Maine Laboratory Certification
Program
June 20, 2013
Jennifer Jamison
Laboratory Certification Officer
Phone: (207) 287-1929
Jennifer.jamison@maine.gov
Presentation kindly provided by:
Carlton Gardner
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Jen has a Master’s Degree in Immunology
and Molecular Biology from the University of
Southern Maine. She has been employed in
a Virology Lab.
She has provided service for commercial
and educational laboratories. In addition,
Jen has taught science in multiple outreach
programs over the past ten years.
You can contact Jen at 287-1929 or
jennifer.jamison@maine.gov.
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Rulemaking
• Hope to get approval to have the Maine Laboratory
Certification Rules go through the rule making
process in the Fall of 2013
• We would appreciate input from the labs regarding
any other changes they would like to see in the rules
• The good, the bad, and the ugly
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Rulemaking
The Good
Depending upon how the Rule is written, labs
may be permitted to use new methods and
technology without delay any time there is an
EPA update.
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Rulemaking
The Bad
If the new rule is permitted, allowing immediate
updates based on EPA changes, labs using older
methods and equipment may be impacted as
their current methods may no longer be valid.
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Rulemaking
The Ugly
• If the new Maine Rule is written to allow
immediate method updates, we will have to
update all the certificates at once…
• You can help by letting us know which methods
you plan to add to your certification in advance
to prevent a lapse in your certification…
• You may see where Jen going with this…
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Rulemaking
• Jennifer will plan to communicate with the labs
when impending changes will be occurring
• It would be advisable to evaluate and comment
on prospective EPA method updates
• Please send any ideas you have about changes
to the Maine Rules to Jennifer Jamison
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Questions or Comments
• If you have any questions about Maine's
Certification Program, Matt Sica is in the
room!! 
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STATE OF MAINE COMPREHENSIVE
AND LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL
LABORATORY CERTIFICATION RULES
“….analyze water, soil, solid or hazardous
waste, or radiological samples for the use
of programs of the Department of
Health and Human Services or the
Department of Environmental
Protection.”
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Maine DEP
• Kelly Perkins, former Lab Cert Officer, is
now at Me DEP in Remediation Waste.
• If DEP is ordering compliance testing at a
waste site, Kelly’s first statement is…. “Is
the lab certified to do these tests?”
• Jennifer is now processing numerous
requests for new lab certifications and
additional certification parameters.
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STATE OF MAINE
RULES RELATING TO
DRINKING WATER
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Analysis Reporting
1. Unless a shorter period is specified, the
results of tests, measurements, and
analyses required by Sections 7, 8 and 9
of these regulations shall be reported
by the tenth day of the month
following the month in which the
samples were analyzed.
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Analysis Reporting
2. All reports of laboratory analyses for
compliance purposes must be
submitted to the Department by the
certified laboratory contracted by the
public water system to analyze the
samples.
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Analysis Reporting..
2. Continued….
Any portion of the analysis sub-contracted
to another certified laboratory must be
reported by the primary contracted
laboratory. The primary contracted
laboratory must submit the final report to
the Department.
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Out-of-State Labs
• We will contact you when we’re ready to
move forward.
• For now, please e–mail results to:
dwplabsubmit@maine.gov
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Maine regulates 1,900 Public
Water Systems
• 400 Community
• 400 Non-transient non community
• 1100+ transients
– Most are quarterly Total Coliform Bacteria
– And annual Nitrate (Most Maine systems are
on a 9 year Nitrite schedule.)
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Maine currently has 11
commercial labs
• 2 labs analyze just bacteria
• A new lab is in the planning stages for the
mid-coast Maine area
• There are no labs north of Bangor
(Hint, Hint)
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What’s Coming…….
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Stage 2 Rule
• Locational Running Annual Averages for
TTHM and HAA5 go into effect:
– >100,000 April 2012
– 10,000-49,999 October 2013
– <10,000 October 2013
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Stage 2 D/DBP Rule
• Same MCLs (TTHM & HAA5) as Stage 1 Rule
• Must meet MCL everywhere in the distribution
system (using Locational Running Annual
Averages- LRAA)
• Monitoring required for consecutive systems
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• Revised Total Coliform Rule
was promulgated on February 13, 2013.
States must adopt by April 1st, 2016.
• Long Term Revisions to the Lead and
Copper Rule Fall? 2013.
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Questions?
Carlton Gardner
Maine Drinking Water Program
207-287-8403
carlton.gardner@maine.gov
www.medwp.com
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Issues with the Postal Service
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