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Procedures for Detection and Quantitation
Federal Advisory Committee
On Detection and Quantitation Approaches and Uses in Clean Water Act (CWA) Programs
Draft Process Design
This draft process design describes the schedule and topics for meetings of the Federal Advisory Committee on Detection and Quantitation (Advisory Committee) and Technical Working Group conference calls.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves analytical methods (i.e., test procedures) used for monitoring and reporting chemical pollutants under the Clean Water Act. EPA's analytical methods specify detection limits to determine if a pollutant is present. Quantitation limits describe the concentration of a pollutant that can be measured with a known level of confidence. States, Tribes and EPA Regions that administer and enforce permit limits on direct discharges into water often use these values as reporting and compliance limits. Additionally, States and localities in administering and enforcing pretreatment programs for indirect discharges use these values. The major objectives of the Advisory Committee will be to provide advice and recommendations on approaches for the development of detection and quantitation procedures and uses of these procedures in Clean Water Act programs.
It is anticipated that the Advisory Committee will hold up to five meetings, lasting one to two days each, over a year or so. In addition, between Advisory Committee sessions, a Technical Work Group comprised of Advisory Committee members and technical experts will conduct its work via telephone conference calls to carry out assignments from the Advisory Committee.
The final product will be a report of consensus recommendations to EPA on detection and quantitation approaches and uses in Clean Water Act programs.
Advisory Committee Meeting #1: June 21 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; June 22 – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location
Hilton Old Town
Alexandria , VA (Block of rooms at Embassy Suites)
Agenda Items
- Review and approval of ground rules
- Process design and schedule
- Statements of interest and discussion of what parties need from the MDL/ML methodologies
- Common base of information
- Overview and primer on MDL and ML methodologies
- Identification of alternative methodologies to be reviewed and analyzed
- Review and agreement on a template to report results of Technical Work Group analysis
- Identification of terms needing common definitions
- Agreement on composition of Technical Work Group and assignments to the Group
- Discussion of pilot testing concept
- Public comment
Advance Materials
- Detailed agenda
- Draft ground rules
- Process design and schedule
- Draft list of terms needing common definitions
- Draft list of methodologies to be analyzed
- Slate of Technical Work Group members, including bios
- Background materials
Technical Work Group Sessions
between Advisory Committee Meetings #1 and #2 (up to 4)
Topics of discussion:
- Develop common definitions for terms, making the underlying assumptions explicit and clarifying the implications of each term
- Analyze and develop reports of alternative methodologies using a common template to report results
Advisory Committee Meeting #2: Last Week in September, 2005 (1 ½ to 2 days)
Location
TBD: in the Washington, DC area
Agenda Items
- Report of definitions of terms from the Technical Work Group
- Discussion and agreement on the use of terms for the process
- Discussion and agreement on key elements/criteria for the MDL/ML methodologies (including reliability, feasibility, cost, implementation, etc.)
- Additional discussion of pilot testing
- Initial report on the methodologies analyzed, using the template agreed to at the first meeting
- Review of results and discussion, additional questions about the methodologies to be addressed during the next phase of analysis
- Decision on whether to narrow the range of alternative methodologies being reviewed
- Assignments to Technical Work Group to conduct additional analysis on key elements of the alternative approaches, to answer specific questions
- Public comment
Advance Materials
- Detailed agenda
- Technical Work Group report on definition of terms
- Technical Work Group initial report on alternative methodologies
- Draft criteria based on discussion prepared by the facilitation team
- Other materials as necessary
Technical Work Group Sessions
between Advisory Committee Meetings #2 and #3 (up to 6)
Topics of Discussion
- Conduct additional analysis of methodologies requested by the Advisory Committee
- Review methodologies relative to criteria and report results to Advisory Committee for discussion
Advisory Committee Meeting #3: First Week in December, 2006 (1 to 2 days)
Location
TBD, in the Washington, DC area
Agenda Items
- Review and discuss the report of the methodologies vis-à-vis the criteria
- Screen alternatives and identify additional questions
- Begin discussion of appropriate uses of MDL and ML results
- Agree on methodologies that merit further work
- Continue discussion of pilot testing, including who would conduct the pilot tests, for which analytes, over what period of time
- Make assignments to the Technical Work Group for additional analysis and evaluation of selected alternative methodologies
- Hear public comment
Advance Materials
- Detailed agenda
- Technical Work Group reports
- Draft options for pilot testing process
- Other materials as necessary
Technical Work Group Sessions
between Advisory Committee Meetings #3 and #4 (up to 4)
Topics of Discussion
- Analyze the methodologies according to the criteria and prepare a report; this could include recommended adjustments to the methodologies to improve their expected performance
Advisory Committee Meeting #4: late March/early April, 2006 (1 day)
Location
TBD
Agenda Items
- Hear Technical Work Group reports on its evaluation of methodologies and recommended modifications, if any, to improve expected performance
- Reach agreement on one or more draft approaches to pilot
- Finalize and launch pilot testing
- Continue discussion of appropriate uses of MDLs and MLs
- Hear public comment
Advance Materials
- Detailed agenda
- Technical Work Group report on methodologies and any modifications
- Pilot Projects
- Conducted by multiple labs
- Results provided to the Technical Work Group for evaluation and preparation of a report to the Advisory Committee
- Other materials as necessary
Technical Work Group Sessions
between Advisory Committee Meetings #4 and #5 (up to 5)
Topics of Discussion
- Review results of pilot tests, recommend changes to methodologies, if appropriate, and prepare a report on performance to the Advisory Committee for discussion
Advisory Committee Meeting #5: September, 2006 (1 ½ to 2 days)
Location
TBD
Agenda Items
- Review results of the pilots, tweak approach(es) as necessary, and finalize consensus recommendations on one or more MDL and ML methodologies for use in Clean Water Act programs
- Finalize consensus recommendations on appropriate uses of MDLs and MLs in Clean Water Act programs
- Hear public comment
Advance Materials
- Detailed agenda
- Technical Work Group report on results of pilot testing and performance of the selected methodologies
- Other materials as necessary