I would like to formally request that the public comment period be extended for Regulations Governing the Certification of Non-Commercial Environmental Laboratories [1 VAC 30   45]. 

I supervise several university research labs that periodically report soil, sediment and water quality data to DEQ and other state agencies. While this reporting is often part of an agency approved research framework, it also commonly serves as part of permit monitoring requirements as well. 

These regulations are lengthy and complex. Regardless, it does appear that the direct effect of their implementation would be to greatly increase the cost of our field sampling and laboratory analytical programs. We have made every effort to keep the costs of our support analyses for DEQ and other agencies as low as possible over time while still maintaining a valid and defensible QA/QC program through appropriate internal procedures.