Water quality labs in Palau and Yap receive certification
thanks to ASEPA staff
American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency staff members Edna Buchan and LT Elena Vaouli of the US Public Health Service recently certified the water quality laboratories of the Palau Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB) and the Yap State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Furthermore, analysts from both labs were also certified.
The FAS lab certification program was designed and developed over a one year period by ASEPA water program manager Buchan and LT Vaouli, who serves as deputy water program manager and an officer of the US Public Health Service.
“To take this program from concept to implementation in a single year was a lot of work,” Buchan said. “Admittedly, we are proud of our accomplishments.”
An excited ASEPA director Fanuatele Dr. Toafa Vaiaga’e added, “We are proud to have provided the lead in the development and implementation of this important program to help our sister islands, and ASEPA will continue to provide this service to the FAS islands whenever the need may arise.”
The US Freely Associated States (FAS) Laboratory Certification Program was first proposed during the June 2006 Pacific Islands Environmental Directors and Managers meeting held in Kona, Hawaii. At the meeting, the Directors of the FAS water quality programs, including the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap), the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, expressed a need to improve operational standards for their labs.
It was Fanuatele who accepted the request from these pacific islands who requested ASEPA’s technical assistance in helping out with certifying their laboratories.
The ASEPA director supports the partnership program wholeheartedly because certification of laboratory facilities and personnel (as analysts) are necessary in ensuring that a laboratory produces scientifically valid and legally defensible data, which further ensures that the data presented to the public is reliable.
Fanuatele said that since ASEPA is way ahead, due to their participation in the lab certification program conducted by the federal government (USEPA), “it is an honor for me to lend a helping hand to our sister islands through this valuable partnership program.”
The labs in Palau and Yap are the first ones in the FAS to be certified under the new program. According to LT Vaouli, Palau and Yap have excellent laboratories and a well qualified staff.
“We hope other labs in the FAS will follow their example,” Vaouli said, adding that she wants people to be assured that ASEPA is not neglecting work at home, as staff members reach out across the Pacific to help other islands.
The ASEPA lab and analysts passed their USEPA certification review in September 2007. Certification audits for the Marshall Islands and the other FSM states are planned for 2008.
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