Science
 ^RESULTS
  SCIENCE lies or the heart of the mission of the U.S. Environmental Protect/on Agency (EPA). The Agency must rely on cutting edge research, accurate
  measurements and effective technology to implement its programs to protect the environment and human health. Without sound science and credible data,
  EPA can not wisely set environmental and health standards, clean up contaminated sites, measure ambient air and water quality conditions, or identify the new
  technologies or practices that will reduce releases to the environment. These fact sheets share with you some of our EPA New England's laboratory capabilities
  and exemplify some of the very best science we do to meet our agency mission.
KEY  CONTACTS:


JERRY KEEFE
Investigations Team Leader
(o!7) 918-837b
keefe.jerry@epa.gov

ERNEST WATERMAN
Chief, Environmental
Investigations & Analysis
(617) 918-8632
waterman.ernest@epa.gov

MICHAEL KENYON
Director
EPA New England Regional
Laboratory
(617)918-8317
kenyon.michaelOepa  gov
GENERAL  INFO:


EPA NEW ENGLAND
REGIONAL  LABORATORY
11 Technology Dr.
North Chelmsford. MA 01863
(617) 918-8300
www.epa.gov/ne/lab

TOLL-FREE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-800-EPA 7341
GOAL:
Many violations of environmental regulations are revealed by reporting and self-disclosure requirements or by
visual inspection of facility conditions and operations. However, often the most egregious violations require
sampling to show that discharge or emission requirements have been violated, evaded, or ignored or that
hazardous wastes have been misidentified and mishandled.  EPA New England's sampling teams are there to
provide regulatory compliant, scientifically sound sampling of water, soil, Pediment, air, and wastes.
SCIENCE:
The regional laboratory's Investigations Team maintains
standard operating procedures for sampling a variety of
scenarios from the discharges in a sewer system to the
contents of a tank or drum. When contacted to support
a project the team works with program staff and  our
chemistry and biology laborato-
ry teams to develop a sampling
and analysis  plan.  The  planning
process identifies  the  target
materials to  be  sampled and
the analyses that need  to  be
performed to  determine com-
pliance with an environmental
regulation  and/or facility spe-
cific permit requirements. From
that  starting point the team
determines a sampling  strategy
that  will collect representative
samples of the target materials.
They capture that strategy and
sample collection,  preservation, storage, transport  and
custody requirements as well as analytical requirements
into the sample and analysis plan which serves as the
blueprint that ensures the adequacy, integrity,  and valid-
ity of the  final data. The team also plans the logistics
of the sampling operation, prepares a health and safety
plan  to minimize  and  control risks, and arranges  the
necessary analytical services.
                                                     Meeting  these objectives can be  a challenge.  At
                                                     one site, it may mean studying drainage systems to
                                                     pick sample points  and then  tracking the weather
                                                     for weeks to be able to quickly  deploy and collect
                                                     samples during a storm of the right size to evalu-
                                                                          ate a facility's wet weather
                                                                           discharges. At another site,
                                                                           it may  require  determining
                                                                           how  to  deploy  an  autos-
                                                                           ampling device at  the right
                                                                           point in a  sewer system with
                                                                           the  right  sampling triggers
                                                                           to detect  an illicit  discharge
                                                                           while managing  the logistics
                                                                           of discreetly deploying and
                                                                           retrieving the device.
                                      Monitoring device deployed in
                                    a sewer to detect illegal discharge
                                        of industrial wostewater
                     BENEFITS:
                     There   is   no   substitute
                     for physical  evidence  that
someone is evading environmental laws. The Inves-
tigations Team's ability to collect and analyze sam-
ples provides critical support to our enforcement
programs  in their efforts to identify and correct
significant violations involving releases  of hazard-
ous substances  into the environment.
o
                                                United States
                                                Environmental Protection
                                                Agency
                                     inted on 100% recycled paper, with q minimum of 50% post consumer waste, using vegetable-based inks
                                                                                    EPA-901-F-09-030
                                                                                           April 2009

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