Communication and Coordination
Acquiring Laboratory Support

Identifying Qualified Laboratories
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Once it has been determined that laboratory support is needed for an incident, the first step to securing that support is identifying qualified laboratories. Some resources for identifying laboratories to provide support may include: Contacting laboratories that the requester already has an established relationship with to determine if they can provide support Contacting a state or regional laboratory for support or recommended laboratories Using the Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories ("Lab Compendium"). The Lab Compendium is an on-line database of environmental laboratories available to EPA; Federal, State, and local emergency responders; laboratory personnel; and (with limited access) water utilities. | laboratory

Accessing ERLN/WLA Laboratories
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How does the ASR or EU representative secure support once they identify potential qualified ERLN or WLA-RP laboratories?

Local or State Level Incidents

If an incident is at the local or state level the EU/ASR is responsible for working directly with laboratories to secure their services. The requesting party would be responsible for paying for the laboratory's services.

Federal Incidents

If an incident is at the federal level or requires specialized analyses such as for chemical warfare agents, the requesting party (EU) can work with their EPA regional laboratory or work directly with the ERLN contact at EPA Headquarters to secure support from ERLN/WLA laboratories.
The EU or the regional laboratory will work with the EPA Headquarters ERLN project officer and contract officer to send out a request for services and a quote to the identified ERLN/WLA laboratories based on the number and type of samples.

Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA)
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If an ERLN/WLA member laboratory is asked to support an analytical need in a federal level incident, they can be reimbursed for their services by the use of a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA). A BOA is a written instrument of understanding between EPA and an ERLN/WLA member laboratory. An established BOA with EPA means that the laboratory has been vetted and has proven that it is capable of providing certain services that meet the standards of EPA's ERLN.

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The BOA contains the following:

- Terms and clauses applying to future purchase orders between the parties during its term
- Description of supplies or services to be provided
- Methods for pricing, issuing, and delivering future purchase orders under the BOA

A BOA is not a contract, but rather, a pre-arranged agreement. There is no obligation to provide services. This agreement provides a mechanism for EPA to quickly task a laboratory to provide supplies or services during national emergencies or other EPA-defined specific incidents (defined on a case-by-case basis).

Reimbursement
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If the cost of laboratory support cannot be reimbursed through a purchase order set up based on a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA), then other mechanisms for reimbursement may be used. The best time to discuss reimbursement is at the beginning of an incident. The WLA-RP does not establish mechanisms for laboratory reimbursement, but the following resources outside of the WLA-RP may be used for assistance with cost reimbursement:

Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) (state to state) Stafford Act State and tribal assistance grants (STAG) Inter-agency grants or agreements On Scene Coordinator (OSC) funding mechanisms Purchase orders Commodities workgroup agreement amongst regional lab chiefs | keypad

Avoiding Reimbursement Delays
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To avoid any delays in reimbursement, laboratories should maintain records of expenditures associated with analytical support of an event including, but not limited to: Tracking of all staff Regular or overtime work Reagents Equipment purchasing Contracting laboratories to cover routine support Courier/transport of samples Data reproduction Storage and disposal of samples and/or records | delays

Knowledge Review
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A _____ is a written instrument of understanding between EPA and an ERLN/WLA Member laboratory.

a. Contract
b. Certified Letter
c. BOA
d. None of the above

Knowledge Review
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A _____ is a written instrument of understanding between EPA and an ERLN/WLA Member laboratory.

1. Contract
2. Certified Letter
3. BOA
4. None of the above

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700 430 ffffff false ffffff Arial 13 000000 2 multiplechoice false Contract false That is incorrect. Certified Letter false That is incorrect. BOA true Yes, that is correct. None of the above false That is incorrect. Sorry. That is incorrect. The correct answer is C. A Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) is a written instrument of understanding between EPA and an ERLN/WLA Member laboratory. For federal incidents, ERLN/WLA laboratories have established BOAs with EPA and may be paid by EPA for their services.