Technical Services in Environmental Quality Assurance

While you may be outsourcing environmental sampling and monitoring activities to meet regulatory requirements, you are still responsible for the data quality.

How can you be sure your contractors are generating reliable information that meets data quality standards?

Generation of environmental data of known quality is possible only through the proper implementation of quality assurance (QA) procedures such as QA planning and use of standard procedures and protocols for field and laboratory activities and data review, analysis, and reporting. Frequent custom-designed third-party environmental audits and assessments ensure that quality systems are functional. KulTech and its staff have experience providing QA services on several large programs as well as a number of smaller projects. KulTech’s specific expertise includes the following:

• Technical systems audits
• Performance evaluation audits
• Good laboratory practices
• Good manufacturing practices
• Audits of data quality
• Quality assurance project plans and quality management plans

Technical systems audit (TSA): A thorough, systematic, qualitative on-site audit of facilities, equipment, personnel, training, procedures, record keeping, data validation, data management, and reporting aspects of an environmental data generation system. KulTech staff and associates have been involved in several national programs such as the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Great Lakes Program, Superfund Technology Assessment Programs, and a joint EPA-DOE program on emissions control from fossil fuel plants.

Performance evaluation audit (PEA): Involves comparison of quantitative data generated routinely in a measurement system to data obtained by a similar but independent and well-controlled system via analysis of specially made samples. KulTech has designed and prepared custom samples for several large residue analysis studies for EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs and for the National Air Toxics and Trends Stations (NATTS) studies for EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) and other agencies.

Good laboratory practice (GLP) and good manufacturing practice (GMP): KulTech provides these services in collaboration with another small business with experience in meeting Food and Drug Administration requirements.

Audit of data quality (ADQ): A systematic and independent examination of environmental data to determine whether quality activities and related results comply with planned arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively to achieve the data quality objectives. ADQs and data quality assessments (DQAs) may involve several tools such as management systems review (MSR), peer review, self-assessment, and corrective action reports.

Quality assurance project plan (QAPP) and quality management plan (QMP): KulTech staff and associates have over 20 years of experience in preparing and reviewing quality plans to meet U.S. EPA requirements. KulTech was responsible for generating a QAPP titled “Determining the Impact of Brownfield Surface Water Runoff on a Commercial Fishpond,” which is part of QA training provided by EPA Quality Staff to regional and state EPA QA personnel.

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