Committee to mail sampling letters in May; sampling planned for August/September and Davies Lab expected to continue

Committee members reviewed the monitoring program's sampling schedule and lab arrangements and directed staff to proceed with the planned mailing of sampling letters. The committee's sampling coordinator said labels are ready and the letters will go out in May; returned forms will be used to pick homes for air or odor sampling ahead of a July selection meeting.

"You produce the letters, sir, and they should go out this month of May," a staff member said, describing logistics for preparing and returning sampling forms.

Committee members discussed the timing of field sampling, aiming for August or early September so results can be available for the committee's first meeting of the year. One member advised against switching labs without strong reason, praising the current contractor's procedures for purging and treating homes prior to sampling.

"Davies Lab has been doing an excellent job. They've caught their mistakes they've had and corrected them right away," a committee member said when asked about changing labs, noting that Waste Management funds the testing but that the committee retains the choice of contractor.

The committee did not adopt a formal procurement change at the meeting. Members said they would either present a contract proposal or candidate labs at the next meeting; in practice, there were "no plans to change" the current lab at the time of the discussion.

The sampling program will return to the committee in July to finalize selection of sampled addresses and to confirm the lab contract if any change is proposed.