Section 150. Fees

A. General.

1. Environmental laboratories shall pay a fee with all applications, including reapplications, for accreditation. DCLS shall not designate an application as complete until it receives payment of the fee.

2. Each accredited environmental laboratory shall pay an annual fee to maintain its accreditation. DCLS shall send an invoice to the accredited environmental laboratory.

3. An environmental laboratory applying for secondary accreditation under 1VAC30-46-140 shall pay the same fee as other laboratories subject to this chapter.

4. Fees shall be nonrefundable.

B. Fee computation.

1. Fees shall be applied on an annual basis.

2. Environmental laboratories shall pay the total of the base fee and the test category fees set out in subsections C and D of this section.

C. Base fee.

1. DCLS determines the base fee for a laboratory by taking into account both the total number of methods and the total number of field of accreditation matrices for which the laboratory would be accredited.

2. DCLS shall charge the base fees set out in Table 1. The base fee for a laboratory is located by first finding the row for the total number of methods to be accredited and then finding the box on that row located in the column headed by the total number of matrices to be accredited. For example, DCLS charges a base fee of $1300 to a laboratory performing a total of eight methods for one matrix.

TABLE 1: BASE FEES
Number of Methods	One Matrix	Two Matrices	Three Matrices	Four or more Matrices
1 - 9	$1300	$1430	$1575	$1730
10 - 29	$1400	$1575	$1750	$1950
30 - 99	$1550	$1825	$2150	$2550
100 - 149	$1650	$1980	$2375	$2850
150+	$1800	$2250	$2825	$3525

D. Test category fees.

1. The test category fees cover the types of testing for which a laboratory may be accredited as specified in the laboratory's application or as accredited at the time of annual billing.

2. Fees shall be charged for each category of tests to be accredited.

3. Fees shall be charged for the total number of field of accreditation matrices to be accredited under the specific test category. For example, if a laboratory is performing inorganic chemistry for both nonpotable water and solid and chemical matrices, the fee for this test category would be found in the column for two matrices.

4. The fee for each category includes one or more analytical methods unless otherwise specified.

5. Test category fees. DCLS shall charge the test category fees set out in Table 2. The test category fees for a laboratory are located by first finding the row with the total number of test methods for the test category to be accredited. The fee to be charged for the test category will be found on that row in the column headed by the total number of matrices to be accredited. A laboratory performing four test methods for bacteriology in both nonpotable and drinking water (two matrices) would be charged a test category fee of $330.

TABLE 2: TEST CATEGORY FEES
	Fees by Number of Matrices
Test Category	One	Two		Three or More
Aquatic toxicity, acute methods only	$400	N/A		N/A
Aquatic toxicity, acute and chronic methods	$600	N/A		N/A
Oxygen demand	$225	$335		$435
Bacteriology, 1 - 3 total methods	$175	$265		$345
Bacteriology, 4 or more total methods	$220	$330		$430
Physical, 1 - 5 total methods	$175	$265		$345
Physical, 6 - 10 total methods	$220	$330		$430
Physical, 11 or more total methods	$275	$415		$540
Inorganic chemistry, 1 - 10 total methods	$250	$375		$490
Inorganic chemistry, 11 - 20 total methods	$315	$475		$620
Inorganic chemistry, 21 - 49 total methods	$394	$590		$767
Inorganic chemistry, 50 or more total methods	$492	$740		$962
Chemistry metals, 1 - 5 total methods	$325	$490		$637
Chemistry metals, 6 - 20 total methods	$410	$615		$800
Chemistry metals, 21 or more total methods	$512	$770		$1000
Organic chemistry, 1 - 5 total methods	$400	$600		$780
Organic chemistry, 6 - 20 total methods	$500	$750		$975
Organic chemistry, 21 - 40 total methods	$625	$940		$1222
Organic chemistry, 41 or more total methods	$780	$1170		$1520
Radiochemical, 1 - 10 total methods	$600	$900		$1170
Radiochemical, 11 or more total methods	$725	$1090		$1420
Asbestos	$725	$1090		$1420

6. Fee examples. Three examples are provided.

a. Example 1:

Base Fee	One matrix and four test methods	$1300
Test Category Fees
One Matrix
Nonpotable Water	Bacteriology (2 methods)	$175
Nonpotable Water	Oxygen demand (1 method)	$225
Nonpotable Water	Physical (1 method)	$175
TOTAL		$1875

b. Example 2:

Base Fee	One matrix and 15 test methods	$1400
Test Category Fees
One Matrix
Nonpotable Water	Bacteriology (2 methods)	$175
Nonpotable Water	Inorganic chemistry (9 methods)	$250
Nonpotable Water	Metals (2 methods)	$325
Nonpotable Water	Oxygen demand (1 method)	$225
Nonpotable Water	Physical (1 method)	$175
TOTAL		$2550

c. Example 3:

Base Fee	Two matrices and 27 test methods	$1575
Test Category Fees
One Matrix
Nonpotable Water	Bacteriology (4 methods)	$220
Nonpotable Water	Oxygen demand (1 method)	$225
Solid and Chemical Materials	Metals (1 method)	$325
Two Matrices
Nonpotable Water and Solid and Chemical Materials	Inorganic chemistry (13 methods)	$475
Nonpotable Water and Solid and Chemical Materials	Physical (7 methods)	$330
TOTAL		$3150

E. Additional fees. Additional fees shall be charged to laboratories applying for the following: (i) modification to scope of accreditation under 1VAC30-46-90 B, (ii) transfer of ownership under 1VAC30-46-90 C, or (iii) petition for a variance under 1VAC30-46-160.

1. For any accredited environmental laboratory that applies to modify its scope of accreditation as specified under 1VAC30-46-90 B, DCLS shall assess a fee determined by the method in subsection F of this section.

2. Under 1VAC30-46-90 C, DCLS may charge a transfer fee to a certified laboratory that transfers ownership. A fee shall be charged if DCLS (i) needs to review documentation sent by the laboratory about the transfer of ownership or (ii) determines that an on-site assessment is necessary to evaluate the effect of the transfer of ownership. DCLS shall assess a fee determined by the method in subsection F of this section. If, under 1VAC30-46-90 C, DCLS determines that the change of ownership or location of laboratory requires reaccreditation of or reapplication by the laboratory, the laboratory shall pay the application fee required under this section.

3. Under 1VAC30-46-160, any person regulated by this chapter may petition the director to grant a variance from any requirement of this chapter. DCLS shall charge a fee for the time needed to review the petition, including any on-site assessment required. The fee shall be determined by the method specified in subsection F of this section.

F. Additional fees determination.

1. The fee shall be the sum of the total hourly charges for all reviewers plus any on-site review costs incurred.

2. An hourly charge per reviewer shall be determined by (i) obtaining a yearly cost by multiplying the reviewer's annual salary by 1.35 (accounts for overhead such as taxes and insurance) and then (ii) dividing the yearly cost by 1,642 (number of annual hours established by Fiscal Services, DGS, for billing purposes).

3. The charge per reviewer shall be determined by multiplying the number of hours expended in the review by the reviewer's hourly charge.

4. If an on-site review is required, travel time and on-site review time shall be charged at the same hourly charge per reviewer, and any travel expenses shall be added.

G. Out-of-state laboratories applying for primary accreditation.

1. The owner of an environmental laboratory located in another state who applies for primary accreditation under this chapter shall pay a surcharge of $5000 plus the labor costs of the on-site assessment and reasonable travel costs associated with conducting an on-site assessment at the laboratory. Reasonable travel costs include transportation, lodging, per diem, and telephone and duplication charges. These charges shall be in addition to the fees charged under subdivision A 1 and subsections B through D of this section.

2. Once the laboratory is accredited, DCLS shall charge the annual fee specified in subdivision A 2 and subsections B through D of this section, the labor costs for the on-site assessment, and reasonable travel costs associated with conducting the on-site assessment.

H. DCLS shall derive the travel costs charged under subsections F and G of this section from the Commonwealth of Virginia reimbursement allowances and rates for lodging, per diem, and mileage.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 25, Issue 07, eff. January 1, 2009; amended, Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 01, eff. November 1, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 2.2-1105 of the Code of Virginia.