Okla. Stat. tit. 27A, § 27A-2-4-306: Department of Environmental Quality - Accreditations

A. The Department of Environmental Quality shall mutually

recognize environmental laboratory accreditations issued by The

NELAC Institute’s (TNI) primary National Environmental Laboratory

Accreditation Program (NELAP) accreditation bodies without any

duplicative actions to determine the laboratory’s conformity to TNI

Standards. These actions include, but are not limited to,

proficiency testing, quality assurance, and on-site assessment.

B. Mutual recognition does not mean automatic accreditation by

the Department or exemption from complying with the Department’s

administrative processes.

C. Mutual recognition does not prevent the Department from

verifying the accreditation with the primary accreditation body or

requiring a laboratory to adhere to applicable laws, rules and

normal administrative processes, such as submitting applications and

paying fees, so long as the Department does not impose additional

requirements concerning proficiency testing, quality assurance, on-

site assessment or other matters relating to conformance to TNI

Standards.

D. Mutual recognition is limited to the fields of accreditation

included in the primary accreditation consistent with the scope of

the Department’s laboratory accreditation program. If a laboratory

does not hold a primary accreditation in categories requested of the

Department, the laboratory must apply for primary accreditation for

those categories in Oklahoma.

E. The Department is not required to recognize a primary

accreditation or grant secondary accreditation if a law, rule,

administrative proceeding or court order precludes or has the effect

of precluding the Department from granting accreditation in whole or

in part to a laboratory.

F. The Environmental Quality Board is authorized to promulgate

rules necessary to implement the provisions of this section.