After a year-long effort involving interviews, webinars, and a special meeting in 2014, TNI has issued a report, Exploring the Future of National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation, that describes the current status of the national program, identifies barriers to future growth and offers strategies that TNI plans to pursue.

http://nelac-institute.org/docs/news/TNI-Exploring-the-Future-Report-April-2015.pdf

The 2015 Environmental Measurement Symposium, which is the combined meeting of the Forum on Laboratory Accreditation and the National Environmental Monitoring Conference (NEMC), is co-sponsored by The NELAC Institute (TNI) under a cooperative agreement with the EPA. Some of the highlights for the week include: a special half-day general session focused on the conference theme; over 160 oral and poster presentations on a variety of cutting-edge environmental monitoring issues; meetings of TNI Committees to further TNI efforts on environmental laboratory accreditation, proficiency testing, and accreditation of field sampling and measurement organizations; an exhibit program showcasing the latest innovations in environmental monitoring; five special keynote presentations on topics of general interest; and an open meeting of EPA’s Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board. http://www.nemc.us/

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is adopting the amendments to the Regulations Governing the Certification of Laboratories and Environmental Measurements.  The amendments incorporate The NELAC Institute (TNI) standards for laboratory certification, update terminology, and modify the categories of certification that the Department provides and the fees the Department charges. The adoption is scheduled to be published in the New Jersey Register on April 20, 2015 and all amendments will be effective upon that date.  A copy of the full text of the Regulations Governing the Certification of Laboratories and Environmental Measurements, incorporating these changes can be found at http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/rules/njac7_18.pdf

EPA’s Contract Laboratory Program has published a document to  highlight the technical modifications implemented in SOW HRSM01.2, the analytical method for the isolation, detection, and quantitative measurement of chlorinated biphenyl congeners and/or 17 2,3,7,8-substituted tetra through octa chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and chlorinated dibenzofurans.

http://1.usa.gov/1IEQ8DE

The TNI Radiochemistry Expert Committee has voted to approve a Voting Draft Standard (VDS) that would affect Module 6 of Volume 1 of the TNI laboratory accreditation standard. This standard is open to a membership vote beginning April 15, 2015. The vote will conclude on May 15, 2015.  Any votes cast on or before May 15, 2015 will be reviewed and considered by the Radiochemistry Expert Committee.

http://bit.ly/1DClb1J