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Overview:
Starting with Quality
Data
Environmental data are used as a basis
for virtually all environmental decisions. Decisions based on inaccurate
or unreliable data could affect Navy's compliance with regulations,
result in unacceptable risks to human health and the environment, or
result in the expenditure of unnecessary funds for sampling, testing, or
remediation.
Navy environmental sampling and testing
laboratory professionals offer expertise to Activities and the Fleet, as
these organizations face the challenges of ensuring that environmental
data are of the type and quality needed to support decision making.
The CNO Environmental Data Quality
Program and NAVSEA Laboratory Quality and Accreditation Office provide core
expertise and leadership to Navy on issues related to environmental
sampling, laboratory testing, and data quality. Key program objectives
are to:
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Develop
and recommend Navy policy affecting sampling and testing operations;
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Facilitate the timely,
coordinated Navy response to legislative/regulatory initiatives and
other requests for information and policy;
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Conduct
outreach and provide technical assistance to the Regional
Environmental Coordinators and Major Claimants related to new and
emerging DoD and/or intergovernmental compliance strategies;
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Participate
in the Intergovernmental Data Quality Task Force (IDQTF) and the
National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC)
to represent Navy's interests and ensure that Navy requirements are
met when standards and policy are established; and
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Develop
guidance and training programs to improve core competency and assist
Navy shore personnel in the area of environmental sampling and
testing.
In
September 1996, the Deputy Under Secretary for Defense - Environmental
Security (DUSD(ES)) established Navy as Lead Service
for DoD environmental sampling and testing data quality issues. In
keeping with this responsibility, CNO was tasked to chair the DoD
Environmental Data Quality Workgroup (EDQW) to address the issues listed
above across DoD.
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