La. Admin. Code tit. 33 § I-4503
Accreditation- the formal recognition by the department of a laboratory's competence wherein specific tests or types of tests can be accurately and successfully performed in compliance with all minimum requirements set forth in these regulations.
Annual Renewal Date- July 1.
Applicant- the laboratory requesting accreditation.
Commercial Laboratory- any laboratory, wherever located, that performs analyses or tests for third parties for a fee or other compensation and provides chemical analyses, analytical results, or other test data to the department, by contract or agreement, and the data is: submitted on behalf of any facility, as defined in R.S. 30:2004; or required as a part of any permit application; or required by order of the department; or required to be included on any monitoring reports submitted to the department; or otherwise required by department regulations. The term commercial laboratory does not include laboratories accredited by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in accordance with R.S. 49:1001, et seq.
Corrective Action Proficiency Test Sample- a proficiency test sample of known composition provided by an external source (e.g., EPA) that is used to evaluate lab performance after completion of required corrective action(s) of a failed proficiency evaluation test round.
Department- the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
Department Accreditation Program- a program instituted by the department by which a laboratory that generates data for submittal to any area of the department may be deemed an accredited laboratory producing acceptable data, based upon the accuracy and reliability of the generated data, the use of department-approved methodology for the generation of the data, and the utilization of an acceptable quality control/quality assurance program to document the quality of the data produced.
Department-Approved Testing Methods- the laboratory and field procedures that have been approved by the department. These include all EPA-recognized methods, as well as those deemed equivalent by the department, that are adopted from existing standards and regulations or developed for specific fields of testing, specific testing technologies, or specific types of tests. This refers to the methods cited in the 40 CFR and subsequent changes published in the Federal Register from such sources as U.S. EPA, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, ASTM, NIOSH, SW-846, American Public Health Association for Microbiological Methods, USGS, AOAC, and alternate test procedures approved for use.
Discreditation- the revocation by the department of the formal recognition of the laboratory's accredited status because of a violation of LAC 33:I.5705.F.
EPA- the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA-Accepted Methods- the methods cited in the 40 CFR and subsequent changes published in the Federal Register; from such sources as EPA, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, ASTM, NIOSH, SW846, American Public Health Association for Microbiological Methods, USGS, AOAC, and alternate test procedures approved for nationwide use, as well as any method approved by the department.
Field of Testing-Repealed.
Field Test- any activity or operation conducted on-site resulting in the measurement of a specific parameter. Field tests are generally conducted at or near the site of sampling and include soil classification, pH, temperature, flow rate, fugitive emissions monitoring of valves, pumps, flanges, etc.
Interim Status- a status that exists in the accreditation process wherein all application requirements have been met by the laboratory, but formal accreditation status has not been granted by the department. Interim status is granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the department and shall not exceed one year in length.
Laboratory- any facility, whether fixed-based, mobile, or field, that analyzes environmental samples and that seeks accreditation by the department.
Laboratory Representative- the laboratory employee who is designated as the contact person responsible for the information provided in the application and for ensuring compliance with the requirements for accreditation.
Matrix (Matrices)-the substrate of a test sample that includes air emissions, nonpotable water, solid and chemical materials, and biological tissue.
Mobile Laboratory- any facility that analyzes environmental samples and that seeks accreditation by the department that is capable of moving or being moved from one site to another.
NIST- National Institute of Standards and Technology.
NRC- Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Primary Accrediting Authority- for the purpose of NELAP Accreditation, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, with the exception of those laboratory analyses accredited under the regulatory and statutory authority of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
Proficiency Evaluation Test Sample (PE)- a sample of known composition (unknown to laboratory) provided by an external source (e.g., EPA) that is used to evaluate lab performance.
Reaccreditation- the reinstatement of a fully accredited status by the department, thereby signifying that all violations of LAC 33:I.5705.F that initiated the discreditation action have been corrected and that the laboratory is deemed in compliance with requirements of these regulations.
Reciprocity- a method of obtaining accreditation, whereby the applicant laboratory provides documentation that demonstrates that its current certification or accreditation is no less stringent than required by these regulations. All fees associated with accreditation in the state of Louisiana shall be applicable. Laboratories located within the state of Louisiana shall be required to apply for a certification and shall not be eligible for reciprocity.
Round Robin Testing- a method of proficiency testing, whereby a blind sample is split and sent to laboratories for analysis from the department or its representative. Laboratories participating in round robin testing shall not pass test samples from one laboratory to another. This form of testing shall be limited to use where applicable.
Small Laboratory- a laboratory consisting of 10 or fewer people who influence the quality of data from sample collection through report generation.
Suspension- a temporary removal by the department of the accredited status, in part or whole, of a laboratory because of an infraction(s) of LAC 33:I.5705.F until such time that the infraction(s) is satisfactorily corrected and the laboratory is returned to a fully accredited status or the infraction(s) is not corrected and the laboratory is discredited.
Test Category- any one of the 11 categories listed in LAC 33:I.4705.B in which a laboratory may request department accreditation for a specific test or analysis.
Traceable Material- any material whose true value or true measurement can be related to a standard reference, usually national or international, all having stated uncertainties (e.g., NIST traceable thermometers, standards, reagents, etc.).
Variance- any deviation from a department-approved method that has the potential for affecting the analytical results generated from a test procedure.
La. Admin. Code tit. 33, § I-4503