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Oklahoma Administrative Code (Last Updated: March 11, 2021) |
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TITLE 252. Department of Environmental Quality |
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Chapter 302. Field Laboratory Accreditation |
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Subchapter 1. General Provisions |
SECTION 252:302-1-4. Definitions
Latest version.
- In addition to the definitions contained in the Environmental Quality Code (27A O.S. § 2-1-101 et seq.) and OAC 252:4 (Department of Environmental Quality Rules of Practice and Procedure), the following words or terms, when used in this Chapter, shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise."Acceptable results", as defined in 27A O.S. § 2-4-101, means a result within limits determined on the basis of statistical procedures as prescribed by the Department."Accreditation" means the process by which the DEQ recognizes a laboratory as meeting certain predetermined qualifications or standards, thereby accrediting the laboratory."Analyte" means the characteristics of a laboratory sample determined by an analytical laboratory testing procedure and is synonymous with "parameter.""Applicant" means the owner of a laboratory, or a representative authorized by the owner to act on the owner's behalf, seeking accreditation from the DEQ."Applicant laboratory" means the laboratory and its owner or authorized representative for which an application for accreditation has been filed with the DEQ."Approved method" means an analytical test method which has been required by law or is recognized by the DEQ as acceptable for a specific usage."Blind audit" means a process whereby the DEQ or any other designated agent submits proficiency testing samples to an accredited laboratory in a manner such that the laboratory is not aware of the process."Certificate" is defined in 27A O.S. § 2-4-101 and means the same as laboratory accreditation."Corrective Action Plan" or "Corrective Action Report" is a written plan of action, including a schedule for implementation, to correct deficiencies or findings identified in the DEQ or DEQ-approved agent's inspection report, including a timeline for implementation; or to eliminate the causes of an existing nonconformity, defect or other undesirable situation in order to prevent its recurrence."Critical Finding" means a conclusion of noncompliance that would require an immediate corrective action or an immediate stop to testing."DEQ" means the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality."Evaluation", as defined in 27A O.S. § 2-4-101, means a review of the quality control and quality assurance procedures, recordkeeping, reporting procedures, methodology, personal qualifications, equipment, facilities and analytical technique of a laboratory for measuring or establishing specific parameters."Field laboratory" is a small laboratory which does not want to participate in The NELAC Institute accreditation standards and is limited to analysis for pH, residual chlorine (total residual chlorine, free chlorine, total oxidants or free oxidants), turbidity, conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen."Finding" means a conclusion of noncompliance of the evaluation process supported by objective evidence."Initial accreditation" means a first-time accreditation granted to a laboratory not previously accredited by the DEQ."Interim accreditation" means an out-of-time accreditation issued to a DEQ accredited laboratory for analytes in which the laboratory is not currently accredited by the DEQ."Laboratory" as defined in 27A O.S. § 2-4-101, means a facility that performs analyses to determine the chemical, physical or biological properties of air, water, solid waste, hazardous waste, wastewater or soil or subsoil materials or performs any other analyses related to environmental quality evaluations. "Laboratory" includes mobile laboratories."Laboratory waste" means by-products of the analytical process, residues of samples analyzed, discarded reagents or standards and any materials contaminated by any of these."Owner" means the sole proprietor of an individually owned laboratory, the controlling or managing partner of a laboratory held by a partnership, the major stockholders of a corporate owned laboratory, or a municipality or other local government entity which owns or operates a laboratory."Parameter" is defined in 27A O.S. § 2-4-101 and is synonymous with "analyte.""Proficiency testing (PT) sample" means a sample submitted to a laboratory by the DEQ or other designated agent for the purpose of assessing the ability of the laboratory to correctly analyze samples using an approved method."Program" means the DEQ laboratory accreditation program."Residual chlorine" means total residual chlorine, free chlorine, total oxidants or free oxidants."QA Plan" or "Quality Assurance Plan" means a written description of quality assurance activities (quality control) that will ensure the generation of data that are scientifically valid, defensible and of known and acceptable limits of precision and accuracy."SOP manual" or "Standard Operating Procedure manual" means a document approved by a laboratory director that includes approved methods, equipment and instruments used by the laboratory for analyses.