LAC 33:I.5901. Accreditation Process

A. In-state laboratories participating in the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) shall be certified under standards established by these regulations and those of the NELAP program, as found at http://134.67.104.12/html/nelac/standards.htm or by writing NELAP, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (MD-75A), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, Attention: NELAP Director, telephone (919) 541-1120. NELAP-certified laboratories shall be required to meet the requirements for reciprocity as set forth in LAC 33:I.4713. B. The NELAP accreditation process comprises these basic steps: 1. the submittal to the department of a written request from the laboratory in the form of an application provided by the department with the payment of all applicable fees; 2. a review of personnel qualifications; 3. an on-site assessment/evaluation of the laboratory submitting the request/application by authorized representatives of the department with the appropriate laboratory background; 4. the successful participation in the NELAP-approved proficiency evaluations; and 5. a review of the quality assurance/quality control practices, and quality systems in use at the laboratory. C. When all the requirements for accreditation have been successfully fulfilled, the department shall grant the applicant laboratory a formal notice of accreditation and a certificate of accreditation that lists those fields of testing, methods used by the laboratory, and individual analytes determined by a particular method for which the laboratory is accredited.