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ARTICLE · 15 APRIL 2015

Why So Many Environmental Sample Results Are Misleading

Siskinds LLP
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Any inquiry to an analytical chemist trained in sampling statistics would quickly reveal that while the lab procedures are excellent, the lab result may be meaningless because the size of sample being analysed is far too small...

CanadaEnvironment
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A knowledgeable reader writes:

"Dear Diane,

...Reading through the various "Environmental Law and Litigation" articles excellently written by your staff, I'm increasingly frustrated by the universal failure throughout the industry to recognize a very serious flaw at the root of environmental site assessments/cleanups and it is one that has serious consequences for all involved, particularly site owners who end up footing the bill. Every site cleanup is fundamentally based on the results of lab analysis of the soil and groundwater. The consultant prepares a sampling plan, drills the site and sends his/her environmental samples to the lab, receives a certificate of analysis and the report is written based on these results. If a cleanup is deemed necessary (based on these results), it includes on-going lab tests and a final report is issued declaring the site "clean", all based on the results from the lab. Any inquiry to the lab about the validity of the results is

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