Section 465.180  Revocation of Certification

a)         The Department may revoke all or any part of an environmental laboratory's certification.  Any of the following shall be cause for partial or total revocation of certification:

1)         Expiration of a period of provisional certification, provided the laboratory has not corrected the deficiencies after being placed on provisional certification in accordance with the provisions of Section 465.150;

2)         Unsatisfactory analyses of performance evaluation samples/quality assurance samples as specified in Section 465.200;

3)         Failure to notify the Department within 15 days after any of the changes listed in Section 465.170 have occurred;

4)         Failure to comply with the requirements regarding advertising as specified in Section 465.140(d);

5)         Failure to use the analytical methodology specified in this Part or approved in accordance with this Part;

6)         Failure to provide notice in accordance with Section 465.150(b) of its status as a provisionally certified environmental laboratory;

7)         Falsification of results of testing of performance evaluation samples/quality assurance samples or any other information material to the certification; or

8)         When conducting performance evaluation sample analysis in accordance with Section 465.200, failure to provide results proving satisfactory precision and accuracy in 2 successive  samples shall be cause for revocation of certification for the parameter or method not within satisfactory limits.

b)         The following factors shall be taken into account by the Department in determining what action should be taken against a certified environmental laboratory for failing to comply with the requirements of this Section:

1)         The length of time during which the failure has existed;

2)         The laboratory's prior record of failures and response in correcting failures noted by the Department;

3)         Whether the laboratory knowingly caused or allowed the failure; and

4)         The potential effect of the failure on the quality of analytical data generated by the laboratory.