General Information

STATE ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the State Environmental Laboratory Services Division is to effectively meet the roles and responsibilities required of the Oklahoma Principal State Laboratory. Generate analytical data of known and documented quality to protect public and environmental health in the State of Oklahoma. Serve as a technical resource for ODEQ programs and staff, state, federal and tribal agencies, municipalities, students, and Oklahoma citizens through laboratory services, education, outreach, development of consensus standards and continued advancement of the environmental laboratory sector.

 

HISTORY

The State Environmental Laboratory completed its formation at DEQ headquarters in 1993. Formerly comprised of staff from the State Health Department, City and County Health Departments and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Customer Services Division was established. This began a new era for the State of Oklahoma. In early 1990’s, the State Environmental Laboratory was named the principal laboratory for the State by the Environmental Protection Agency. The laboratory served the agency, other state entities, public water supplies and the citizens of Oklahoma. In conjunction with the Laboratory Services Advisory Council and the Environmental Quality Board, the division sought to not only provide lab services to the state, but also to construct and reform rules and regulations for laboratory services and laboratory certifications. The Customer Service Division also provided small business assistance, pollution prevention and risk assessment programs to citizens, local governments and businesses.

Since that time, much has changed. The federal rules, regulations and programs along with the state senate and house bills, rules and statutes have caused our agency and our division to evolve as well. On July 1, 2011, we revised our divisional goals and became the State Environmental Laboratory Services Division. Our focus was directed to laboratory services and laboratory accreditation. While still providing considerable technical assistance to our customers, some programs were relocated to other divisions. New programs have emerged and others have been retired to better serve our community today.

 

WHO WE ARE

The State Environmental Laboratory is comprised of Organics, Inorganics, and Laboratory Customer Assistance. Within each group are sections organized by methodology, technology, chemistry, and program support.

 

Gas Chromatography

  • Drinking water compliance
  • Emergency response and environmental complaints
  • Analysis for organic compounds including: pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, disinfection byproducts in public drinking water, petroleum hydrocarbons

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

  • Drinking water compliance
  • Hazardous waste identification
  • Emergency response and environmental complaints
  • Analysis for trihalomethanes, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds
  • Exploratory analysis
  • Research and Development
    • UCMR5 PFAS Analysis in Drinking Water

General Chemistry

  • PWS, NPDES, and private citizen well testing
  • Inorganic compound, nutrient, and mineral analysis for surface waters, ground waters, and drinking waters
  • Support surface water monitoring programs for other agencies
  • Drinking water compliance
  • Research and Development
    • Hexavalent Chromium

Elemental Analysis

  • Metals and radiochemistry analysis
  • Drinking water compliance
  • Hazardous substances and waste classification and identification
  • Surface water analysis
  • Tissue analysis for metals
  • Detect radionuclides in water, soil, and other media
  • Fully accredited by EPA for PWS radionuclide rule support
  • Method Radium 226 & 228; One of only a handful of labs in the country to perform this method
  • Radon analysis for private homeowners
  • Emergency response and incident support
  • Research and Development
    • UCMR5 Lithium Analysis

Microbiology

  • Drinking water compliance
  • Private citizen well testing
  • Emergency response testing for bacteria and pathogens
  • Analysis of HAB samples including cyanobacteria, golden algae, and legionella
  • Front line against acute waterborne health risks
  • Participate in national and regional emergency response exercises
  • TNI accredited to perform cryptosporidium and giardia analysis
  • Research and development
    • PCR Analysis

Statewide Sample and Data Management

  • Sample receipt and evaluation
  • Sample screening and preservation
  • Customer assistance and technical support
  • Customer accounts and communication
  • Payment processing
  • LIMS Administration and configuration
  • Data exports and deliverables
  • Divisional reporting
  • Emergency response sample receipt and coordination

Laboratory Customer Assistance

  • Provide technical assistance to private customers, public water supply, wastewater, other agencies, intra-agency, etc.
  • Mercury in fish program
  • Small Systems Assistance Program for small population public water supplies
  • Cyanobacteria HAB response
  • Complex fish kills response and technical assistance
  • Project planning
  • Sample scheduling and sample collection materials provisioning

 

 

CORE FUNCTIONS

The mission of the State Environmental Laboratory is to generate consistent, reliable, reproducible, and defensible laboratory data of known and documented quality to support the decisions that promote the quality of life in Oklahoma and to meet the analytical needs of our clients, communities and the citizens of Oklahoma.

 

ANALYTICAL SUPPORT

With the intention of providing timely and accurate data for the environmental decision making.

The SEL provides analytical support to DEQ, other government environmental programs, and citizens.

 

QUALITY SYSTEMS

 

LABORATORY ACCREDITATION