Environmental Standards | Services | Environmental Chemistry

Data Validation
It is prudent to have analytical data validated by an independent third party. Our nationally renowned data validation experts have provided independent third-party data validation for hundreds of CERCLA, RCRA, and state and other federal regulatory programs.

Data Quality Objective (DQO) Development
Environmental Standards develops Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) that are designed to generate data that meet project requirements. DQOs are qualitative and quantitative statements that are established such that project data of known and documented quality are obtained. According to the US EPA, the development of DQOs is one of the most important steps in ensuring the quality of environmental data.

Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPjP) Preparation
Environmental Standards has extensive experience in the preparation of project-specific QAPjPs that document the sampling and analysis QA and QC protocols necessary to achieve the project DQOs.

Design, Implementation, and Maintenance of Corporate Laboratory Contract Programs
A well-developed Corporate Laboratory Program improves technical quality, customer service, laboratory consistency, and cost efficiency while providing a mechanism for streamlining conventional contracting practices. Environmental Standards has successfully developed (and is currently maintaining) laboratory programs for numerous clients.

Analytical Program Development
Ensuring that you receive compliant and usable environmental analytical data from your contracted or in-house laboratory is best achieved by a process that is put in place over time. You will see improvements by implementing parts of the process, but the greatest benefits are realized by integrating all Environmental Standards’ Chemistry Quality Assurance services in a comprehensive program that defines the systems necessary to obtain reliable data.

Third-Party Oversight and Auditing of Field Activities
Our Quality Assurance Chemistry Department often teams with the Geosciences Department to provide the QA/QC oversight necessary to ensure that the data our clients receive from field sampling activities are of indisputable quality. Environmental Standards personnel have provided third-party auditing for soil, sediment, groundwater, effluent, stack sampling, and air sampling events for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), RCRA, CERCLA, CAA, and state programs.

Performance Evaluation Studies - Quality Monitoring
Sound analytical QA programs should include the annual submittal of single-blind and double-blind performance evaluation (PE) samples to contracted laboratories to assess laboratory performance.

Analytical Project Specifications and Request for Proposal (RFP) Preparation
Environmental Standards has prepared comprehensive analytical services requests for proposal (RFPs) for specific projects and Corporate Laboratory Programs. An RFP, which defines all technical and cost requirements, is prepared after performing a needs assessment to define and establish goals for parameters such as number of program laboratories, parameters of interest, number of samples to be analyzed, analytical method requirements, level of data deliverables and QC, regulatory requirements, and cost requirements.

Laboratory Audits
Environmental Standards personnel have performed hundreds of audits of laboratories nationwide on behalf of potentially responsible party (PRP) committees, engineering firms, and laboratories (for in-house QA/QC purposes). Our laboratory audits are extremely rigorous and may significantly exceed regulatory-based and International Standards Organization (ISO) Guide 25 audit strategies.

Laboratory Contract Negotiations
Environmental Standards has provided assistance in developing or reviewing laboratory contracts to minimize future financial liabilities by helping to negotiate terms and conditions favorable to industrial clients. Additionally, Environmental Standards has provided services to aid in contract dispute resolution pertaining to analytical issues.

Analytical Services Management
Environmental Standards has been retained by a number of clients to coordinate complex analytical efforts for efficient set-up and tracking of project sampling events. Analytical services management ensures that sampling consultants generate a tentative sampling schedule (for a specific period of time) that includes the number of samples to be collected, the parameters to be analyzed for each sample, the QC samples to be analyzed, and the number of sample delivery groups (SDGs) to be submitted for analysis.

Chemistry Consultation
Very often, questions that necessitate phone calls or conference calls to obtain information or advice on complex analytical and QA-related issues arise during an investigation. Environmental Standards personnel are thoroughly familiar with all published analytical methods and have negotiated with US EPA regions and state agencies regarding their interpretations of analytical or QC problems and their expectations relative to corrective action. Many Environmental Standards’ clients consider this real-time QA assistance with projects an extremely valuable service.

Expert Testimony/Litigation Support
Environmental Standards is an established and highly respected firm that can provide technical assistance during litigation and testimony proceedings. In this capacity, Environmental Standards personnel have provided chemistry and QA litigation support services to private industry, insurance companies, and legal firms.

Analytical Methods Evaluation and Development
Environmental Standards provides analytical method evaluation or development expertise to provide solutions for non-routine chemical analysis. These services may include modifying the design of a US EPA method to achieve a certain goal or developing a new analytical method for a specific chemical or analysis matrix.

Dispute Resolution
Environmental Standards has provided services to aid in contract dispute resolution pertaining to complex analytical issues.

Electronic Data File Review
Although hardcopy laboratory sample data are typically validated, our experienced chemists can also evaluate laboratory electronic data files using the same data processing software that generated the data at the laboratory (e.g., Target®, EnviroQuant®, and EZChrom®). Our chemists have effectively employed this type of review to confirm or refute specific laboratory-reported positive contaminant results that potentially could have led to costly remediation for our clients.

Environmental Forensics
In recent years, the regulated community has demanded “more information” from sample analytical data. Environmental Standards responded by combining the talents and experience of scientists from several service areas to offer our clients the advantages of a relatively new scientific discipline – environmental forensics. Clients responsible for site remediation want answers to when, where, and who relative to a pollutant release into the environment because this information can be used to identify other sources (and responsible parties) of a contaminant release.

For more information regarding our Environmental Chemistry services, contact Technical Director of Chemistry/Principal
Rock J. Vitale, CEAC, CPC, at 610-935-5577.