Services - Liberty Analytical's Role in The USEPA Contract Lab Program (CLP)

CompuChem was awarded one of the first contracts issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) in 1981. For over 25 years, CompuChem's analytical ability in CLP routine analytical services (RAS) has allowed the laboratory to handle multiple organic and inorganic sample analysis bid lots for the U.S. EPA and to offer CLP-style services to other government and commercial clients.

CompuChem has had active contracts in place on a continuous and uninterrupted basis with the EPA since 1981, and, arguably, has analyzed more samples for the Contract Laboratory Program than any other laboratory in the country. CompuChem has become equally proficient in providing CLP-like data packages to commercial clients that request SW-846 packages in comprehensive deliverable formats.

The company has often been cited as having been a pioneering leader in the development of methods, which have become analytical standards for the Contract Laboratory Program. It has been generally acknowledged by EPA personnel that CompuChem has provided more support to the growth and maturation of the program than any other laboratory affiliated with the CLP.

Currently, CompuChem has one (1) low/medium concentration organics contract (OLM04.3), one (1) low concentration organics contract (OLC03.2), one (1) ICP AES Inorganics contract (OLM05.3), and one (1) ICP MS Inorganics contract. The company was also awarded the new SOM01.1 contract in April 2005, which will require the new Staged Electronic Data Deliverable (SEDD) diskette. All of the contracts have multiple turnaround requirements, e.g., 21, 14, 7 days for hard copy and some 72 hour and 48 hour requirements for preliminary data.

For verification of Liberty Analytical’s involvement in the CLP, please visit the Agency’s website and download the listing of active lab participants.

USEPA Contract Laboratory Program (CLP)

For more than 25 years, our analytical expertise in CLP routine analytical services (RAS) has allowed CompuChem to handle multiple organic and inorganic sample analysis bid lots for the U.S. EPA and to offer CLP-style services to other government and commercial clients.

CompuChem has chosen to be an active participant in the EPA CLP because the program involves the leading edge in environmental analytical testing methodologies. While the CLP supports CERCLA activities, the methods used in the program are state-of-the-art. The quality oversight program associated with the CLP enhances all analytical testing used by CompuChem. Quarterly blind performance evaluation (PE) samples (for both the organic and inorganic programs) substantiate analytical performance. For organic analyses, the Contract Laboratory Program is the only one having a GC/MS tape-auditing program that confirms compliance. Also, on a yearly basis, participating laboratories are subjected to an on-site audit, conducted by technical and evidentiary personnel to verify those technical and quality systems are in place. Finally, the CLP has a contract compliance-screening (CCS) component, which assesses the hardcopy and electronic deliverables, to ensure technical and deliverable requirements have been met. Each sample reported to the EPA undergoes strict Contract Compliance Screening assessment.