Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) Certification

The New York State Department of Health (DOH) requires commercial, noncommercial and government labs to get an Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) Certification. This is needed to test environmental samples from New York State.

Labs need ELAP Certification if they test:

• Air
• Stack emissions
• Drinking water
• Non-drinking water
• Waste water
• Surface water
• Ground water
• Recreational waters
• Swimming pools
• Leachate
• Land runoff
• Solid waste
• Hazardous waste
• Medical marijuana
• Soil, sediments and vegetation
• Any substance that could contribute to the pollution of, or be contaminated by, material contained in such samples

Certification categories

An environmental lab can request certification in these areas:

• Radon
• Radiochemistry
• Asbestos and fibers
• Lead from non-human bodies
• Toxic characteristic leaching procedures (TCLP)
• Contract laboratory protocol (CLP)

Exclusions

Labs do not include non-lab chemical testing for home water softeners or home swimming pools.

Requirements for certification

To be certified, an environmental lab must:

• Be led by a qualified person, with the right education and experience
• Do satisfactorily in at least two proficiency tests each year and in an on-site check every two years

A certificate shows that a lab can test samples of drinking water, non-drinking water, solid and hazardous waste, air, and emissions. It also shows that the lab can perform the Contract Laboratory Protocol (CLP).