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{ i the following: (a) cover both analytical testing of environmental samples and the laboratory accreditation process; (b) have been developed and reviewed by representatives from both the private and public sectors; and (c) are reviewed I iannually, revised accordingly, and adopted by consensus at NELAC. EPA's National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) is the program that implements the NELAC standards. State and federal agencies I serve as Accrediting Authorities, with coordination facilitated by EPA to assure r uniformity. Accreditation by one NELAP Accrediting Authority is mutually recognized by the other state and federal Accrediting Authorities approved under NELAP. For a laboratory to be NELAP accredited, the laboratory must complete an application, pass an onsite inspection, demonstrate qualifications of analysts, and acceptably analyze two NELAP-recognized single-blind proficiency test studies per year for each field of testing for which the laboratory is accredited. iSeven CAS laboratories are currently NELAC accredited and the eighth laboratory is in the process of becoming NELAC accredited. i iACIL Seal of Excellence Program for Environmental Laboratories f I All CAS laboratories have received the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) Seal of Excellence. The ACIL Seal of Excellence Program was developed in 1996 to address the environmental testing industry's need to improve its focus on quality issues and recognize the laboratories with exemplary quality performance. The program serves as a "Better Business Bureau" for I environmental laboratories and provides an independent verification of their i quality. It complements programs such as the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC), ISO, A2LA and provides information that is not available from other sources. The program is open to all laboratories. Participating laboratories submit an application and a brief Statement of Qualifications for the program administrator. Upon meeting all program I requirements, a laboratory is registered as a participating laboratory by the program administrator. The program requirements include: The laboratory must agree to abide by the ACIL Code of Ethics. The laboratory must agree to abide by the Program's Data Integrity j Statement. The laboratory must submit its most recent twelve months of proficiency testing results. Page 11 of 29 i i