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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