Quality Data

 NO.  CA ELAP does NOT offer accreditation for any vapor or air tests (only soil and water).  H&P does not perform soil and water tests, therefore this accreditation is not applicable. 

 YES.  Currently, the only path for accreditation of a soil vapor or air method is through a national program.  Therefore, H&P’s soil vapor and air accreditations are through the highly respected TNI NELAP and DoD ELAP accreditation bodies. 

 NO.  Mobile labs are seen as separate “facilities” and therefore require individual audits and accreditations. 

 NO.  The EPA 8260B method is written only for soil and water analysis.  However, the method has long been modified to analyze for VOCs in vapor samples.  When a laboratory modifies an EPA method, any portion of the method can be modified, and accreditations only apply if the modifications are accredited.  H&P’s modification of the 8260B method has been developed into a formal SOP, which is reviewed and audited annually for performance by DoD ELAP, and is accredited as H&P 8260SV (aka modified EPA 8260B).  

NO.  These two things are not related.  CA ELAP does not review or certify any VOC methods for soil vapor or air samples.  CA ELAP accreditations only apply to soil and water testing.  CA ELAP should not be referenced in any vapor intrusion workplans or reports, unless referencing soil and water tests.

 YES.  The analysis of a sample is fairly cut and dry, with specific SOPs and quality assurance checks built into the methods.  On the other hand, the collection of vapor out of the ground includes a lot of variables and steps that are not as well defined.  H&P’s sampling procedures have been honed over 20 years and 10,000 samples per year.  Our procedures are well defined and documented, with specific training and annual audits for consistency and accuracy.  Having the TNI NEFAP accreditation only improves our performance and consistency, while providing an extra level of defensibility to each and every one of our projects.