Absolute Resource

MARCH, 2013

New Analyses at ARA

As many of you are aware, Absolute Resource Associates has brought on a couple new analyses in the past year. Notably, ARA now has the capability to perform Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis in water by Standard Method 5310C as well as ortho-phosphate by EPA Method 365.1 which utilizes an automated spectrophotometer Flow Injection Analysis (FIA). Low Level ortho-phosphate has been a hot topic recently due to the role it plays in algal blooms and overall health of our waterbodies.  ARA has the ability to detect ortho-phosphate down to 0.001mg/L, that’s 1 part per billion!

ARA Earns NY Accreditation

Absolute Resource Associates has been awarded accreditation from the NY State Department of Health as an approved Environmental Laboratory for Environmental Analysis of Non Potable Water as well as Solid and Hazardous Waste.

Laboratories seeking accreditation must strictly adhere to the standards set forth by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference Standards (NELAC 2003).
 
In addition to the NY lab accreditation, ARA has also met the eligibility requirements to be certified by the State of New York as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). The WBE program was created in order to foster economic opportunities for women owned businesses, and to eliminate barriers so that they can fairly compete for state contracts. The NY Lab Accreditation and the NY WBE Certification will allow ARA to now offer NY-based customers a much broader range of capabilities.

NH Mold Task Force Introduces

"Standard of Care" for the Mold Industry

In the interest of public safety, most types of environmental contaminants, such as pesticides, lead and asbestos, are strictly regulated. Mold, however, is completely unregulated in the state of New Hampshire, and the NH Mold Task Force (NHMTF) claims that this is affecting the health and well being of NH citizens.

The New Hampshire Mold Task Force (NHMTF), co-founded and sponsored by the American Lung Association in New Hampshire, is working to raise awareness of indoor mold and its affect on human health. The NHMTF has just published a "Standard of Care" for the NH Mold industry, which provides information to citizens not only about the causes of indoor mold, the possible health risks and prevention measures, but also about the mold industry in general, including best practices and tips for hiring consultants and contractors.

Guy Sylvester, CEO of Absolute Resource Associates (ARA) and co-founder of the NHMTF, states that this Standard of Care is just the beginning. "The first goal of the NHMTF was to get this [Standard of Care] document published and available to the public. The next step is to work with industry associations, the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) and IAQ Industry Leaders in New Hampshire to propose mold legislation to the NH Senate in the Fall of 2013."

Absolute Resource Associates

welcomes new employees!

Danelle Tudor is a consultant with our indoor air quality division. She has her BA in History from the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick and her Masters in Environmental Law & Policy from Vermont Law School, South Royalton, Vermont. Coming to ARA from Green Environmental, Danelle had the skills and experience to learn the ins and outs of IAQ assessments quickly and competently. We look forward to her continued growth within the company for many years to come! Danelle enjoys cooking and baking, spending time outdoors and traveling.

Kali Wiggin is our new login technician. Kali works part time in the afternoons at ARA to assist in sample receipt and bottle order preparation. Her attention to detail and enthusiasm to learn has made her a quick study here, and she’s well on her way to being a login pro!