August 6, 2020, Frederick, MD – On August 4th 2020 A2LA was granted approval to perform assessments on behalf of The New Hampshire Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NH ELAP), which provides accreditation for environmental laboratories, both in New Hampshire and out-of-state. NH ELAP accreditation ensures that the results of covered tests, analyses, and measurements are sufficiently accurate, precise and consistent. This is the eighth state environmental accreditation program for which A2LA is now authorized to provide assessments.
The New Hampshire ELAP accredits environmental laboratories to the TNI Standard, which is a nationally recognized standard for environmental laboratories. A2LA was recognized in January 2017 as a non-governmental accreditation body (NGAB) by The NELAC Institute (TNI), confirming their ability to accredit environmental laboratories to the TNI Standard requirements. In most states, including New Hampshire, accreditation is a government function, but states may choose to allow qualified third-party assessor organizations (TPAOs) to perform the assessments required to accredit the laboratories. Accreditation by the state is granted based on the results of a professional assessment of their facilities and processes, ensuring that they meet the requirements of the TNI Standard and any additional requirements specified by the state. “A2LA is proud to have been recognized by the state of New Hampshire as an official TPAO,” said Chris Gunning, General Manager of Accreditation Services at A2LA. “We are committed to supporting the state government and helping to ensure reliable and consistent environmental testing data from laboratories.”
A2LA offers accreditation for a variety of Potable Water (drinking water), Non-Potable Water, (wastewater and whole effluent toxicity testing), Non-Potable Water SW-846, Solid and Chemical Materials SW-846, Air and Tissue methods. Our experience in assessing environmental laboratories to the TNI standard and state specific requirements has led to states now relying on A2LA’s expertise to assess laboratories for compliance to their programs. For more information about the NH ELAP and its parameters for accreditation, visit www.des.nh.gov. For more information about A2LA accreditation visit A2LA.org (A2LA.org), and for specific information about A2LA’s individual state environmental assessment programs, visit this web page.