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For Immediate Release
February 6, 2002

White's "Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Act" Passed by Senate

Harrisburg – The state Senate has unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21) that would require the accreditation of laboratories used to monitor compliance with state environmental statutes.

White, who chairs the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, said accreditation ultimately would help better ensure that Pennsylvania’s standards for air, water and soil quality are being met.

“Our environmental statutes don’t do much good if they aren’t being followed, and we can’t determine whether or not they are being followed without reliable testing data,” said White. “There’s a lot riding on those tests, so it makes sense to establish an accreditation process for the labs conducting them.”

Under Senate Bill 1115, the state Department of Environmental Protection would seek accrediting authority from the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP). NELAP is an initiative of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and serves as the accrediting authority for state-approved certification programs. NELAP establishes a uniform set of standards for producing environmental data across the nation.

Implementation of the state accreditation program would be overseen by the state Environmental Quality Board, under the proposed legislation. DEP would issue, deny, revoke or suspend certificates of accreditation.

Senate Bill 1115 will next be considered in the House of Representatives. 

CONTACT:

Pat Henderson (717) 787-9684