[CPEO-MEF] Lab reliability help!

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

[This was posted to the list by Jem press <jempress3@hotmail.com>]

Please post in answer and to any interested parties wanting to educate 
themselves for their community.

Dear Pat:
Just scanning through my personal mail and came across your request on 
Lab reliability help.

I am the Quality Assurance/Compliance Officer for a mid range analytical 
testing facility here on LI.  I have had 20 years of community activism 
BEFORE ever dealing with QA on this end.  I have helped secure, 
characterize, fund and remediate parts of my backyard and was in a small 
way responsible for some of the better legislation my state now 
mandates.

Lab reliability begins with committment to service and the end result of 
defensible data.

You are about to do BE oxide soil and air sampling.  Ask the followig 
questions and then depending on the answers, confused, not sure or 
otherwise write me for anything I may clarify for you at 
jem_pedneault@yahoo.com and I'll be happy to sort it out for you.

1.  How many samples will be taken and what methods will be used?
2.  Nail down the specific names of the methods.  Such as, for air:  
NIOSH, TO Compendium, ASTM?  Exactly which ones and their designated 
numbers.  I will tell you exactly where to get copies of them and you 
can read their specifics for yourself.  This way you can keep your lab 
in check.  The methods aren't as hard to read as you may think.

For soil:  RCRA methods should be employed, but get specific names.

Ask for the last three Proficieny Test scores the lab did in its exams, 
you have a RIGHT to that information!

Ask if the lab has a Quality Systems Manual and that the community 
wishes to review a copy.  This document is the entire rationale the lab 
is in business and specifically stipulates HOW it does its business!

Then write me if you need more and want explanations, clarity or further 
info.  Am happy to be of assistance to anyone worried about technically, 
defensible data.  After all, its us that ARE the exposed society.

Regards, Jean

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