develop consensus standards for use by TNI's programs. This group has a support role in assisting other programs with activities such as guidance and standards interpretation.
fosters the generation of data of known and documented quality is through the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, or NELAP. The purpose of this program is to establish and implement a program for the accreditation of environmental laboratories.
is to establish and maintain a national PT program to support TNI’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, and other activities.
Field Activities Program (NEFAP) Executive Committee is to establish and implement an accreditation program for field sampling and measurement organizations (FSMOs).
on a variety of topics of interest to the environmental measurement community. TNI also hosts two regularly scheduled meetings per year, typically in January and August. Both are a week long and involve open meetings of TNI committees as well as training courses and other special sessions.Standards Interpretation
TNI has established a process for submitting and resolving questions regarding the interpretation of the 2003 NELAC Standards and the 2009 and 2016 TNI Standards.
To submit a question, complete the online form on this page. Using this form ensures that the question is automatically received, cataloged, and emailed to the NELAP Accreditation Council Chair, the NELAP Executive Committee Chair, and the TNI NELAP Program Administrator for review.
A consensus is reached on which committee will oversee the final disposition of the question. Established timelines guide the actions of the NELAP Accreditation Council Chair and the NELAP Executive Committee Chair to help ensure a timely response.
Once a resolution has been reached, it will be communicated to the affected parties through publication on this page. Standard interpretations are organized by the applicable Standard (2003, 2009, or 2016) and then by section number.
| Please remember that any disputes between a laboratory and their AB regarding accreditation are to be handled through the appropriate appeals process established by applicable state laws and regulations. Any SIR submission that originates with such a dispute may be rejected. |
Your question should be clearly stated and should meet the following criteria:
- contains only one question;
- applies directly and clearly to a cited section of the Standard;
- can be understood without supposition;
- is compelling, that the language used in the Standard(s) section cited is not clear or might have more than one interpretation;
- is not a “how to” question or a request for a method interpretation.
Where possible, the question should be framed in a manner that solicits a “Yes” or “No” response. TNI reserves the right to edit submissions to remove names or inappropriate language.
If the question identifies a conflict within the Standard between two or more sections of the Standard, interpretation will not provide a resolution. The NELAP EC shall facilitate addressing the conflict through other avenues available within TNI.
Please use this form to submit a request for standard interpretation to TNI.