General Questions

• Q - When is the effective date of the rule?
  A - The Effective date of the Quality Assurance Rule was June 8, 2004.

• Q - What does the “Effective Date” mean?
  A - This means that the amended rule requirements are now “official”.  This also means that you must begin using the two amended Department Standard Operating Procedures documents:  Standard Operating Procedures for Field Activities and the Standard Operating Procedures for Laboratory Activities (revision date February 1, 2004).

• Q - What is different about the rule?
  A – There are very few changes in the rule:
  1.         The references to the Field and Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure documents were updated to the February 2004 revision;
  2.         The certification requirements were updated to be consistent with the Fields of Testing as identified by the Department of Health’s Environmental Laboratory Certification Program; and
  3.         The list of potentially requested information related to data that are received by the Department was expanded
  All entities conducting field activities must follow the Department of Environmental Protection Standard Operating Procedures for Field Activities (DEP-SOP-001/01) dated February 1, 2004.

• Q - Who is affected by the rule?
  A - All organizations that produce data for submission to DEP, from field investigations (including sample collection) or laboratory sample analyses.

• Q - Are there exemptions to the new Rule requirements?
  A - Yes – all activities dealing with the DEP air programs are exempt from these rule requirements.  In addition, if you are operating under a Department permit, consent order, direct contract or other written agreement with DEP (such as a quality assurance project plan), you must follow the specifications and requirements in those documents.

• Q - I have a permit (consent order, direct contract, QAPP) that requires the use of a CompQAP or refers to the 1992 Standard Operating Procedures, and I would like to use the updated SOPs.  What do I need to do?
  A - You need to obtain written permission from the appropriate DEP program (permit writer, contract manager, etc.) to deviate from the specific Department Documents.

• Q – What changes were made in the SOPs?
  A – You can download a summary of the revisions.