The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced it fined Microbac Laboratories, Inc. for violations found at its Center Valley laboratory for a total of $125,000.

DEP’s Laboratory Accreditation Program conducted a regularly scheduled on-site assessment of Microbac – Center Valley in October 2014, and found that the laboratory’s management was not providing adequate oversight and training of the laboratory’s microbiology personnel. In addition, there were numerous violations found during the data review of the microbiological testing areas of the laboratory.

“We believe that, now with this agreement, Microbac has demonstrated that going forward they now have the capability to consistently generate valid, accurate data and that they will strive to implement laboratory quality standards,” said Dr. Martina McGarvey, director of the DEP Bureau of Laboratories. “Recent inspections at other Microbac Laboratories’ divisions have reflected positive quality improvements within Microbac Inc.”

Based upon DEP’s assessment, Microbac’s division Center Valley agreed to subcontract microbiology samples impacted by the violations on February 24, 2015 and to voluntarily relinquish all accreditations July 1, 2015.

Microbac Inc. purchased the Center Valley division in November 2013. As part of the company’s strategic realignment of services in eastern Pennsylvania, Microbac no longer conducts accredited analysis at Central Valley for compliance purposes. Pennsylvania DEP was Microbac – Center Valley’s primary accreditation authority.

The Department found that Microbac – Center Valley inaccurately reported results for microbiology samples for public water supply clients using incubators that did not maintain the required temperatures thus calling into question the validity and accuracy of the compliance data.

This is the third major action DEP has taken related to laboratories in the last month.  In September, DEP revoked the laboratory accreditation for Cedar Grove Environmental, Inc. in Chester County and fined REI Consultants, Inc. $75,000.

For more information on the program, visit DEP’s Laboratory Accreditation Program webpage.

10/12/2015