Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lab Testing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Vermont Ag Environmental Lab expands PFAS and cyanobacteria testing; lab upgrades and certifications underway
Summary
Vermont’s Ag Environmental Lab (VAIL) director told the Senate Agriculture Committee the lab has broadened surface-water and cyanobacteria testing, received certification to test drinking water for PFAS method 533, and plans instrument and information-system upgrades ahead of the busy season.
Cheryl Achilles, lab director for the Vermont Ag Environmental Lab (VAIL), briefed the committee on the lab’s analytical programs and recent expansions in testing capacity.
Achilles described three main laboratory programs — microbiology (milk and dairy product testing, drug-residue monitoring), inorganic chemistry (non-potable water testing for nutrients, chloride and metals), and organic chemistry (pesticide residues and other organics) — and said VAIL supports multiple agencies, universities and field-sampling programs.
“This week we received a certification for our drinking water to do method 533, as PFAS in drinking water,” Achilles said, adding that the lab planned a careful, phased rollout for public-facing PFAS testing that would initially focus on interagency work while systems and agency guidance are aligned.
She said the lab expanded cyanobacteria monitoring, is developing additional EPA-compatible methods for toxin equivalency, and plans to upgrade its laboratory information-management system (LIMS) before the spring sampling season. Achilles also noted staff levels (about 15 analytical staff, roughly 35 total personnel working in and out of the building) and that some planned equipment and facility upgrades — including a heating/boiler project — remain in procurement.
Ending
Achilles invited committee members to tour the Randolph Center facility and said the lab will continue coordinating with DEC, the Department of Health and academic partners to ensure testing methods and public reporting align across agencies.
