Quality Management Plan
for Environmental Data Operations
- 2013 -

Jodey Kougioulis
Quality Assurance Officer
(505) 827-2820

SWQB PLANNING ESSENTIALS... Water Quality Management Plan / Continuing Planning Process QMP - 376 kb Quality Assurance Project Plan 2009 NPS Management Plan

To accomplish its mission and to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act, the Surface Water Quality Bureau (SWQB) conducts environmental data operations, primarily the collection and evaluation of data to monitor the condition of New Mexico surface waters. Much of this work is funded by federal grants provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Both because of the SWQB’s need to ensure that its data collection efforts meet the requirements of the US EPA and other customers, and because of requirements found at 40 CFR 31.45, the SWQB is committed to developing and maintaining a quality system.

US EPA has issued Order 5360.1 A2, Policy and Program Requirements for the Mandatory Agency-wide Quality System to implement the requirements of 40 CFR 31.45 and other federal regulations. According to the Order, it is US EPA policy that all environmental programs performed by US EPA or directly for US EPA through US EPA-funded extramural agreements shall be supported by individual quality systems that comply fully with the American National Standard ANSI/ASQC E4-1994, Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs.

To comply with 40 CFR 31.45 and meet the requirements of US EPA Order 5360.1 A2, organizations funded by US EPA are required to have a quality system that is documented in a Quality Management Plan (QMP). The QMP describes the organization’s quality system for planning, implementing, documenting, and assessing the effectiveness of activities supporting environmental data operations and other environmental programs. The requirements of the QMP apply to all environmental programs funded by EPA that acquire, generate, compile, or use environmental data and technology.

This Quality Management Plan for New Mexico Environment Department's Surface Water Quality Bureau Environmental Data Operations establishes the principles, requirements, and practices necessary to implement the quality system for the SWQB’s environmental data operations. It is based on the ten elements listed in US EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans, EPA QA/R-2, March 2001.

According to US EPA Region 6 policy, the QMP is valid for a period of one year from the date of approval by US EPA. However, US EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans requires the recipient to modify the QMP if any of the following occur:

	major changes in mission and responsibilities, such as changes in the delegation status of a program;
	reorganization of existing functions that affect programs covered by the QMP; or
	US EPA-issued assessment findings requiring corrective actions and response.