Monitoring Sdtene®
in the I1CRA
ill
//IIIIIU
Illllllll
&EPA
United States EPA530-E-99-001
Environmental Protection March 1999
Agency
-------
-------
invite you to attend the Waste
Testing and Quality Assurance
(WTQA) symposium held annually
the second or third week of July. Initiated in
1985 as part of EPA's efforts to foster a partner-
ship among the Agency, the regulated commu-
nity, the public, state regulatory agencies, and
the other members of the RCRA and Compre-
hensive Environmental Response, Compensa-
tion, and Liability Act (CERCLA) monitoring
community, WTQA has three goals: (1) to serve
as a forum for all interested parties to work
together to solve RCRA and CERCLA environ-
mental monitoring and waste characterization
problems in a cost-effective manner, (2) to give
state regulatory agencies and the public timely
information about EPA activities that might
affect their programs, and (3) to permit the
members of the monitoring community to
exchange information and experiences in using
both existing and new monitoring methods
and approaches.
As part of its efforts to increase the role of
the scientific community in the RCRA and
CERCLA monitoring programs, EPA joined in
a partnership with the Waste Policy Institute
(WPI) to sponsor the WTQA symposium.
Who Should Attend
§ Lab Managers and Directors
• QA/QC Managers
M Regulatory Affairs Managers
• Senior Analysts
Registration materials go out at the beginning
of May.
-------
-------
How Your Organization Will Benefit
You will be able to:
@ Have one-on-one discussions with key
regulators about problems and issues
facing the industry
H Obtain the information you need to better
plan for future capital purchases and staffing
levels.
M Learn how to save time and money
when performing sampling and analysis
techniques.
H Improve the efficacy of your character-
izations.
H Get a head start on your competition by
learning about new technologies and
regulations traveling down the EPA pipeline.
Presenting Papers
Presenting a paper at this meeting gives you an
opportunity to show your clients the depth of
your laboratory's experience and your expertise
in using new, more cost-effective monitoring
approaches. You can also show new technolo-
gies to potential developers, help improve the
quality of the nation's environmental monitor-
ing, and share obstacles you encounter so that
solutions might be found.
EPA encourages regulatory agencies, regulated
entities, laboratories, and other members of the
commercial and academic communities to
submit papers. Abstracts are due around the
end of February. For information on submitting
a paper, contact:
Waste Policy Institute
Colonial Place, Suite 600
2111 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
703 247-2400
For additional information and registration, see
the WPI website at http://www.wpi.org/wtqa
or view the WTQA website at
http://www.epa.gov/SW-846/wtqa.htm
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-E-99-001f
March 1999
-------
-------
Documents
Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods (SW-846) is OSW's official com-
pendium of analytical and test methods that have been evaluated and approved for use in comply-
ing with RCRA regulations. SW-846 functions primarily as a guidance document setting forth
acceptable, although not required, methods for the regulated and regulatory communities to use in
responding to RCRA sampling and analysis requirements.
Copies of the Third Edition and Updates I, II, IIA, IIB, and III can be purchased from the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO) or the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), as follows:
U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents
Washington, DC 20402
Phone:202512-1800
Publication Number: 955-001-00000-1
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
1-800-553-NTIS(6847)
E-mail: orders@ntis.fedworld.gov
For current price information, please call either GPO or NTIS.
For more information about SW-846, visit the SW-846 website at http://www.epa.gov/
SW-846/SW-846.htm
-------
-------
Electronic Resources
SW-846 is also available on CD/ROM. It was designed for compatibility with both Windows and
Macintosh operating systems and utilizes Adobe Acrobat as a search engine. This permits the user
to search the manual using either the chemical or common name of the analyte of interest, its
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number, the number or name of the method, the analytical
technique, or a variety of other keywords. Users can view and print the material, including
diagrams and figures. It can be purchased in either single user or LAN versions from NTIS.
For current price information, please call NTIS at 1-800-553-NTIS (6847) or order online at
orders@ntis.fedworld.gov.
SW-846 is also available online at: http://www.epa.gov/SW-846/main.htm. The SW-846 documents
found at this site are complete copies of the published versions and thus include all figures and
tables. The files are retrievable in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and can be downloaded
using the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader or writer.
Personnel Resources and Hotlines
For information on EPA monitoring methods, feel free to call the designated Agency program
office listed below.
RCRA Hazardous Waste Test Methods
OSW Methods Team 703 308-8855
MICE Line 703 821-4690
CERCLA (Superfund) CLP Methods 703 603-8870
RCRA/Superfund Hotline 800 424-9346
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800 426-4791
CWA Wastewater Methods 703 519-1140
Office of Water Resources Center 202 260-7786
Clean Air Technology Center '. 919 541-0800
For more information, please go to http://www.epa.gov/SW-846/info.htm
&EPA
United States EPA530-E-99-001b
Environmental Protection March 1999
Agency
-------
-------
She Methods Information Communication
Exchange (MICE) service provides
.answers to questions and takes com-
ments over the telephone on technical issues
regarding EPA's methods manual, Test Methods
for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical
Methods (SW-846). Created by the OSW
Methods Team, MICE makes available chemists,
ground-water specialists, and sampling experts
who are experienced and knowledgeable in
SW-846 procedures used in support of RCRA
regulations.
How the MICE Service Works
People interested in using the MICE service call
a voice-mail answering service that is available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The caller can
listen to several recorded messages on common
SW-846 topics and/or leave a message. Some
of these topics include:
m Where to order copies of SW-846.
g The status of SW-846 Updates I, II, IIA, IIB,
and III.
M Where to find information on holding times,
preservation, and storage in SW-846.
m Availability of draft SW-846 methods and
other EPA methods.
B Ash sampling.
Messages left on the voice-mail system are
retrieved each working day, sorted into specific
categories, and distributed to the appropriate
technical support staff. After reviewing a caller's
question and proceeding with any preliminary
research necessary, the MICE service provides a
response. Comments received on methods are
recorded, sorted, and entered into a database
for future Agency use.
How To Contact the MICE Service
Phone: 703 821 -4690
Fax:703698-6101
E-rnail: mice@lan828.ehsg.saic.com
URL: http://www.epa.gov/SW-846/mice.htm
Please include the following in your voice-
mail, fax, or e-mail massage:
M Name.
M Affiliation or place of work.
M Business telephone number.
M Question or comment for the MICE Service
(if the question pertains to a particular
method, include the method number in the
message).
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-E-99-001C
March 1999
-------
-------
I he Methods Team is the focal point
within the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA's) Office of Solid Waste
(OSW) for expertise in analytical chemistry and
characteristic testing methodology/ environ-
mental monitoring, and quality assurance. OSW
plays a vital role in implementing the hazardous
waste management and contaminated site
cleanup programs under the Resource Conser-
vation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The Methods
Team provides technical support to other OSW
units, EPA offices and Regions, state regulatory
agencies, and the regulated community.
The Methods Team staff of chemists and other
scientists supports these programs through such
activities as:
M Developing and evaluating methods to iden-
tify and characterize wastes, environmental
samples, and contaminated materials.
ii Producing guidance documents and techni-
cal transfer programs to foster the develop-
ment and use of innovative, cost-effective
approaches to waste and site characteriza-
tion, monitoring, and remediation.
H Analyzing and interpreting data.
What's Inside
This series of fact sheets provides more details
on the activities of the Methods Team. Inside
this folder, you'll find valuable information on:
m Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste,
Physical/Chemical Methods (SW-846), a
multi-volume compendium of EPA-accepted
methods and monitoring guidance, includ-
inq the latest electronic version available
on CD/ROM.
m The annual Waste Testing and Quality
Assurance (WTQA) symposium sponsored
by the Methods Team since 1985.
H The Methods Information Communication
Exchange (MICE) hotline.
n Performance-based measurement systems
in the RCRA program.
B The OSW methods development, evaluation,
and approval process.
-------
-------
How To Contact Us
For more information, contact:
OSW Methods Team
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste (5307W)
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: 703 308-8855
Fax: 703 308-0511
URL: http://www.epa.gov/SW-846
United States EPA530-E-99-001 a
Environmental Protection March 1999
Agency
-------
-------
1 PA is actively working to implement the Presi-
dent's program for "reinventing" government
land reforming regulatory policy. As part of
this program, EPA has been working to break down
barriers to using new monitoring techniques.
The Many Benefits of a PBMS
One barrier that OSW is tackling is the requirement
to use specific measurement methods or technolo-
gies in complying with Agency regulations. EPA's
Environmental Monitoring Management Council
(EMMC), many members of the regulatory commu-
nity, and Congress all agree that EPA needs to
change the way it specifies monitoring requirements
in regulations and permits. There is broad accep-
tance for a nonprescriptive performance-based
measurement system (PBMS). OSW strongly
supports this position and is committed to using this
approach in the Resource Conservation and Recov-
ery Act (RCRA) monitoring program.
PBMS conveys "what" needs to be accomplished,
but not prescriptively "how" to do it. Under a
performance-based approach, EPA would specify:
• Questions to be answered by monitorinq.
m Decisions to be supported by the data.
m Level of uncertainty acceptable for making
decisions.
M Documentation to be generated to support
this approach in the RCRA monitoring program.
The PBMS approach would provide many benefits to
both regulators and the regulated community,
including:
m Flexibility in method selection.
E3 Expedited approval of new and emerging
technologies to meet mandated monitoring
requirements.
SJ Development and use of cost-effective methods
that meet program requirements and their
associated performance criteria.
As part of OSW's effort to implement the PBMS
approach, the following actions are being taken:
& Removing the mandatory use of SW-846
methods for applications other than method-
defined parameters, such as the paint filter test
and characteristics tests.
m Helping OSW regulatory program staff to
incorporate the PBMS philosophy into new
regulations such as the Hazardous Waste
Identification Rule.
m Working with the American Society for Testing
and Materials to develop new sampling and
testing methods and to encourage their use.
• Encouraging state and local governments, whose
regulations often require preapproved, prescrip-
tive testing procedures, to modify their regula-
tions so that the regulated community can take
full advantage of the flexibility that the PBMS
approach provides.
B Working with EMMC to foster Agency-wide
adoption of PBMS in all of the Agency's
environmental regulatory programs.
For more information, please go to the PBMS
website at http://www.epa.gov/SW-846/pbms.htm
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-E-99-001e
March 1999
-------
-------
i est Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste,
Physical/Chemical Methods (SW-846)
ensures the availability of established,
validated methods for the measurements and
monitoring needed for the RCRA program. All
of the methods published in SW-846 have been
approved by EPA. While EPA cannot evaluate
every applicable method, the Agency does
conduct scientific evaluations of new methods
that (1) offer cost-effective alternatives or signifi-
cant improvements in data quality and (2) are
expected to find broad application in environ-
mental monitoring. These methods are then
published in SW-846.
To this end, OSW has established a two-part
process to assist people interested in this ser-
vice. Part one explains how to obtain assistance
from Methods Team staff during the methods
development and evaluation process, and part
two deals with the actual process of applying
for inclusion of a new RCRA measurement or
monitoring method in SW-846.
Part One: Technical Assistance
The Methods Team supports the development
of new measurement technologies by:
M Assisting developers in designing proof
of concept studies.
H Hosting forums to facilitate the interchange
of ideas between the user and developer
communities to stimulate development
of new techniques.
m Assisting developers in designing evaluation
studies prior to submitting an application
for new method approval.
Part: Two: The Application Process
To have a method published in SW-846, appli-
cants must follow certain procedures established
by the Methods Team. Adherence to these
requirements can help speed the approval
process.
When a method project is completed, the
developershould assemble a package of docu-
ments describing the project and submit it to
the Agency for review and evaluation. The
documentation package should include:
M Hard and electronic copies of the method.
ffl A supporting document describing the
rationale behind the methods development
effort and how the key elements, as
described in this document, were addressed.
11 A data package containing both the raw
and summarized single laboratory and
multilaboratory data.
M Any specific equipment diagrams (e.g., chro-
matogram or spectra) pertinent to the
demonstration of appropriate performance
for the intended application method.
M Copies of any references listed in the
method.
M Any method-specific quality control criteria.
The above material should be submitted in hard
copy and on disk (preferably in WordPerfect 6.1
or 5.1) to the following address:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste (5307W)
401 M Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20460
-------
-------
EPA Evaluation Criteria
EPA uses the following criteria when evaluating a new method:
1) What is the scope and application of the proposed method? What is it supposed to accomplish?
2) Can a procedure be developed that will generate data consistent with the intended scope and
application of the method?
3) Can appropriate quality control procedures be developed for this procedure?
When submitting methods, developers should determine if there is an existing or anticipated RCRA
regulatory need for the method and if it is significantly different in principle or approach from
existing SW-846 methods.
For more information, please go to the methods development website at http://www.epa.gov/
SW-846/methdev.htm
&EPA
United States EPA530-E-99-001 d
Environmental Protection March 1999
Agency
-------
------- |