Article written by
Wade Delong, Lab
Manager, Analytical Products Group
NELAC Meeting Jan-Feb 2006
The resounding theme of this meeting was
self-sufficiency, more specifically the self-sufficiency of the
NELAC organization. NELAC has been operating with financial
assistance from the USEPA and largely if not entirely from the
Office of Research and Development (ORD). It is time for the fledgling
organization to leave the nest, so to speak. The NELAC Board of
Directors and various subcommittees will be working on plans to
achieve self-sufficiency over the next few months and report back
during the August meeting.
There was also a common theme to many
discussions that a federal endorsement or requirement will be
necessary to the survival of NELAC. While there has been
considerable effort expended creating a national standard there is
little hope of a true national accreditation program without a
requirement from the EPA Program offices that analytical data for
compliance must come from a NELAC accredited laboratory.
The NELAC program has been relatively stable and showing signs of growth with Texas well on its
way to becoming a NELAC state and Virginia recently beginning the process. However, there
is still a long way to go to have all states and federal programs accepting or requiring
NELAC accredited laboratory data. This appears to be a critical time for the NELAC program
and its long term viability.
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