TEL ~ _•~.~-----
- ~' •
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII it 1 • g~'i, Plo,iiill F'.G2
t
Advantages, Pitfalls
In Choosing Labs
B~' Richard F. Sena, PhD, and Rene P. Tatro
rc'nerirrtced
Hein]}sic .r~ru ff it
one Clnnrrrr rLar
iruiicurar nc~
qqualiry~ of u
lnhorruon'. I'hnfn
(m riy;hr) ~cmmuy
Lunrotrer
L.uLnrarnrrrJ.
RirMrA E Snm, PLO,u
pratJna of .krpuinr
Prrruwn Anni}+¢al Ire in
Ffamnq, Culi. Rrn< P.
]ono u an cnonur a(h
llrlln, Elommi, Vdluh and
f;rAW~f/r m .Nunmrp
Coli/
eliable rhemi-
cal analyeia of
soil, water
a.;d air sam•
pies is fundamental to
efforts to protect and restore
the epVlronmCnt. Without
such dam, it ie impossible to
define rho need for, design a
plan for and assign legal
responsibility for ron[udie•
lion of a contaminAted sits
ur monitoring an industrial
discharge.
The high costs assueialed
with environments] proh-
leme -investigation, reme-
diation, disposal, civil and
edminel penalties, insw+
ante, Lhe recurrence of
unnecessary legal expenses
- increase the likelihood
for conflict ¢mong potentially responetble parties, as
well as ngoncios charged with protecting tPm environ-
ment. Often, theso conflicts ere resn)vod legally
through erbilration, administrative hanring or s
lawsuit. To he admissible and del'en:ible in court,
environmentally rel¢tod dots meet he stew ota.
Erroneous laboratory data result in more than
wasted effort. If data from lha labnraton~ err
inaaurate, ton much or too little cleanup may occur st
a site. Too much cleanup means tinnacossary cuss.=.
'n,o little cleanup may expose Lhe uwnor to legs'.
action In the future aInCA the owner has a long-term
responsibility for all wnstc from a Hite. Additionally,
inecettrate laboralury data may result w waste slated
for disposal being deposited inappropr;atvly.
Some regulations require disclosure of epeciL+.
analytical dots. Inaccurate rlnta :hot report hiei~~c:
emissions levels or concenWnnon :alure of regwatcd
euhstanCOe than Are Actually' pre~~FaL, fur 6'tumpl".
may instigate unjustified
governmental mspectinna nr
enforremant actions. Such
information nl o could he mis-
used to form he 6ttsis fur an
otherwise un~upporlable citi-
aeri8'EWt.
Although ~environmentnl
analysis is a mature science,
de(initiuna of hat is "reliable"
or "accurate" ifl'cr depending
on an agency' chosen Qualify
Assistance/Q ¢lity Control
fQA/QC) elan rda, on what ib
avnileble in a erging cutting
edge methodol gies, and on the
legal standard of aclmissibilit}•.
Thus, in defe ding the accu•
racy of latwra ry results, pttr-
tics to tt Conn ct moat under-
stand how t ovaluate Lhe
sometimes a bigunus argu-
ments presenl.ed W support a particu ar parspoctive.
Businesses, property owners, regtt slurs, enforcers
and inenrers are all among the grow s that interpret
a partirular set of laboratory date. '1)'Picnlly, how•
ever, these data ttsera hire a cone[il nt to help them
demonstrate or ttehieva compliance ilh regulations,
and it is the consultant rather than Lhe facility who
engages a laboretorv directly.
To achieve compliance, a consul t may need to
hire a nL[mber of subcontraclore who provide special-
ized services each as well drilling a d well develop-
ment, analysis of soil cores, analysis of groundwater
Temples, physical removal or Lre tmont of con-
:mnmaced soil ar water and true ' g of hazerduns
residue. Whether the consultant dirl~Ictly supen~isea
[hc Sab('UntrACL01'F or oat, the Cansaltdnt le reH}[anal•
ble for [he actions of the lnboret~ it selects to
pFrform anal}•ses.
enfrfinued nn page 7f
4~ CNVIRONMENTA PRr.»'tC.'1'ION