Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services 
 
About DCLS  Services  Emergency Response  News  Links  Contact Us  DCLS Home

Environmental Laboratory Certification

The Virginia Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (VELAP) became effective on January 1, 2009, per Virginia Regulations 1 VAC 30, Chapter 45: Certification for Noncommercial Environmental Laboratories, and 1 VAC 30, Chapter 46: Accreditation for Commercial Environmental Laboratories. Under Chapter 46, Virginia’s Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services will offer accreditation to commercial laboratories in accordance with the 2003 NELAC Standard.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

• Review the Frequently Asked Questions document for determining whether your laboratory needs to be certified, and if your laboratory is a Chapter 45 or a Chapter 46 laboratory.
• Download and review the Chapter 45 or Chapter 46 Regulations.
• Download the 2003 NELAC Standard from the NELAC website if you seek Chapter 46 Accreditation.
• Begin review of your quality manual against the Chapter 45 or Chapter 46 Quality Manual Checklists, available as downloads or within the electronic application. Update your Quality Manual if needed to comply with each requirement listed. Cite the exact location of each requirement on the checklists.
• Determine the list of matrix / method / analyte combinations for which your laboratory will seek certification.
• Review Chapter 45 or Chapter 46/NELAC documents for specific requirements of certification programs. Use these documents to check your laboratory for compliance to Virginia
• MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
  • Applications under Chapter 45, Certification for Noncommercial Environmental Laboratories, are due to DCLS by September 29, 2009.
  • Applications under Chapter 46, Accreditation for Commercial Laboratories, are due to DCLS by July 1, 2009.

E-FILE Application

• To E-FILE, your system must meet the following requirements:
  • Windows operating systems XP, or VISTA
  • MS Access 2003 or newer

If your system does not meet the minimum requirements, contact Lab_Cert@dgs.virginia.gov to request an alternate application procedure.

• Additionally an EPA Lab ID is required to E-FILE. 
  • For applications that will include water or wastewater related tests, please contact Charles Feldman at EPA's Cincinnati office at (513) 569-7671 to obtain an EPA lab ID.  Otherwise please send an email to Lab_Cert@dgs.virginia.gov to obtain a Lab ID number to be used in lieu of the EPA Lab ID.
• PLEASE NOTE:
  Upon E-FILEing, an email will be sent to the address entered as primary contact, confirming DCLS receipt. If you have not received this email within 24 hours after E-FILEing, please contact the DCLS Lab Certification Office at Lab_Cert@dgs.virginia.gov for assistance.
• To E-FILE you will need to download the following documents:

  System Requirements and Download Instructions

  Environmental Lab Application Instructions

 VA Lab Certification Electronic Application (updated 01/12/12)

• For assistance with e-filing, please email  Lab_Cert@dgs.virginia.gov

• Other documents of interest that may be used when applying for certification:

ACCREDITED COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES
VELAP Accredited Commercial Laboratories (updated 1/25/12) This lists all primary and secondary laboratories accredited under 1VAC30-46 with address, accreditation status, and certificate number.
VELAP Accredited Commercial Laboratories WITH FIELD OF ACCREDITATION (FOA) DETAIL (updated 1/25/12)  VELAP Accredited Commercial Laboratories WITH FIELD OF ACCREDITATION (FOA) DETAIL (updated 1/25/12) THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LARGE FILE AND SHOULD NOT BE PRINTED. SUGGESTED USES: • Search for FOA detail of a specific lab and print that lab’s FOA report: Use Adobe® search feature (alternately, Control+F) to locate the specific lab and print only the relevant pages. • Search by Method to find a laboratory using that specific method: Use Adobe® search feature (alternately, Control+F) to locate the specific method, repeating the search to browse the document for all search matches.
CERTIFIED NON-COMMERCIAL LABORATORIES
VELAP Certified Non-Commercial Laboratories (updated 1/25/12) This lists all laboratories certified under 1VAC30-45 with address, certification status, and certificate number.
VELAP Certified Non-Commercial Laboratories WITH FIELD OF CERTIFICATION (FOC) DETAIL (updated 1/25/12)  VELAP Certified Non-Commercial Laboratories WITH FIELD OF CERTIFICATION (FOC) DETAIL (updated 1/25/12) THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LARGE FILE AND SHOULD NOT BE PRINTED. SUGGESTED USES: • Search for FOC detail of a specific lab and print that lab’s FOC report: Use Adobe® search feature (alternately, Control+F) to locate the specific lab and print only the relevant pages. • Search by Method to find a laboratory using that specific method: Use Adobe® search feature (alternately, Control+F) to locate the specific method, repeating the search to browse the document for all search matches.
REGULATIONS
1 VAC 30-45: Certification for Noncommercial Environmental Laboratories ("Chapter 45")
1 VAC 30-45: Table of Contents
1 VAC 30-46: Accreditation for Commercial Environmental Laboratories ("Chapter 46")
1 VAC 30-46: Table of Contents
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Virginia Environmental Laboratory Accreditation
Proficiency Testing (Updated 6/29/2011)
Information and Fees for Adding Fields of Certification (Updated 08/15/11)
DCLS- DEQ MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
2009 DCLS and DEQ VELAP MOU
GUIDANCE AND INTERPRETATION ISSUED BY DCLS
DCLS Transition to 2009 TNI Standards (updated 9/22/2011)
Field Testing Interpretation
POTWs and Industrial Users, Applicability
PT Requirement Revision (January 2009)
CBOD and Simple Test Procedure
IDC Grandfather Date
Instructions for Laboratories Rebuilt per 9VAC 25-820-70
PT Studies: Use of  WP in lieu of DMR-QA for 2010
PT Studies: Use of  WP in lieu of DMR-QA for 2011
1VAC30-46: Individual Laboratory Determination
Geotechnical and Engineering Testing Applicability
QUALITY MANUAL TEMPLATE FOR 1VAC30-45
Quality Manual Template for 1VAC30-45
Quality Manual Template for 1VAC30-45
Quality Manual Template Instructions for 1VAC30-45
Quality Manual Template Instructions for 1VAC30-45
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE TEMPLATE
Standard Operating Procedure Template
Standard Operating Procedure Template
CHAPTER 45 CHECKLISTS
Chapter 45 Quality Manual Checklist
Chapter 45 Quality Manual Checklist
Chapter 45 Lab Assessment Records Review List
Chapter 45 Air Testing
Chapter 45 Asbestos Testing
Chapter 45 Chemical Testing
Chapter 45 Microbiology Testing
Chapter 45 Quality System
Chapter 45 Radiochemical Testing
Chapter 45 Standard Operating Procedures
Chapter 45 Toxicity Testing
►  Method Checklists (link)
CHAPTER 46 CHECKLISTS
Chapter 46 Quality Manual Checklist
Chapter 46 Quality Manual Checklist
Chapter 46 Lab Assessment Records Review List
Chapter 46 Air Testing
Chapter 46 Asbestos Testing
Chapter 46 Chemical Testing
Chapter 46 Microbiology Testing
Chapter 46 Quality System
Chapter 46 Radiochemical Testing
Chapter 46 Standard Operating Procedure
Chapter 46 Toxicity Testing
►  Method Checklists (link)
FORMS
Fee Payment Form
Chapter 46 Laboratory Management Qualifications Form
Request for Additional Fields of Certification Form (Updated 8/15/11)
Request for Additional Fields of Certification Form (Updated 8/15/11)
Laboratory Certification Compliance Statement
List of NELAC Standard Technology Codes
Corrective Action Form
Documentation Requested By VELAP Prior To On-Site Assessment
Demonstration of Capability Certification Statement
Findings Corrective Action Plan Form
Findings Corrective Action Plan Form
Findings Corrective Action Plan- SAMPLE
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Alternate Test Method Crosswalk (Updated 04/06/11)

• Links:

The Safe Drinking Water (SDWA) and the Virginia Environmental Laboratory Accreditation (VELAP) program forms
www.nelac-institute.org