Impact/Purpose:

To provide information and an example, at the 2007 National Environmental Monitoring Conference, of the application of the performance-based measurement approach for a major (over $ 1 million) research/monitoring study. (Presenters: Charles G. Appleby, Mike A. Wasko, Michael H. Birch, and Peter I. Kalla, R4-Science and Ecosystem Support Division.)

Description:

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) occasionally performs environmental monitoring/assessment studies such as the Everglades Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP). In-situ data were documented in the field, and eight analytical labs were contracted to perform sixty unique analyses for nutrients, anions, mercury, and physical parameters on samples of seven different matrices collected at over 250 Everglades sampling stations. Data quality in any survey study, but especially in one this size, must be part of project planning and execution from start to finish. The development and implementation of the quality system for Everglades R-EMAP Phase III through the performance approach are presented. One goal of this study was to produce data of known and documented quality that met pre-defined project goals and data quality objectives. For this $1.6 million project, the investment in quality assurance exceeded $100,000. Out of approximately 25,000 data points generated for this study, less than 0.01% were rejected as unusable.

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