History and Focus

In 1995, Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board (ELAB) was initially solely established to solicit consensus advice from the environmental laboratory community on the formation of the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) process and standards.  Since then, ELAB’s Charter has been expanded to now provide consensus advice, information and recommendations to:

• Forum on Environmental Measurements (FEM)
• EPA’s Science Advisor
• EPA’s Administrator

ELAB enhances the EPA’s measurement programs in areas such as:

• Validating and disseminating methods for sample collection and for biological, chemical, radiological and toxicological analysis
• Developing scientifically rigorous, statistically sound and representative measurements
• Employing the performance paradigm in environmental monitoring and regulatory programs
• Improving communications and outreach between EPA and its stakeholder communities
• Employing a quality systems approach that ensures that the data gathered and used by the Agency are of known and documented quality

ELAB facilitates the operation and expansion of a national environmental accreditation program. In this regard, ELAB will provide advice and recommendations to EPA on issues that impact the non-governmental community that are related to:

• The operation and expansion of a national environmental accreditation program characterized by an acceptance of the program by all states and suitable for accrediting environmental laboratories or entities of all sizes and types
• Steps that need to be taken in order to facilitate the further implementation of the performance paradigm in the nation’s environmental monitoring and accreditation programs

ELAB Charter

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Members

ELAB is composed of approximately 15 members who are representative of the stakeholder community. Members are selected who have relevant backgrounds and expertise and may include individuals from:

• Trade associations for the environmental laboratory industry
• Trade associations from EPA's regulated community
• Environmental public interest groups
• Academia
• Federal, local and tribal governments
• Laboratory assessment bodies

All ELAB meetings are open to the public and any interested persons may attend at any time. Below is the current membership roster for the Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board (ELAB).

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Meetings and Minutes

The schedule of Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board (ELAB) meetings and other events relevant to the work of the board are listed below. Please contact the Designated Federal Official (DFO), Thomas O'Farrell (OFarrell.Thomas@epa.gov) or (202) 564-8451, if you are interested in joining any of the board's meetings via teleconference.

Minutes

The summaries of the most current Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board (ELAB) meetings are provided below. Summaries of previous meetings can be found in the EPA Archives.

• 2019 Meetings
• 2018 Meetings
• 2017 Meetings
• 2016 Meetings
• 2015 Meetings
• 2014 Meetings

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Products and EPA Responses

• Timeline of ELAB Products and EPA Responses
  • Independent Listing of Products and Reports from ELAB
  • Independent Listing of EPA Responses to ELAB Products and Reports
  • Older Products and Reports from the Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board