The Analytical Services Program (ASP) assures DOE manager, workers and the public that the data results acquired from analytical environmental laboratories are valid, reliable, defensible, and that treatment and disposal of DOE low-level radioactive and mixed waste is accomplished in accordance with all applicable regulations and in a manner protective of human health and the environment. The ASP is a Departmental corporate program servicing all DOE program line organizations and field element sites, including the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The ASP has three component elements: (1) the Department of Energy's Consolidated Audit Program (DOECAP); (2) the Mixed Analyte Performance Evaluation Program (MAPEP); and, (3) The Visual Sample Plan (VSP) that provides the Department with software toolkits to support field environmental sampling and enhance environmental decision-making, and accompany field training of these software packages.
The ASP Program Description is a report which provides a general overview of the auditing, proficiency testing and field sampling planning activities in support of mission-critical DOE operations such as on-going environmental monitoring, environmental remediation, and long-term legacy management and surveillance of past field sites. The ASP 2015 Program Report is a review of specific accomplishments and challenges over the past year associated with the three Program component. Both reports present the Program’s effectiveness and cost efficiencies for the Department and American taxpayers, while reducing management risks and liabilities through facility performance improvements by producing sound environmental data used in DOE field decision-making, and the disposition of radiological and non-radiological wastes generated by DOE field sites in a regulatory compliant manner.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S CONSOLIDATED AUDIT PROGRAM
DOECAP conducts annual qualification audits of analytical environmental laboratories and commercial waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. These laboratories and waste facilities have entered into contractual agreements with multiple DOE field elements sites in providing environmental data and waste disposition services. The consolidated audits provide cost efficiencies by eliminating auditing redundancies and overall reductions in management risk and liability; thus, improving the performance levels of laboratories and waste vendor facilities.
One of the major tools for sharing program information is the password protected DOECAP Electronic Data System (EDS). Access for non-DOECAP participants and audited facilities is limited to key program correspondence and documents, contractual information, audit schedules, and program contact information.
MIXED ANALYTE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROGRAM
MAPEP is a quality assurance performance-based program for participating laboratories serving Departmental interests and missions by measuring analytical laboratory data capability and data accuracy. This semi-annual proficiency testing program includes measurement evaluations for radiological, stable inorganics and organic constituents (i.e. mixed analytes) in the same single-blind sample.
MAPEP is managed by the Radiological Environmental Sciences Laboratory. For more information on MAPEP, go to: http://www.inl.gov/resl/mapep/.
VISUAL SAMPLE PLAN
VSP is a multi-agency sponsored sampling design and statistical assessment toolkit. An interactive, user-friendly, software tool, VSP is used to determine the number and location of samples to ensure confident and statistically defensible decisions, as well as perform statistical and data quality assessment in support of the decision making process.
VSP assists with identifying the nature and extent of environmental contamination resulting in overall cleanup cost savings for DOE. VSP supports the development and regulatory acceptance of cost-effective and defensible sampling and statistical analysis approaches.
VSP is managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, adjacent to the Hanford Reservation. For more information on VSP go to PNNL’s Visual Sample Plan website at http://vsp.pnnl.gov/.