567—83.4 (455B) Procedure for initial certification for laboratories analyzing solid waste and contaminated site program parameters.
	 83.4(1) Implementation process. All laboratories seeking certification to perform solid waste or contaminated site analyses shall provide a letter of intent requesting certification from the department. The letter shall include a statement that the laboratory is capable of performing the analyses for which certification is requested and that the laboratory intends to participate in blind PE testing using the approved methods.
	  a.   	 Letter of intent. Laboratories submitting a letter of intent by April 1, 2004, will be issued a letter granting temporary certification. The temporary certification will be effective until the laboratory is certified through the on-site visit. Laboratories submitting applications after April 1, 2004, will not be issued temporary certification and must apply for certification as provided for in 83.5(455B). Temporary certification will be denied if a laboratory fails to submit a completed application with the appropriate fee for full certification within the time frame established by the department.
	  b.   	 Application. The department or its designee will schedule an on-site visit for each laboratory with temporary certification unless the on-site visit is waived by the department as provided by the reciprocity agreements pursuant to 83.4(1)“d.” The department will request a completed application from the laboratory at least 60 days prior to the on-site visit. The completed application and the correct fee must be received by the department no later than 30 days before the on-site visit. Temporary certification will be denied and the on-site visit will not take place if the application is not complete and the fee is not timely received.
	  c.   	 Performance evaluation (PE) testing. Participation in PE testing using the approved method(s) for which certification is requested must be initiated within 30 days after the laboratory submits the letter of intent. PEs consist of analyzing product-spiked samples in a particular matrix provided by the testing organization to determine if a laboratory’s analytical results are within the acceptance range. Acceptable results on the PE are required in order for the laboratory to receive final certification. Temporary certification will be denied if the laboratory fails to initiate the PE. An independent performance testing organization meeting the requirements of Chapter 4 in the “Manual for the Certification of Laboratories Analyzing Environmental Samples for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources” (2003) must be used.
	  d.   	 On-site visits. Upon application to the department by a laboratory with temporary certification, the director or designee will contact the laboratory and a date will be established for an on-site visit. The criteria given in the “Manual for the Certification of Laboratories Analyzing Environmental Samples for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources” (2003), specifically Chapter 4 regarding solid waste, will be used during the on-site visit to evaluate qualifications of laboratory equipment, procedures, records, and personnel. The on-site visit requirement may be waived for out-of-state laboratories desiring certification where EPA or the resident state has a certification program equivalent to Iowa’s, an on-site visit has been conducted within the past two years, and a copy of the on-site visit report is provided to the department.
	 83.4(2) Letter of certification. If the physical facilities and equipment of the laboratory meet the criteria set forth in the “Manual for the Certification of Laboratories Analyzing Environmental Samples for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources” (2003), and the laboratory personnel have properly demonstrated proficiency with the procedures specified in the manual, the laboratory will be issued a letter granting certification. The letter of certification will state the essential personnel, the specific parameters and analytical methods for which the laboratory is certified and may contain conditions deemed necessary by the department to ensure that the laboratory meets all requirements of this chapter.