PDFWAC 173-340-830
Sampling and analysis procedures.
(1) Purpose. This section specifies requirements for sampling and analysis activities conducted as part of a remedial action. These activities include sample collection, handling, preservation, transportation, holding time, preparation, laboratory analysis, method detection limits, practical quantitation limits, quality assurance, quality control, data reporting, and other technical requirements and specifications.
(2) Applicability. All sampling and analysis activities conducted as part of a remedial action must comply with the requirements in this section and, for sites where there is a release or threatened release to sediment, the requirements in chapter 173-204 WAC.
(3) Plans. All sampling and analysis must be conducted in accordance with a sampling and analysis plan prepared under WAC 173-340-820.
(4) Methods.
(a) All sampling and analysis must be conducted in accordance with an ecology-approved method or, if ecology has not approved an applicable method, a standard method or procedure such as those specified by the American Society for Testing of Materials, when available.
(i) Ecology will maintain a list of ecology-approved methods and make the list publicly available on ecology's website.
(ii) Ecology will provide notice in the Contaminated Site Register when ecology adds or removes a method from the list of ecology-approved methods.
(iii) Ecology will maintain a record of its decisions to add or remove a method from the list of ecology-approved methods.
(iv) Any person may propose another method for ecology review and approval.
(b) The methods used to collect, handle, and analyze samples must be appropriate for the site, the media being analyzed, the hazardous substances being analyzed for, and the anticipated use of the data.
(c) Ecology may require or approve modifications to a method identified under (a) of this subsection to provide lower quantitation limits, improved accuracy, greater precision, or to address the factors in (b) of this subsection.
(d) Ecology may require an analysis to be conducted by more than one method in order to provide higher data quality. For example, ecology may require that different separation and detection techniques be used to verify the presence of a hazardous substance (qualification) and determine the concentration of the hazardous substance (quantitation).
(e) If ecology has approved more than one method with a practical quantitation limit less than the cleanup level, any of those methods may be used. When selecting a method in these situations, consider confidence in the data, analytical costs, quality assurance, and analysis efficiencies.
(5) Laboratories.
(a) All hazardous substance analyses must be conducted by a laboratory accredited under chapter 173-50 WAC, unless otherwise approved by ecology.
(b) Laboratories must achieve the lowest practical quantitation limits consistent with the selected method and WAC 173-340-707.
(6) Petroleum testing. The minimum testing requirements for petroleum releases are identified in Table 830-1.
[Statutory Authority: Chapters 70A.305 and 70A.355 RCW. WSR 23-17-159 (Order 18-09), § 173-340-830, filed 8/23/23, effective 1/1/24. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.105D RCW. WSR 01-05-024 (Order 97-09A), § 173-340-830, filed 2/12/01, effective 8/15/01; WSR 91-04-019, § 173-340-830, filed 1/28/91, effective 2/28/91; WSR 90-08-086, § 173-340-830, filed 4/3/90, effective 5/4/90.]