Methods and Data Comparability Board Meeting Minutes
January 28-30, 2002
Sandia Laboratories
Participants:
Herb Brass, Co-Chair, EPA/OW Charlie Peters, Co-Chair, USGS/WRD Chuck Spooner, Co-Chair, National Council, EPA/OW John Klein, USGS/WRD Rock Vitale, Envir. Standards, Inc. Cliff Annis, Merck & Co., CMA Ed Santoro, DRBC Jack Kruiger, Maine Dept. Health Ed Johnson, NOAA Steve Posavec, Standard Methods, AWWA Mike Miller, WDNR Dennis McChesney, EPA Region 2 Katherine Alben, NYDH Bob Berger, EBMUD, WERF, AMSA Wayne Einfeld, Sandia Larry Keith, Instant References Dan Sullivan, USGS, WRD Marion Kelly, EPA/EAD |
Bill Telliard, EPA/OST Mary Verwolf, DOE Ron Jones, FIU Alan Cherepon, TNRCC Glenn Patterson, USGS/WRD Geoffrey Ekuchukwu, USFW LeAnne Astin, ICPRB Chris Faulkner, EPA/OW Colin Hill, Tetra Tech, Contractor Sam Stribling, Tetra Tech, Contractor Steve Moulton, USGS/NAWQA Merle Shockey, USGS NWQL Gil Dichter, Idexx Bart Simmons, CAEPA Julie _______ Jerry Diamond, Tetra Tech, Contractor Abby Markowitz, Tetra Tech, Contractor Jim Boiani, DynCorps, Contractor |
**The Board thanks Wayne Einfeld
and Sandia Labs for hosting the meeting, providing refreshments, and organizing
a very stimulating tour of Sandia’s microelectronics laboratory.**
NEMI Workgroup - Phase 2 Completion
Water Quality Data Elements
+ Oklahoma: added some more elements from WQDE; looking for data to populate database and elements
+ Mohawk River, NY: Obtaining approval from EPA on QAPP to then sample and populate database and WQDE.
+ Milwaukee MSD: In progress; analyte names vary among and within databases.
+ Delaware River Basin: No update.
+ Fisheries: DRBC (Ed Santoro), NOAA (Ed Johnson), USFWS (Geoffrey Ekuchukwu)
+ Organism tissue: NOAA (Ed Johnson)
+ Macroinvertebrates: DNR (Mike Miller), Tetra Tech (Sam Stribling), USGS (Steve Moulton), ICPBR (LeAnne Astin)
+ Plankton: ICPRB (Claire Buchannan)
+ Periphyton: USGS (Pete Ruhl)
+ Amphibians: USFWS
· Update to ACWI needed by April. Draft core elements for biota to be distributed to Workgroup by early March.
· Goal is to have draft core elements for discussion at National Conference in May.
Nutrient Workgroup
1) show Total N method is an appropriate method given DQOs
2) show comparability of Total N method with historical data based on
TKN + NO3 + NO2
3) demonstrate the usefulness of examining lab and field approaches to PBMS and comparability
4) Evaluate MQOs using a single lab
5) Address freshwater - estuary linkage with respect to nitrogen
· Phased approach:
Phase I: - Ron will determine availability of field data for TKN, NO3, NO2
- Ron, Tetra Tech will evaluate field data
- Ron will identify MQOs used previously in the project
Complete Phase 1 by July 2002
Phase II: - Tetra Tech will help design a laboratory case study (like COD
Pilot) and identify MQOs that should be used
Start Phase 2 in May and complete by Fall, 2002.
Phase III: - Interlaboratory, expanded scope study.
- Submit proposal to AWWARF May 1, 2003, building on data collected in Phase I and II.*
- Include other methods (e.g., immunoassay N methods)
- One-two year effort
*Note: Katherine advocated preparing an AWWARF proposal for Phase I, II, and III work, which would supply resources if funded. Bob Berger, however, indicated that the project is more likely to be funded if some data were already collected and presented.
Phase IV: - Evaluate laboratory and field approaches to method
comparability
- Develop guidance on how to do performance/comparability assessments
Biology Workgroup
+ Botulin toxins: Bart can get help to incorporate methods
+ Katherine will distribute her NEMI input form to participants in the New Technologies workshop, prior to the Conference to obtain more method summaries.
+ New technology characterization is a “look-see” activity for now as some of these methods have not been published or peer reviewed.
PBMS Workgroup
NEMI – Phase 3
Many thanks to Larry, Dan, James for their outstanding job getting NEMI to this point.
Accreditation Workgroup
Outreach Workgroup
Peer Review Issues
Meeting Follow-Up and Announcements
A full Board meeting will be held June 3-5, probably in Annapolis, MD. The USFW will be contacted to determine meeting space availability.
ATTACHMENT A
MDCB and NEMI Steering Committee Report
Albuquerque, New Mexico
January 28 – 30, 2002
The focus of this meeting was on the actions and decisions that need to be completed in order for NEMI to go public this spring. Numerous Action Items were identified and a rigorous schedule was established to complete them. Table 1 summarizes the time line items that must be completed, along with the responsible person(s), between February 5 and May 20, 2002. Table 2 summarizes Sponsors and their contacts for potential Beta Reviewers. Table 3 summarizes additional supporting action items required to be completed (or that were completed) along with the responsible person(s) or entity.
Table 1. NEMI Public Release Schedule
Deadline |
Responsible Person |
Action Item |
2/5/02
|
Larry @ Instant Ref. |
Albuquerque meeting notes with deadlines distributed |
2/8/02
|
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
List of press release & general release contacts
to Steering Committee |
2/8/02
|
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
Beta Review letter and instructions distributed for
approval |
2/8/02 |
Glen Patterson @ USGS |
Update of www.nemi.gov
URL approval to MDCB |
2/10/02 |
Larry @ Instant Ref. |
All Methods Sources contacted to set up QC reviews |
2/12/02 |
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
Draft “world announcement” emailed to Outreach
Committee |
2/15/02 |
James @ DynCorp |
Original information sent to all methods sources by
email |
2/15/02 |
Steering Committee |
All Beta Reviewers contacted by sponsors &
email addresses provided to NEMI chair (See Table 2). |
2/20/02 |
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
Provides draft world announcement & press
release for MDCB review |
2/22/02 |
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
Beta Reviewer letter and instructions completed
& approved |
3/1/02 |
Dan @ USGS |
Freeze NEMI target date – this could slip if
necessary to 3/13/02 |
3/1/02
|
Larry @ Instant Ref. |
Beta Reviewers contacted using email by NEMI chair |
3/15/02 |
Dan @ USGS |
Confirms approval of URL for NEMI of www.nemi.gov |
3/15/02 |
Larry @ Instant Ref. |
Letter and instructions sent by email to all Beta
Reviewers |
3/15/02 |
Methods Sources |
All QC of Internet and Original Source Materials
completed |
3/15/02 |
Outreach Committee |
Contacts for world announcement & press release
approved |
3/18/02 |
Dan @ USGS |
URL at www.nemi.gov must be established for QC |
3/20/02 |
James and Dan |
Complete all Source Materials corrections in NEMI |
3/20/02 |
Outreach Committee |
World announcement letter & press
release approved |
4/1/02 |
Beta Reviewers |
Beta reviews sent to Tetra Tech for review and
sorting |
4/1/02
|
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
EPA/USGS co-chairs given email lists for
announcements |
4/4/02 |
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
Beta review report to MDCB
– NO SHOW STOPPERS |
4/5/02
|
Dan @ USGS |
Provides schedule to address all beta reviewer issues |
4/8/02
|
Herb & Charlie |
NEMI world announcement emailed by EPA/USGS
co-chairs |
4/8/02
|
Herb & Charlie |
NEMI press release emailed by EPA/USGS co-chairs |
4/15/02
|
Abby @ Tetra Tech |
Finalizes numbers of lines available for Conference
Workshop |
5/1/02 |
Larry @ Instant Ref. |
Finalizes PowerPoint slides for Conference Workshop |
5/15/02
|
Dan @ USGS |
NEMI web site goes live |
5/20/02 |
Dan, Larry, James, & Katherine |
NEMI debut at NWQMC conference |
The two Action Items in bold are considered show stoppers.
The public announcements will NOT go out to the world if these show stoppers
are not fully addressed.
Table 2. Beta Reviewer Candidates and Sponsors
Sponsor |
Candidate / Classification |
Candidate’s E-mail |
Steering Committee |
Ed Johnson * / Fed |
|
Steering Committee |
Rock Vitale * / Lab |
|
Steering Committee |
Jack Kruger * / State |
|
Charlie Peters |
Linda Green / Univ. |
|
Charlie Peters |
Ellen McCarron / Fed. |
|
Charlie Peters |
? / International person |
|
Herb Brass |
Reenie Paris –? /Fed. |
|
Herb Brass |
? / International |
|
Herb Brass |
? / International |
|
Ed Santaro |
Monitoring Advisory /
State? |
|
Ed Santaro |
Monitoring Advisory /
State? |
|
Rock Vitale |
Skip Kingston / Univ. |
|
Rock Vitale |
Alan Hewitt / Fed |
|
Rock Vitale |
Richard Burrows / Lab |
|
Mary Verwolf |
Cliff Watkins * / Lab |
|
Mary Verwolf |
? / International person |
|
Marion Kelly |
Richard Turle / Canada |
|
Cliff Annis |
John Treffy / Univ |
|
Steve Posavec |
Lenore Clesceri / Private |
|
Dennis McChesney |
Larry Bailey * / State |
|
Dennis McChesney |
Jack Ryan * / State |
|
Dennis McChesney |
Carlton Hunt / Private
(Battelle) |
|
Dennis McChesney |
? German / International |
|
Katherine Alben |
? / Env. Engineer/Scientist |
|
Katherine Alben |
? / Env. Engineer/Scientist |
|
Bart Simmons |
Silky Labie ? / State |
|
Larry Keith |
Martha Wells / Univ. |
|
Larry Keith |
Bill Glaze / Univ. |
There are 28 potential candidates listed in Table 2. Each sponsor should contact their candidate by phone or e-mail no later than by February 15, 2002 and then send an email to Larry Keith ( larrykeith@earthlink.net ) to confirm whether or not the candidate will accept the task of being a beta reviewer. Each candidate should be told that the beta review will take about an hour and that they will be contacted by Larry Keith by March 1st to confirm that they agree to participate. Then they will be provided with an evaluation and comment form and the URL for NEMI by March 15th and this form MUST be returned by no later than April 1st in order to be reviewed and their responses collated with the other reviewers. Their instructions will provide Abby’s email address for return of their review as an attached file. Candidates with asterisks by their name have already agreed to be beta reviewers and do not need to be contacted again prior to confirmation by Larry that they will participate.
Table 3. Other Action
Items From the NEMI Steering Committee Meeting
Action Item |
Status or Comment |
Methods Disclaimer |
Done – James will e-mail disclaimer to Dan to post
in the web page |
Criteria for Methods
Submission |
Done – James will e-mail disclaimer to Dan to post
in the web page |
Prepare guidance materials
for Beta Reviewers |
Abby will complete and distribute draft by 2/8/02
and final by 2/22/02. Larry will send it by 3/15/02 as per Table 1 |
Prepare “world
announcement” and press releases plus associated e-mail contact lists |
Abby and Dennis will complete draft by 2/12/02 and
distribute final by 3/20/02. Herb and Charlie will e-mail them on 4/8/02 as
per Table 1 |
Obtain USGS approval for www.nemi.gov |
Glen to provide update of contact with USGS
officials by 2/8/02 and show stopper deadline of 3/18/02 to be confirmed by
Dan as per Table 1 |
Define relationships
between NEMI workshop and Tracks 2 & 3 at conference |
Issues to be resolved with Abby’s help during future
NEMI Steering Committee calls in April |
QA/QC of NEMI content |
Source materials and Internet report format content
will be reviewed by method sources between 2/15/02 and 3/15/02. Corrections
are expected to be minor and completed by 3/3/20/02 |
Complete regulation
additions |
James and Dan expect to complete this by the end of
February but it must be finished before NEMI is frozen March 1st. |
Prepare draft on Past
Development and Future Directions for background information on NEMI page and
to stress that the current version is only the beginning and will continue to
evolve and grow. |
Larry will prepare and circulate drafts for review
prior to March 1st. Dan will add “Version 1.0” and also “Future
Enhancements” to the NEMI page and make a link from each to this piece. |
Develop “Useful Queries”
links similar to those provided by DOE. Two lists: easy list for Phase 2
(e.g., organics, inorganics, nutrients, radiochemical, biological) and
difficult list for Phase 3 (e.g., pesticides, PAHs, PCBs, Dioxins and
Dibenzofurans, volatiles, phenols, semivolatiles, etc.). |
James has the lead for the easy lists and may have completed
some already. Steering Committee will tackle the hard lists in Phase 3. Easy
list needs to be provided to Dan so that he can incorporate it prior to
freezing NEMI on March 1st. |
Move web site home page to
another server to address instability problems. |
Dan will complete moving the home page to the
Wisconsin District Sun Solaris web server prior to the March 1st
freeze of NEMI. |
Complete misc. small fixes to NEMI (add an icon to
the search link, put list of methods in a multiple column table, replace
feedback email link, delete “-999”, fix empty DOE methods, add more
descriptive text to query options, fix forbidden access error in Search
Option 1, temporarily remove Search Option 2, delete link “Contributing
Organizations,” determine which options in “Useful Queries” page should be
deleted |
Dan will complete these prior to the March 1st
freeze of NEMI. |