Lancaster Labs applies for DoD Lab accreditation

Environmental NEWS - Fall 2009

Lancaster Laboratories recently applied for a new laboratory accreditation implemented by the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program was established in an effort to promote consistency among various laboratory contractors and improve the procurement process for testing services. All laboratories that perform testing in support of DoD environmental restoration programs for any branch of the military will be required to conform to the DoD Quality Systems Manual for Environmental Laboratories. This manual is based on the Quality Systems Standard of the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC), but there are additional requirements specific to the DoD program.

Lancaster Labs already holds accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) for ISO 17025, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. Since A2LA is approved by DoD as a third party accrediting body, Lancaster Labs will expand the scope of their existing accreditation to include the DoD elements. A2LA auditors inspected the laboratories during the last week of September.

Lancaster Labs anticipates approval for a wide range of analyses, including volatile and semi-volatile organics by GC/MS, GRO, DRO, air samples by TO-15, perchlorate, metals by ICP and ICP/MS, pesticides, PCBs, PAHs, cyanide, hexavalent chromium and anions by ion chromatography. For a complete list of parameters and the status of the DoD accreditation, contact Environmental Business Development at 717-656-2300.