Title: Section 55-2.10 - Technical director: qualifications and responsibilities

55-2.10 Technical director: qualifications and responsibilities.

(a) (1) Each environmental laboratory shall appoint one or more technical directors, who shall be full-time members of the laboratory's staff, and who shall exercise actual day-to-day supervision of laboratory operations, including the reporting of results. The designation of a lead technical director shall be documented; and

(2) each technical director shall have the requisite credentials and experience for an area of analysis, such as microbiology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and radiochemical analysis, and shall supervise only the areas of environmental analysis for which he or she meets the qualifications required by this section.

(b) A technical director's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, development and implementation of a quality system as defined in section 55-2.1 of this Subpart, including: monitoring standards of performance in quality control and quality assurance; monitoring the validity of analyses performed and data generated to ensure reliable data; ensuring that sufficient numbers of qualified personnel are employed to supervise and perform the work of the laboratory; and providing educational direction to laboratory staff.

(c) An individual meeting the requirements of this section may not be the technical director of more than one approved laboratory without authorization from the department. Circumstances to be considered in the department's decision to grant such authorization may include, but not be limited to, the extent to which the operating hours of the laboratories to be directed overlap, adequacy of supervision in each laboratory, and availability of environmental laboratory services in the area served.

(d) A technical director who is absent for a period of time exceeding fifteen (15) consecutive calendar days shall designate another full-time staff member meeting the qualifications of this Subpart to assume the responsibilities of technical director temporarily. Whenever the term of such temporary direction exceeds sixty-five (65) consecutive calendar days, the department shall be notified in writing.

(e) A technical director of an approved laboratory engaged in chemical analysis shall be:

(1) a person with an earned doctoral degree in the chemical, environmental, physical or biological sciences, or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester credit hours in chemistry, and at least one year of experience in environmental analysis of representative inorganic and organic analytes for which the laboratory is approved or seeking approval;

(2) a person with a master's degree in the chemical, environmental, physical or biological sciences, or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester credit hours in chemistry and at least one year of experience in environmental analysis of representative inorganic and organic analytes for which the laboratory is approved or seeking approval; or

(3) a person with a bachelor's degree in the chemical, environmental, physical or biological sciences, or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester credit hours in chemistry and at least two (2) years of experience in environmental analysis of representative inorganic and organic analytes for which the laboratory is approved or seeking approval.

(f) A technical director of a laboratory holding or seeking approval for the contract laboratory protocol tier, in addition to meeting the requirements of subdivision (e) of this section, shall have at least three (3) years of experience, at least one year of which shall be in a supervisory capacity.

(g) A technical director of an approved laboratory engaged in, but limited to, inorganic chemical analysis, other than contract laboratory protocol or metals analysis, shall be a person with at least an associate's degree in the chemical, physical or environmental sciences, or two (2) years of equivalent and successful college education, with at least sixteen (16) college semester credit hours in chemistry. In addition, such a person shall have at least two (2) years of experience performing such analysis.

(h) A technical director of an approved laboratory engaged in microbiological and/or biological testing shall be:

(1) a person with an earned doctoral degree or master's degree in the chemical, environmental, physical or biological sciences, or engineering, with at least sixteen (16) college semester credit hours in the biological sciences, including, for microbiological testing, at least once course having microbiology as a major component, and at least one year of experience in environmental analysis of representative analytes for which the laboratory is approved or seeking approval;

(2) a person with a bachelor's degree in the chemical, environmental, physical or biological sciences, or engineering, with at least sixteen (16) college semester credit hours in the biological sciences, including, for microbiological testing, at least one course having microbiology as a major component, and at least two (2) years of experience in environmental analysis of representative analytes for which the laboratory is approved or seeking approval; or

(3) notwithstanding the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (h) above, a person with an earned doctoral, master's, bachelor's, or associate's degree in an appropriate field of the sciences or applied sciences, with at least four (4) college semester hours in general microbiology or a biological science course with a major microbiological component, and one year of experience in environmental analysis of representative analytes, may be a technical director of an approved laboratory, provided the laboratory is engaged in microbiological analysis limited to fecal coliform, total coliform and standard plate counts. Two (2) years of equivalent and successful college education, including the microbiology requirement, may be substituted for an associate's degree.

(i) A technical director of an approved laboratory engaged in radiochemical analysis shall be:

(1) a person with an earned doctoral degree in chemistry, physics or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester hours in chemistry, and at least one year of experience in radiochemical analysis of environmental samples;

(2) a person with a master's degree in chemistry, physics or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester hours in chemistry, and at least one year of experience in radiochemical analysis of environmental samples; or

(3) a person with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester credit hours in chemistry, and at least two (2) years of experience in radiochemical analysis of environmental samples.

(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a full-time employee of a drinking water or sewage treatment facility who holds a valid treatment plant operator's certificate appropriate to the nature and size of such facility shall be deemed to meet the educational and experience requirements for serving as the technical director of the approved laboratory devoted exclusively to analysis of environmental samples taken within such a facility. Such approval for a water treatment facility shall be limited to determination of total dissolved solids, pH, temperature, alkalinity, acidity, total coliform organisms and standard plate counts. Such approval for a sewage treatment facility shall be limited to determination of biochemical oxygen demand, total solids, suspended solids, pH, temperature, alkalinity, acidity and fecal coliform organisms. However, such approval for a sewage treatment facility shall be extended to include determination of ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate or total phosphorus, provided such full-time employee has successfully completed a specialized course of study in the analysis of these substances, generally recognized by leading authorities in the field.

(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a full-time employee of an industrial waste treatment facility with at least one year of experience in environmental analysis, under supervision, shall be deemed to meet the requirements for serving as the technical director of an approved laboratory devoted exclusively to analysis of environmental samples taken within such a facility for determination of biochemical oxygen demand, total solids, suspended solids, pH, temperature, alkalinity, acidity and fecal coliform organisms.

(l) A technical director of an approved laboratory engaged in microscopic examination of asbestos and/or airborne fibers shall meet the following requirements:

(1) For procedures requiring use of a transmission electron microscope, a bachelor's degree, successful completion of specialized courses in use of the instrument, and one year of experience, under supervision, in use of the instrument. Such experience shall include identification of minerals.

(2) For procedures requiring use of a polarized light microscope, an associate's degree or two (2) years of equivalent and successful college study, successful completion of formal coursework in polarized light microscopy, and one year of experience, under supervision, in use of the instrument. Such experience shall include identification of minerals.

(3) For procedures requiring use of a phase contrast microscope, as in determination of airborne fibers, an associate's degree or two (2) years of equivalent and successful college study, documentation of successful completion of formal coursework in phase contrast microscopy, and one year of experience, under supervision, in use of the instrument.

(m) A technical director of an approved laboratory engaged in determination of radon in air shall meet the following requirements:

(1) An associate's degree in the physical sciences, or two (2) years of equivalent and successful college education, and one year of experience in radiochemical measurements, including at least six (6) months of experience in measurement of radon and/or radon progeny.

(2) For radon determinations using a direct continuous monitoring device, as in on-site measurement of residential radon levels, at least a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma, and certification of successful completion of a training course in operation of the instrument, as well as six (6) months of experience, under supervision, in use of the instrument.

(n) A person who meets the experience requirements but not the educational and/or credential requirements of this Subpart, and is functioning in a technical director's capacity on the date the laboratory becomes subject to these regulations, shall qualify as technical director of that laboratory, or any other laboratory approved by the department and performing similar analyses, provided such person can demonstrate the ability to comply with the proficiency testing and quality system requirements of this Subpart.