munity. Christenson cited the long-delayed U.S. lab reauthorization of Superfund legislation, accreditation which could pass this year; IAETL has joined the Superfund Action Alliance to advances push for passage. Also, reauthorization of First details of a program that could simthe Clean Water Act is on the docket. plify accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories in the Uniied States were The Analytical Instrument Association (AIA) continues its efforts to revamp EPA's unveiled at a January meeting at NIST. The National Council for Laboratory Acanalytical methodologies. Last year, ,he creditation (NACLA) was proposed as a group introduced a bill mandating that EPA GOVERNMENT legally chartered group of private and move to performance-based measurement public interests that would establish prosystems (H.R 3906). However, the biil's Analytical cedures and criteria for accreditation, as sponsor, Representative Bill Baker of Calichemistry and the well as rules for reciprocal recognition of fornia, was defeated in the 1996 electton. accreditation among different groups. OrAccording to Michael Duff, executive legislative agenda ganizers repeatedly cited the goal of a director of AIA the bill is on the back Analytical chemistry in the 105th U.S. burnerrightnow, but discussions with EPA single accreditation in a field of testing Congress? In fact, a handful of bills and with worldwide acceptance. continue about curlegislative efforts in this year's session will rent efforts within have an analytical chemistry connection. Laboratory accreditation in the United the agency to States is currently handled by a confusing Environmental testing laboratories streamline analytimix of private and public groups; more have placed their political weight behind a cal methods. Duff than 150 accrediting bodies exist. Accordbill that would require the federal governworries that without ing to Belinda Collins, head of NISTs Ofment to procure goods and services from fice of Standards Services, accreditation private sources. Labeled the Freedom from the from Government Competition Act, the top of the Agency or costs for a single laboratory can reach bill was introduced into the last Congress from Congress cur- around $50,000 annually, involve multiple (S.R. 1724 and H.R. 28) and enjoyed wide- Michael Duff rent efforts mav run groups or agencies, and require a significant duplication of effort. Worse yet, the spread support. out of steam. whole system is often not accepted by AIA hopes also to take advantage of a According to Linda Christenson, executive director of the International Associa- recent information technology agreement foreign trading partners, affecting the competitiveness of U.S. firms in the interamong major international trading parttion of Environmental Testing Laboratonational marketplace. In fact, efforts to ners that requires tariffs on many prodries (IAETL), the privatization bill will be streamline accreditation in Europe and re-introduced this year. IAETL is working ucts—including analytical instruments much further along than in the —to be eliminated by the year 2000. The with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to pass the bill through Congress. "With this timetable ffo removing the tariffs ii beeng United States "It's easy for others to throw stones at us " she said Republican Congress, passage is 65% cer- negotiated. AIA is lobbying the special trade representative in the White House tain," she says. The NACLA proposal was drafted by for immediate removal of the instrument the Laboratory Accreditation Working The privatization bill tackles various Group, a volunteer organization that has issues, but for environmental labs the key is tariffs. "Tariffs on analytical instruments been active since 1994 on this issue (Anall the competition between commercial laboare already low the 3-5% range," says Chem. 1995,67,706 A)) Many of fhe speratories and national, state, and some uniDuff who argues that they ineffective cifics still need to be spelled out, but the versity laboratories for the testing of envitrade barrier. He adds that European current proposal recommends a board of ronmental samples. Commercial labs cominstrument companies are pushing for directors as the policy-making and govplain that the competition is unfair because immediate removal as well body, an operations committee for erning these other laboratories have at least part of The pharmaceutical and biotechnology their overhead subsidized by government industries will be watching for the reautho- granting recognition to accreditors, and committees for various stakeholder funds. For everyone, say analysts, it has rization of the Prescription Drug User Fee groups such as industry, laboratories, and become a jobs-versus-jobs issue. Commer- Act, which was originally passed in 1992 accreditors. Membership in NACLA cial laboratories are struggling to survive in and will expire in October. According to would be open to "all interested parties". a competitive market, whereas federally or Alan Goldhammer, Director of Technical state supported laboratories are trying to Affairs at the Biotechnology Industry Orga- Organizers said that the council would not maintain facilities and personnel in the face nization, the group is discussing with mem- replace existing accreditation bodies or agencies but rather remove the duplicaof shrinking government funding. bers of Congress reforms it would like to see incorporated in the reauthorization leg- tion and confusion in the current system IAETL is also re-drafting a bill introby issuing criteria and procedures for and islation. As for the perennial question of duced into the last Congress that specifirecognition of accreditation Meeting parFDA reform Goldhammer does not know cally targeted environmental testing. Last ticipants also urged that the NACLA stanwhether legislation similar to that introyear's legislation, H.R. 2154, would have dards mesh with international guidelines duced last year will be reintroduced in the required that most federally mandated a kev factor in having IJ S laboratory data current session. However he does say that environmental testing go to "nongovernany legislative reform efforts will have to be accented in the world marketnlace NIST ment" laboratories. is exnerted tn plav a leadershin role in a "consensus package with FDA" Several other bills are being carefully watched by the environmental testing comAlan Newman and Celia Henry rd' atinp the arcreditati r f r m s Analytical Chemistry News & Features, March 1, 1997 161 A
