Laboratory Data Quality Assessment and Data Usability Evaluation for Environmental Investigation and Remediation Projects
Date and Time: May 8, 2025, 9 AM - 4 PM
Location: Live Zoom Webinar
Speakers:
- CT DEEP staff: Veronica “Roni” Tanguay and Kevin Vanderveer
- Rebecca Merz, Phoenix Environmental Laboratories, Inc.
- Jeffrey Smith, Complete Environmental Testing (CET)
- Christina Venable, LEP, Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc.
- Tina Clemmey, EnSafe Inc.
Continuing Education Credits:
This course was previously offered by EPOC on 5/9/17 and 6/22/18. The course can be repeated for LEP credits for those who took it on those dates as two renewal periods have passed. The training materials will cover the same as those covered in the 2018 course (CTLEP-436) with some updates to the slides and the Case Study references to accurately reflect current regulations. The CT State Board of Examiners of Environmental Professionals (LEP Board) has approved this course/webinar for 6 hours of continuing education credits (CTLEP-436 W).
Fees:
- EPOC Members: $150
- Non-members: $300 (consider joining EPOC at this time to receive the member rate for this program)
- Gov't Employee/Students: $75
Course Description:
This workshop was developed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) QA/QC Work Group.
The Remediation Standard Regulations, sections 22a-133-1 to 22a-133k-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RSRs) Appendices A through F include numeric criteria used to determine if a potential risk to human health or the environment may exist. The results of analyses performed on environmental media are used to determine if remediation is needed. Because of the nature of environmental media, limitations of analytical methods, characteristics of analytes, and human error, the results of environmental analysis may contain an element of uncertainty and, in some cases, may be significantly biased, and therefore, may not be representative of the actual concentrations of the analytes in the environmental media. Thus, an evaluation of the quality of the analytical data in relation to its intended use is important for the environmental professional to make decisions which are supported by data of known and sufficient quality. The first step consists of an assessment of data quality. The second step is an evaluation to determine whether the data can be used to support the decisions that will be made using that data.
This workshop will explore intermediate to advanced Data Quality Assessment and Date Usability Evaluation (DQA/DUE) concepts. The DQA/DUE is a two-step process for evaluating the quality of analytical data to determine whether the data are of sufficient quality for the intended purpose. The first step in the process is the Data Quality Assessment (DQA), which consists of the identification and summary of QC non-conformances. The second step is a Data Usability Evaluation (DUE) to determine whether the data can be used to support the decisions that will be made using that data. Included in the workshop are case studies and a panel discussion to provide practical knowledge from environmental professionals on the various QA/QC issues encountered during projects. The case studies provide examples of how the DQA/DUE processes works for a laboratory data set when dealing with different conceptual site models. In order to gain maximum benefit from this workshop, the attendee is strongly encouraged to review, prior to attending, the:
- “State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Laboratory Quality Assurance and Quality Control, Data Quality Assessment and Data Usability Evaluation Guidance Document”, (DQA/DUE Guidance) dated April 2024;
- “State of Connecticut, Environmental Protection Laboratory Quality Assurance and Quality Control Guidance, Reasonable Confidence Protocols, Guidance Document,” (RCP Guidance) dated March 2024; and
- Importance of Communication Between the Environmental Professional and the Laboratory During the DUE/DQA Process”, draft dated January 2017.
The three guidance documents are available at the DEEP website at Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Class materials will be provided to registered attendees prior to the course date.
Course Agenda:
Morning – 9am-12:15pm
- Introductions and Overview of Training
- Introduction of QA/QC Concepts
Quiz Break – QA Basics
- Overview of Environmental Analysis: Understanding Analytical Data and Basic Data Quality Indicators
Quiz Break – Environmental Analysis & PARCCS
- Data Quality Assessment and Data Usability
Quiz Break – DQA/DUE
12:15 – 1:00 PM: Lunch Break
Afternoon -1pm-4pm
- Documenting the DQA/DUE Process
- Interactive Case Studies
- DEEP/LEP Panel Discussion
- Training Wrap Up and Questions
Speaker Biographies:
Veronica “Roni” Tanguay is an Environmental Analyst 2 in the East District of the Remediation Division at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). As an Environmental Analyst, Roni manages a variety of projects ranging from private well impacts to Brownfields, RCRA sites, Property Transfer cases, and Significant Environmental Hazards. Roni began leading the DEEP QA/QC Workgroup following Peter Hill’s retirement from DEEP in 2021. Prior to joining DEEP, Roni worked in the environmental analytical chemistry field. She worked as an extraction chemist in a private environmental laboratory, then as a graduate student and research technician specializing in trace mercury analysis at the University of Connecticut Department of Marine Sciences (UCONN), and then finally as a Chemist 2 at the Department of Public Health’s environmental laboratory. Roni received a B.S. in Chemistry with an environmental chemistry focus from Roger Williams University and an M.S. in Oceanography with a chemical oceanography focus from UCONN Avery Point.
Kevin Vanderveer is an Environmental Analyst with the Remediation Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). His experience includes 2 years in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Quality Assessment Program, 24 years in environmental consulting, and 4 years in DEEP’s Remediation Division where he currently oversees sites in remediation program in the Northwest District and is a member of the verification/audit team and QA/QC work group. He holds a B.S. in Geology from the University of Maryland and is a Licensed Environmental Professional.
Rebecca Merz is New England Sales Manager for Phoenix Environmental Laboratories, Inc. Rebecca has over 20 years of environmental analytical experience; she brings a wide range of regulatory knowledge and expertise to clients’ unique testing challenges. Rebecca is a current executive board member of SWEP-CT, as well as a member of several industry associations. Rebecca is very active with many regulatory workgroups and has provided technical presentations and training programs in laboratory quality assurance/quality control and data quality usability. Rebecca holds degrees in Environmental Science (B.S), and Business Administration (MBA).
Jeffrey Smith serves as Director of Operations at Complete Environmental Testing, where he works to facilitate a wide range of analytical and project specific needs. With almost 20 years environmental laboratory experience, he has led several different departments including volatiles, semi volatiles, organics and PFAS. The past few years, his focus as director has been building the PFAS department at CET from the ground up, while ensuring the laboratory remains up to date on the latest methods and technologies available. Jeff is very active with a number of regulatory work groups and industry associations and has recently given several technical presentations regarding PFAS analysis in the laboratory.
Christina Venable is a Licensed Environmental Professional with 19 years of experience in site characterization and remediation consulting. She also has several years’ experience working in an environmental laboratory. She is currently a Technical Associate at Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc. where her responsibilities include technical and quality reviews and guidance, staff development, training and mentorship, data management and evaluation, site characterization, and management of investigation and remediation projects.
Tina Clemmey is a senior environmental chemist at EnSafe Inc., with over 25 years of experience in environmental consulting. She serves as a project chemist for multiple U.S. Department of Defense and industrial/commercial projects, providing project chemistry support, preparing Uniform Federal Policy Quality Assurance Project Plans, and managing environmental data workflows using EQuIS software. Tina specializes in data validation for environmental projects across the United States, supporting industrial and commercial clients as well as U.S. Navy CLEAN projects. Leveraging her expertise in environmental and analytical chemistry methodologies, she conducts data validation in accordance with USEPA Functional Guidelines, as well as EPA region-specific, state-specific, and Department of Defense (DoD)–U.S. Navy guidelines. She studied chemistry at the University of Rhode Island and earned her B.S. in biochemistry from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.
