81029AttH5 - Technical Specifications - Reporting.doc

RFP-25-81029

Attachment H5

Technical Specifications Reporting

I. General Requirements

A. Overview

Contractors will be working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management/Office of Water Quality/Watershed Assessment and Planning Branch (IDEM/OWQ/WAPB). The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB shall submit samples to the Contractor in Groups called Analysis Sets. All IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sample identification numbers, listed on single or sequential chain-of-custody forms, will be considered an Analysis Set or Sample Group. Each Analysis Set or Sample Group is to be reported individually and not combined with other Sets or Groups.

All analyses conducted must result in both a written analytical data summary report submitted in portable document format (PDF), and an Electronic Data Deliverable (EDD) for uploading results into the IDEM/OWQ/WAPB Assessment Information Management System (AIMS) (see Attachment I– Electronic Data Reporting Standards). All analytical reports will be formatted to contain the parameter names in the order given on the sample reporting forms in References (9) and (10), per Task, analytical result obtained or detection level (lower reporting limit) if not detected, laboratory sample identification, the control number assigned by IDEM, dates of sample preparation, analysis and reporting for each parameter, copy of the chain-of-custody form, and all required Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC Measures.)

Written and electronic reporting standards represent minimum reporting requirements and are subject to change. Contractors are required to work with IDEM/OWQ to update reporting standards as future IDEM/OWQ needs dictate. IDEM/OWQ will be the sole determiner of acceptable written and electronic reporting standards.

Analytical written reports shall be transmitted to IDEM Project Manager when all Tasks have been completed for the analysis set. A complete report shall contain:

1. The transmittal letter from the laboratory (case narrative) describing the analysis set, any problems encountered during the analyses and the anticipated reporting date of any samples that must be re-analyzed.

2. Sample Data Summary Package.

3. QC Summary Package.

4. Sample Raw Data Package

5. Standards Raw Data Package.

6. Raw QC Data Package

7. A Copy of the Sample Chain-of-Custody and Sample Analysis Request forms (if applicable).

8. The Selected Contractor will also provide the analytical results and QC data in an EDI format as described in Attachment I – Electronic Data Reporting Standards of this RFP. This applies to the results of all submitted samples and their associated QC samples. It will be the responsibility of the selected Vendor to provide the analytical results according to the acceptable data format.

9. The Selected Contractor will retain a copy of all data, electronic and hard copy formats, for a period of not less than five years following the shipment of the analysis results.

B. Analytical Report Acceptance

1. Completed Report

An analytical report for a Group is considered completed when all individual reports, in a Group, contain all data for the required analytical parameters, all quality control information, a QA/QC certificate signed by the Vendor Quality Assurance Officer or equivalent representative, all errors have been corrected by the Vendor, and an acceptable EDD (see Attachment I – Electronic Data Reporting Standards). The analytical report must be accepted as completed by the responsible IDEM/OWQ/WABP Project Manager or Quality Assurance Officer.

The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB will not provide the Vendor with a written notice of acceptance of a completed report.

The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB will notify the Contractor of discrepancies discovered upon review of the analytical report. The typical review cycle will be thirty (30) to sixty (60) days.

2. Discrepancies

The Contractor will be given seven (7) business days, after notification of discrepancies, to provide all appropriate clarification and/or documentation, in writing, necessary to correct discovered discrepancies.

Contractors must notify IDEM/OWQ/WAPB in writing of any discrepancies discovered by the Contractor, whether or not the discrepancies are known to IDEM/OWQ/WAPB or the report has been accepted as completed by IDEM/OWQ/WAPB.

C. Analytical Time & Reporting Requirements

1. Standard Reporting

The standard analytical and reporting cycle for this RFP is 90 calendar days. All standard cycle samples must be analyzed, a completed analytical report and EDD submitted within 90 calendar days after receipt by the Contractor.

Verification of receipt of analytical reports and EDDs will be by use of postmark, IDEM/OWQ/WAPB stamped receipt date, certified mail receipt, or email receipt date. Additional specifications will apply for electronic reporting (see Part III, Item 2 of this attachment.)

The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB, at its sole discretion, may grant additional time for the generation of analytical reports and/or EDDs.

2. Rush Groups & Reporting

None or very few Rush Group analysis and Reporting are anticipated for this RFP. However, Contractors are requested to give pricing for the standard 90 calendar days reporting cycle and for an optional 30 calendar days reporting cycle.

3. Contractor Assisted Sampling

There will be NO Contractor assisted sampling for the purposes of this RFP.

4. Saturday & Sunday

Reporting deadlines falling on Saturday or Sunday will not be considered late if the reports are received the following Monday, unless IDEM/OWQ/WAPB identifies the need to have results reported on a Saturday or Sunday.

5. Delivery Requirements

Analytical reports may be emailed or sent via first class, certified mail, priority mail, other next day delivery service approved by IDEM/OWQ, or may be hand delivered. Written reports must be converted to pdf format Analytical reports and EDDs must be delivered directly to the IDEM OWQ/WAPB Project Manager at:

Indiana Department of Environmental Management Office of Water Quality

Watershed Assessment and Planning Branch Attention: Tim Fields 2525 N. Shadeland Ave. Bldg. 20, Suite 100 (MC 65-40-2 Shadeland)

Indianapolis, IN 46219-1787 Email: tfields@idem.in.gov

6. Confidentiality & Record Keeping

All information regarding IDEM/OWQ/WAPB analysis sets or sample groups, samples, or projects is considered confidential. Release of any information to unauthorized personnel will be allowed only with the written permission of IDEM/OWQ/WAPB.

The Contractor must maintain documentation of bench sheets for sample and QA/QC analyses, analytical standard preparation and source, recorder outputs, instrument outputs, and final reports for a minimum of five (5) years, unless enforcement Groups dictate longer times.

II. Data Reports

A. Overview

The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sample analyses must be reported as outlined in the following sections. The specific items reported will be determined by the analytical method utilized. The level of QA/QC reporting will be indicated by the Data Quality Assessment (DQA), specified in Attachment H3 – Quality Assurance/Quality Control Data Criteria), by the IDEM/OWQ/WAPB Project Manager or Attachment H6 – Tasks Lists.

B. Report Formats

Report formats are subject to IDEM/OWQ approval. Reports must be submitted to responsible IDEM/OWQ section in an electronic format such as Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF). IDEM/OWQ may also request a preliminary and/or final report in an electronic format in addition to the submission in the IDEM/OWQ EDI format. (see Attachment I).

This section applies to submitted written reports, except as noted.

Analytical and QA/QC reports should be arranged such that general information is placed in a header and sample or QA/QC results are itemized. All analytical samples and QA/QC samples must have a unique lab identification number (applies to electronic reports also).

Report header information can contain the dates received, ID numbers, analytical method, descriptions, etc. Alternatively, any item can be listed along with the itemized results.

Itemized analytical results must contain the parameter name, CAS number, result, detection limit, and units on one line per parameter.

Itemized QA/QC results must contain the parameter name, CAS number, parameter target concentration, actual measured concentration, units, percent recovery (where applicable), and relative percent difference (where applicable) on one line per parameter. The QA/QC sample type must be clearly identified in the header or on the same line as the parameter name and results. If the QA/QC type is contained in the header, then a new page must be started for each QA/QC type reported. If listed on the same line as the parameter name and results, the QA/QC type must be grouped according to lab identification number: multiple QA/QC sample types can be listed on the same page with this format.

C. Analytical Report Contents

In general, analytical reports must contain a summary of analytical results, a summary of quality control results, a case narrative (if needed), data qualifiers for Watershed Assessment and Planning Branch’s data only, a cross reference of QA/QC parameters and sample numbers, completed chain-of-custody, and a signed cover letter.

D. Analytical Reports

1. Analytical reports must contain the following information (some items are method dependent and will not be applicable to a particular analysis):

· Report Date (date report is completed).

· Documentation of IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sample set number including: OWQ/WAPB Analysis Set Number, IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sampling date, receipt date.

· Documentation of sample holding time summary, IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sample identification number, Lab sample identification number.

· IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sample number cross reference with Laboratory internal identification number(s) and laboratory QA/QC results.

· Sample analytical results, parameter name, CAS Number (Use the CAS Number assigned by IDEM if a unique CAS Number does not exist for the parameter), sample preparation/digestion/extraction dates and times (24 hr. format), sample analysis dates and time (24 hr. format), analytical and sample preparation/digestion/extraction methods, analytical and preparation batch numbers, dilution multipliers, method reporting limit (MRL) for the parameter. Adjust MRL for any individual sample dilutions.

· Wet weight or dry weight designation (all fish tissue results will be listed in wet weight units or whole fish basis, and all sediment results will be listed in dry weight units except for cyanide).

· Sample analytical results and MRL units. Results must be in the same units.

· Method Reporting Limit (MRL) or Practical Quantification Limit (PQL) for each IDEM/OWQ/WAPB sample result and each QC sample result in the analytical run. If the MRL is different than the IDEM/OWQ/WAPB required CRQL, then report the actual MRL (3.18 * Method Detection Limit).

· Calculations and raw data including chromatograms, recorder charts, and spectrograms. (Maintained by contract laboratory for easy retrieval and review. Inclusion in reports is required only for DQA Level 4).

· Results of QC check samples including blanks, duplicates, matrix spikes, matrix spike duplicates, QC standards, surrogates, internal standards, external standards, calibration standards, interference check samples.

· Calibration and tuning documentation.

· QA/QC report.

· Acceptance Limits for QC samples.

· Case narrative indicating any deviations from the test method or SOP, unexpected or unusual results, out-of-limits QC check sample results.

· Explanations of any laboratory flags included in the report.

· ORIGINAL copy of IDEM/OWQ/WAPB Chain-of-Custody forms and copy of IDEM/OWQ/WAPB Sample and Test Request form.

· Lab Identification.

· Contact Information for explanation of report.

2. Analytical results will be reported in the units specified in Attachment H6 - Tasks Lists, summarized as follows:

Task 1 (Percent Lipid) - % (3 significant figures)

Task 1 (Percent Moisture) - % (3 significant figures), Task 2 (Percent Solids) - % (3 significant figures), Task 2 (Total Volatile Solids) - % (3 significant figures), Task 2 (Total Organic Carbon) - % (3 significant figures), Task 2 (Total Ammonia as N) – mg/kg dw (3 significant figures);

Task 2 (Specific Gravity) -g/cm3 Ratio to equal volume of distilled water at same temperature (20o C). (3 significant figures)

Task 2 (Grain Size) - Percent frequency distribution of particle sizes (3 significant figures) Task 2B – mg/kg dw (3 significant figures), Tasks 4, 5, 5B, and 5C (sediment) - ug/kg dw (3 significant figures), Tasks 3, 5, 5B and 5C (biota) - ug/kg ww (3 significant figures), Tasks 3B and 3C (biota) – ng/kg ww (3 significant figures)

Tasks 3B and 3C (sediment) – ng/kg dw (3 significant figures)

Tasks 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F and 6G (sediment) - ug/kg dw (3 significant figures), Tasks 6, 6A, 6B, 6E, 6F and 6G (biota) - ug/kg ww (3 significant figures), Tasks 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (sediment) - ug/kg dw (3 significant figures), Tasks 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13 (biota) - ug/kg ww (3 significant figures),

3. The following principal criteria will be used by the laboratory to validate the data's integrity during collection and reporting:

a.

Examination of at least 5% of the raw data (e.g., chromatograms, instrumentation recorder outputs) on a periodic basis by the laboratory's QC personnel to verify adequacy of documentation, confirm peak shape and resolution, and to assure that the automatic integrator was sensing peaks appropriately, etc.

b.

Confirmation that the goals for precision and accuracy on duplicate samples, reference compounds, and spiked samples are met.

c.

Verification on a monthly basis by the laboratory's QC personnel that all raw data generated in the preceding month have been stored in hard copy in the specified locations. Certain raw data may be stored on electronic, magnetic or optical media or disks when appropriate.

4. The following procedures are required for reporting data:

a.

Metals, organotin and organics analytical results must be reported on an "as is" or wet weight basis for biological samples. Inorganics and organics analytical results must be reported on a dry weight basis for sediment samples. This includes the PCBs, congeners of PCB, polychlorinated dioxins and furans, and pesticides. Acid extractable, base neutral extractables, and volatile organics must also be reported on a dry weight basis for sediment samples. Cyanide results must be reported on a wet weight basis for sediment samples.

b.

All analytical results on data summary forms must be clearly labeled as being reported on an "as is" basis, dry weight basis, and/or wet weight basis as appropriate along with the analytical method used.

c.

If any manual calculations are required (for example, the effect of sample dilution), they are to be (1) documented carefully and (2) performed on the instrument printout. The final results are to be reported on the report sheet, which is attached to the calculation sheet and instrument print out (if any).

d.

Calculations for samples must be performed taking into account any dilution factors and must use appropriate documentation.

e. Sample results will not be corrected by the laboratory for any reason other than automatic background correction performed by the instrumentation involved in the analysis. Correction for contaminated blanks, spike recoveries, or other justifiable reason(s) may be permitted by written permission from IDEM/OWQ/WAPB. If corrections are permitted they are to be documented on all appropriate sample summary and raw data sheets.

f. All data will be presented on forms identical or very similar to those found in References (i) and (j). Changes in reporting forms must have the prior approval of the IDEM/OWQ/WAPB Project Manager. This requirement applies to all samples, blanks, control samples, matrix spike samples, matrix spike duplicates, etc. It is understood that some of these forms will need to be modified for the parameters desired in this contract. It is also mandatory to separate out data for Tasks 7 and 8 on to separate pages in the sample data summary.

E. QA/QC Reports

QA/QC reports must contain the following information; some items are method or analysis dependent and will not be applicable:

Data Quality Assessment Level 4 (DQA4)

All quality control data applicable for an analytical method and to an analytical batch containing IDEM/OWQ/WAPB samples must be submitted. All initial quantities of QA/QC standards and samples, measured values under analytical conditions, and final results of calculations of RSDs, RPDs, percent recoveries, etc., must be submitted. Acceptance limits or ranges for QA/QC standards and samples must be submitted. A signed QA/QC Certificate of Analysis must be submitted. Bench sheets, chromatograms, recorder/integrator outputs, and spectrograms must be submitted at DQA4.

The QA/QC Certificate of Analysis must be signed by the Contractor’s QA/QC Officer or equivalent representative. It is a certification of compliance with the requirements of this RFP, meeting the QA/QC requirements specified in the RFP or the analytical method utilized, and that the data has undergone internal review. An analytical report is not considered completed, until the signed QA/QC Certificate of Analysis is received.

F. Narrative

If a failure in any single QA/QC parameter is encountered during an analysis or an analysis is in an out-of-control condition, a narrative must be included with the analytical report.

The narrative must list and/or explain, as needed, any QA/QC or analytical problem encountered – whether stemming from system, instrumentation, analyst, or sample matrix; the corrective action measure(s) taken; if corrective action measures as called for in the method were not taken; results of corrective measures taken; and the affected sample numbers.

For example:

Narrative Report

CCC (or CCV) failed at 63% (limits 80%-120%), instrument was recalibrated, CCC passed at 86%, all samples since last valid CCC (87%) were reanalyzed, CCC passed at 92%. Sample numbers AA01003- AA01010 were affected and reanalyzed.

Or A) CCC (or CCV) failed at 63% (limits 80%-120%)

B) Instrument was recalibrated C) CCC passed at 86%

D) All samples since last valid CCC (87%) reanalyzed

E) CCC passed at 92%

F) Sample numbers AA01003- AA01010 were affected and reanalyzed.

The key here is to itemize the error, what was done to correct the error and proceed with the analysis. Be BRIEF, be CLEAR, and only add detailed explanations when needed. The lab may utilize any suitable format, subject to IDEM/OWQ approval, to convey the information in the narrative portion.

G. Data Qualifiers and Flags

Table 1, within this Attachment H5, lists data qualifiers and flags that must be used for Watershed and Assessment Planning Branch’s analytical results. The Vendor may use additional qualifiers, but the qualifiers listed and described in Table 1 may not be replaced by other characters or representations.

Table 1: Data Qualifiers and Flags

Result is not acceptable for use in decision making processes.

1. If the Sample or Duplicate value is less than the RL, and the other value exceeds 5 times the MDL, then the sample will be estimated.

2. If the RPD is outside the established control limits (max. RPD) but below two times the established control limits (max. RPD), then the sample will be estimated.

3. If the RPD is twice the established control limits (max. RPD) or greater, then the sample will be rejected.

1. If the result of the sample is greater than the reporting limit but less than five times the blank contamination, the result will be rejected.

2. If the result of the sample is between five and ten times the blank contamination, the result will be estimated.

3. If the result of the sample is less than the reporting limit or greater than ten times the blank contamination, the result will be accepted.

1. If the analysis was performed between the holding time limit and 1.5 times the holding time limit, the result will be estimated.

2. If the analysis was performed outside the 1.5 times the holding time limit, the result will be rejected.

III. Electronic Data Deliverables (EDD) Reporting

A. General Requirements

The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB has developed analytical data and QA/QC data transfer specifications. Contractors must submit the electronic formatted analytical data and QA/QC data to the IDEM/OWQ/WAPB assigned QA reviewer for this RFP either by email (cc. to IDEM/OWQ/WAPB Project Manager), or certified mail, in the format specified in Attachment I (see Attachment I - Electronic Data Reporting Standards).

Contractors awarded laboratory contracts, must be able meet with IDEM/OWQ/WAPB representatives, at 2525 N. Shadeland Avenue, Bldg. 20, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46219-1787 to evaluate the specified electronic reporting standards.

B. Report Transmission Receipt at IDEM/OWQ/WAPB The IDEM/OWQ/WAPB analytical reports, sent over the Internet to an e-mail address, must meet all of the requirements within this Attachment. When a report is received and successfully opened (i.e. no checksum errors) and viewed, a return e-mail notification of receipt will not be sent back to the lab. The signed QA/QC Certificate of Analysis and analytical report must be received and verified within the limitations of the reporting requirements for the specified turnaround time in accordance with this Attachment H5, for the report to be considered received.

If the signed QA/QC report meets the required time deadline, the date of delivery of the signed QA/QC report will serve as the date and time of receipt of the report for compliance with reporting specifications. Note the QA/QC report must be signed.

If IDEM/OWQ/WAPB fails to provide notification of receipt of an electronically transmitted analytical or QA/QC report, within 48 hours of receipt of the report at the IDEM-Shadeland e-mail server and the Vendor has met the appropriate signed QA/QC Certificate of Analysis delivery time, the compliance time for delivery of the report shall be in accordance with this Attachment, Sections 1 and 2, as applied to the delivery time of the signed QA/QC Certificate of Analysis.

RFP-25-81029

Technical Specifications H5