REFMAT.TXT January 29, 1991 COPY OF MEMO FROM THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS LABORATORY, CINCINNATI, OHIO, THAT ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY AND PRIVITIZATION OF WATER AND WASTE WATER QA/QC SAMPLES DATE: November 28, 1990 SUBJECT: Availability and Distribution of EPA QA/QC Reference Materials(for Water and Wastewater) FROM: John A. Winter, Director Quality Assurance Research Division TO: Requestors of EPA QA/QC Reference Materials The Office of Research and Development (ORD) recognizes the importance and necessity of maintaining a strong QA/QC support program for EPA and other regulating agencies. Increasing demand for resources to support QA/QC services has forced ORD to explore alternative ways to fund the program. The Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) was chosen as the most viable solution to privatize the program because of our desire to produce high quality materials with EPA oversight. Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) with the private sector will be awarded and the selected firms will be responsible for producing a category of reference materials and selling them at a wholesale level to retail distributors, with the choice of setting up a separate firm to act as a retailer. EPA's oversite role will include lot-by-lot approval before CRADA products are sold. ORD was unable to fulfill requests for the chemical quality control (QC)samples received after August 21, 1990 or requests for calibration standards received after September 26, 1990. We are aware of the difficulties that this causes. EMSL will continue to provide the biological and microbiological QC sample series. Once the CRADAs are in operation, hopefully in December 1990, the prices of chemical samples will be set by individual retailers based on manufacturing costs, current market demand and competitive pricing. for laboratory users, EPA will provide information on the EPA electronic bulletin board of the retail sources of the chemical quality control samples and calibration standards. For direct contact with the bulletin board, use a modem and dial (513-569-7610); for voice assistance, contact Jose Perez at (513) 569-7272. EPA will also provide a list of names and addresses of laboratories who have requested these control samples and calibration standards, to the retailers of CRADA products. The retailers should contact the requestors and provide pertinent information as to types of samples, price, delivery time and any other technical services that the retailer may offer. It is our hope and wish that the initiation of user fees will insure the permanent availability of certified, high quality reference materials for all current and future needs of EPA, other federal agencies, the regulated communities and the private sector.