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Procedures for Detection and Quantitation
Technical Workgroup
Federal Advisory Committee on Detection and Quantitation Approaches and Uses in Clean Water Act (CWA) Programs
- Action Items
- Welcome and Introductions
- Meeting Summary Approval
- Report on the December 6-8 FACDQ Meeting
- TWG and Pilot Design Team Schedule
- Intermittent Method Blank Contamination
- Public Comment
- Wrap-up and Closing
- Attendance
- Back to Technical Workgroup home page
Summary of Technical Work Group Conference Call #44
December 13, 2006
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
The call-in number for all calls is 866 299-3188 and the participant code is 202 566 1045#. This was the last Technical Work Group conference call of the year. The Technical Work Group will meet again via teleconference on:
- January 10, 2007—Wednesday from 1:00–3:00 p.m., EDT
Action Items
Triangle will edit the Intermittent Blank Contamination Guidance document by adding a disclaimer, date and draft to the body.
Welcome and Introductions
Bob Wheeler, facilitator, welcomed participants to the call at 1:06 p.m., conducted a roll call of Technical Work Group (TWG) members and observers, and briefly reviewed the agenda for the meeting. He said the group would primarily focus on the Intermittent Blank Contamination Guidance document and discussion surrounding that topic.
Meeting Summary Approval
Mr. Wheeler asked for comments to the draft November 22 meeting summary. There were no comments and the group approved the summary as drafted.
Report on the December 6-8 FACDQ Meeting
Mr. Wheeler briefly reviewed the agreements the FACDQ reached on Policy Issues at the December 6-8th meeting, mentioning that the FACDQ:
- Supports the intent of the policy recommendations, as revised;
- Recommends that the Policy Work Group refine the language in the recommendations per the FACDQ discussion in December; and
- Recommends that the Policy Work Group bring back to the FACDQ their refinements for final decision-making.
The committee, with a vote of 19 agreeing and 1 not opposed, agreed to the policy issues recommendations.
- Agreed there should be a single-laboratory descriptive procedure and that that procedure should replace the one currently in 40 CFR Part 136 Appendix B,
- Promulgation of future analytical methods shall include detection and quantitation limits,
- Develop a process for initial and ongoing verification of DLs and QLs,
- Provide a process for future updates of promulgated analytical methods with some flexibility for EPA,
- For NPDES Permits and Compliance Uses for WQBELS below QL:
- Permits must include the applicable QL
- Permit limits set at the WQBEL
- For average and daily maximum discharge levels assign zero for values less than the permit QL
- To determine permit compliance, cpompare average and daily maximum discharge levels
- For reporting: Less than DL report ND; For values greater or equal to DL and less than QL report DNQ on the DMR: For values greater than or equal to QL report the value; for values between DL and QL report the lab specific DL and QL and the individual numeric result on a supplemental report
- Permits shall include language that triggers additional steps when a "significant number of: DNQ values are reported
- "Most sensitive method" should referred to "the most appropriate method, taking into account sensitivity, selectivity, and matrix effects."
- Matrix effects guidance should be developed,
- Tabled consideration of other uses,
- Tabled consideration of alternative test procedures, and
- Process for implementing committee recommendations
Mr. Wheeler said he that anticipates every interested party, including all FACDQ members and Technical Work Group members, to have a copy of the recommendations very soon.
He also informed the TWG members and observers that because substantive progress had occurred at the December FACDQ meeting, EPA agreed to extend the FACDQ until December 31, 2007. Dick Reding told to the group that it would be several months before they receive their letters officially appointing them until December 2007.
Rick Rediske commented on the FACDQ meeting saying that his caucus was pleased with the outcome and that there seemed to be "a good give and take on some critical issues."
Mr. Wheeler then reviewed the assignments for the TWG that came out of the December meeting. He said that the first two are the most important ones and that the second two would be looked at if time is available:
- Complete the pilot results, report and recommendations for presentation to the committee at its next meeting.
- Develop recommendations around a procedure or procedures for the committee to consider at its next meeting.
- Develop recommendations and other details for initial and on-going verification (time permitting).
- Develop a list of existing methods and associated priorities for detection and quantitation limits (time permitting).
TWG and Pilot Design Team Schedule
Mr. Wheeler reviewed the schedule for the next 11 TWG meetings, up until the June FACDQ meeting. He noted the Pilot Analysis Team meeting in January and then briefly reviewed the agenda for those two days. He also said that verification of the results from the pilot data would be included in the TWG schedule if time became available. Zonetta English informed Ken Miller that she was still finalizing her list of analytes for review and that she would have them to him very soon.
Intermittent Method Blank Contamination
There was much discussion over the uses of intermittent blank contamination data as well as the issues surrounding the topic. The TWG agreed that the working definition of intermittent blank contamination, as defined in the guidance document, is acceptable for current purposes. It was noted that the definition could possibly be brought down to 3% for closer inspection, though 5% seemed the most practical. The TWG agreed to keep the guidance document as a working draft that could be altered once a final procedure has been selected.
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Wrap-up and Closing
Mr. Wheeler reminded everyone that the next call would not be until after the New Year, on January 10th, 2007.
He thanked everyone for their time, wished everyone a Happy Holidays, and adjourned the meeting early at 2:17 PM, ET.
Attendance
Technical Work Group Members
- States: Bob Avery
- Environmental Laboratories: Steve Bonde and Richard Burrows
- Environmental Community: Richard Rediske
- POTWs: Jim Pletl, Ken Osborn
- Industry: Larry LaFleur and John Phillips
- US EPA: Dick Reding and Brad Venner
- Other Federal: Bill Ingersoll
Triangle Associates: Robert Wheeler and Cole Gainer
Observers
- Zonetta English (Public Utilities committee member and Pilot Design Team member)
- David Kimbrough (Public Utilities committee member)
- Ken Miller (Consultant to EPA Office of Water)
- Nicole Shao (EPA Office of Research and Development)
- Steve Wendelken (EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water)