Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit
Andrew Sawyers
Deputy Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
U.S. EPA
2012 WLA Security Summit
Nashville, Tennessee
March 23, 2012
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• Climate Change
• Improve Air Quality
• Chemical Safety
• Clean Up Communities
• Protect USA’s Waters
• Environmental Justice
• State/Tribal PartnershipsLisa P. Jackson,
AdministratorU.S. EPA
EPA’s Priorities
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Impetus for Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD 9) directs
EPA to:
“develop nationwide laboratory networks for . . . water quality that integrate existing Federal and State laboratory resources, are interconnected, and utilize standardized diagnostic protocols and procedures”
WATER LABORATORY ALLIANCE (WLA)
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Strengthening Drinking Water Programs
• Planning for “All-Hazards” Threats
− Natural disasters
− Unintentional incidents
− Intentional acts
• Reexamine ability to prevent, withstand, and recover from serious damage
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Drinking Water and Collaboration
EPA Office of Water Collaborative Efforts
• Regular meetings with Water Sector Partners
• APHL Cooperative Program
• Water Laboratory Alliance
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WLA Accomplishments
Significant WLA Accomplishments:
• WLA Development and Launch
• WLA Response Plan
• Three Multi-regional Full-Scale Exercises
• Development and Implementation of the WLA Training Center
• Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Multi-Lab Validation
• Chemical Methods for Priority Contaminants
• Two WLA Security Summits
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Water Laboratory Alliance Security Summit
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