EPA Regional  Laboratory

              Contacts

       Region 1 - Ernest Waterman
        (Waterman.Ernest@epa.gov)
     Connect/cut, Maine, Massachusetts,
  New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

         Region 2 - John Bourbon
         (Bourbon.John@epa.gov)
     New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico,
         and the U.S. Virgin Islands

        Region 3 - Cindy Caporale
       (Caporale.Cynthia@epa.gov)
  Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,
   Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia

         Region 4 - Gary Bennett
         (Bennett.Gary@epa.gov)
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,
 North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee

       Region 5 - Dennis Wesolowski
       (Wesolowski.Dennis@epa.gov)
    Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
           Ohio, and Wisconsin

         Region 6 - David Neleigh
         (Neleigh.David@epa.gov)
      Arkansas, Louis/ana, New Mexico,
          Oklahoma, and Texas

        Region 7 - Michael F. Davis
         (Davis.Michael@epa.gov)
    Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska

        Region 8 - Mark Burkhardt
         (Burkhardt.Mark@epa.gov)
     Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
     South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

       Region 9 - Brenda Bettencourt
       (Bettencourt.Brenda@epa.gov)
    Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada,
          and the Pacific Islands

         Region 10 - Barry Pepich
          (Pepich.Barry@epa.gov)
   Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
^5£
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
  Water  Laboratory Alliance
EPA. NRML, Office of Research and Development, photo by P.P. Williams. Jr.
 Office of Water (4608-T)
 www.epa.gov/safewater
               EPA 817-F-10-001
                     April 2010

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Water Laboratory Alliance:

Purpose and Background
The EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
(OGWDW) Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) has the
goal of providing the Water Sector with an integrated
nationwide  network of laboratories. This  network
will provide  the capabilities and capacity to analyze
water samples in the event of natural, intentional, or
unintentional water contamination involving chemical,
biological, or radiochemical contaminants. The WLA
is composed of drinking water, public health, environ-
mental, and select commercial laboratories. The WLA
focuses solely on drinking water and is an integral part
of the EPA Office of  Emergency Management (OEM)
Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN).
Benefi
v%rll%rll
WLA  Implementation  Status
Prior to  the WLA launch  in the  Fall of 2009, EPA
and  its  partners  established  regiona   labora-
tory  networks through development and testing
(table-top and functional exercises)  of  Regional
Laboratory Response Plans (RLRPs) in collaboration
with  each of EPA's 10 Regions and Hawaii. These
1 1 RLRPs provided the basis for development of the
WLA-Response Plan (WLA-RP), which serves as the
foundation of the WLA on a national level.

The WLA-RP establishes a comprehensive, national
laboratory response approach to water contamination
that covers a spectrum of activities  including utility
and laboratory preparedness, response, remediation,
and recovery. The WLA-RP is being practiced through
full-scale exercises, which include participants from
drinking water utilities, EPA Regions, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the  Federal Bureau
of Investigation,  state public health  and state envi-
ronmental laboratories, first responders, and law
enforcement.

WLA membership is structured to expand  in phases
with the first phase being coordinated through a joint
roll-out with the ERLN. This first phase will  include
regional, state, and water utility labs that meet ERLN
requirements. A second phase of WLA expansion will
include additional laboratories that do not meet ERLN
membership requirements.
                   for  Participating
                   Laboratories
 Improved preparedness for analytical support
 to respond to emergencies


 ing
 ofi
 Improved communications with peer labo-
 ratories to help address emerging analytical
 capability and capacity, laboratory security, or
 laboratory operational challenges
 Partnership with neighboring  laboratories to
 support surge capacity needs
 Knowledge of neighboring laboratory analyti-
 cal capability and available personnel
Analytical support to address analyses not per-
 formed by your laboratory (e.g., select agent
 pathogens, chemical warfare agents)
 Coordination and standardization of data re-
 porting systems
 Coordination and standardization of analytical
 methods
 Priority access to planned EPA water security-
 related exercises and training opportunities
 Coordination of technology transfer efforts from
 EPA and other Federal agencies to laboratories
 WLA  name  recognition for  governmental
 initiatives
 Opportunity to review and comment on Federal
 documents related to drinking water laborator
 issues
 Future access to EPA-provided Proficiency Test-
 ing (PT) samples for unregulated contaminants
   interest to the Water Sector
For More Information
on the WLA, contact Latisha Mapp, EPA Office
of Water (OW) at Mapp.Latisha@epa.gov.
Information on OW's activities, tools, products,
and the latest advances to protect  drinking
water and wastewater  utilities are available
online at http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/
watersecurity/wla.cfm
ERLN/WLA

Membership Criteria
Participation in the ERLN is based on a laboratory's
ability to meet ERLN's core requirements, which apply
to both public and private laboratories. Each laboratory
must establish, maintain, and demonstrate:
• A quality system consistent with ISO 1 7025, TNI,
  or State/EPA Regional Drinking Water Certification
  (as applicable);
• Documented policies and procedures;
• Sample management  systems;
• Facilities for sample handling and secure storage;
• Data management and exchange procedures;
• Analytical capabilities and capacities for chemical,
  biological, and radiochemical contaminants.
                                                         ining the WLA
                                                               ^^

  Laboratories participating in the WLA may be part
  of EPA's ERLN, if they apply and meet ERLN crite-
  ria. Laboratories applying for membership must:
  • Review ERLN Laboratory  Requirements and
    Policy for Membership;
  • Complete  Laboratory  Membership for ERLN
    application;
  • Indicate  WLA Membership on  ERLN
    application;
  • Provide supporting documentation  with your
    application, as appropriate;
  • Read and sign Acknowledgement of Labora-
    tory Responsibilities checklist, and;
  • Register in the EPA Laboratory Compendium
    (separate compendium factsheet available).

  Admission into the ERLN is based on review of the
  application package. A laboratory will be notified
  by EPA of their membership status within sixty
  (60) days of receipt of the  completed application.

  Laboratories interested in  joining  the  ERLN
  should contact Schatzi Fitz-James, EPA Home-
  land Security Laboratory Response Center, at
  Fitz-James.Schatzi@epa.gov.

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