Managing the Quality of Environmental Data at EPA Region 4
Environmental data are essential to making correct decisions that protect human health and the environment. To help ensure data quality and integrity, Region 4 has established a strong quality management structure focused on continual improvement for regional EPA programs and divisions. Region 4 also offers guidance and technical support to state, local and tribal organizations and to citizens of Region 4 in obtaining environmental data of known and documented quality.
The primary quality assurance (QA) functions in Region 4 include:
- implementing the mandatory agency-wide quality system
- providing technical assistance regarding the collection of chemical, biological, microbiological and radiological data under:
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Superfund
- Clean Air
- Clean Water/Safe Drinking Water Acts for the:
- RCRA Program
- Superfund Program
- Air Progam
- Water Program
- providing technical support/assistance to regional project officers and grantees
- conducting QA evaluations of field sampling and laboratory operations
- reviewing study plans, quality management plans and internal & external data
- reviewing QA documentation in support of grants, cooperative & interagency agreements and contracts
- managing the Environmental Services Assistance Team (ESAT) and national/regional analytical contracts
- providing training/guidance on data quality, laboratory practices/ethics, designated approving officials (DAO’s) and others topics as requested
Program Guidance & Requirements
- Quality Management Plan for EPA Region 4
- Quality Management Plan for EPA Region 4 Laboratory Services and Applied Science Division
- Policy notice for use of discrete analyzers under the Clean Water Act (CWA) in Region 4
Standard Operating Procedures
- EPA Region 4 Data Validation SOP for Contract Laboratory Program Routine Analytical Services
- Data Validation Standard Operating Procedures for Chlorinated Dioxin/Furan Analysis by High Resolution Gas Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry