B.C. Reg. 138/2026, deposited July 21, 2026, under the ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT [sections 138 and 139]. Ministerial Order M278/2026, dated July 20, 2026.

I, Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks, order that,

(a) B.C. Reg. 98/2023 and B.C. Reg. 240/2024 are repealed, and

(b) the Environmental Data Quality Assurance Regulation, B.C. Reg. 301/90, is amended as set out in the attached Schedule.

— T. DAVIDSON, Minister of Environment and Parks.

Schedule

1 Section 1 of the Environmental Data Quality Assurance Regulation, B.C. Reg. 301/90, is amended

(a) by repealing the definitions of "accreditation body", "accredited", "directory", "proficiency testing program" and "qualified laboratory" and substituting the following:

"accreditation body" means a body that

(a) conforms with ISO/IEC 17011:2017, Conformity assessment – Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, as amended from time to time, and

(b) has entered into an agreement known as a Mutual Recognition Arrangement with another body that conforms with the standard referred to in paragraph (a);

"accredited", in relation to a laboratory, means to have attained impartial and independent accreditation from an accreditation body as conforming with whichever of the following standards applies:

(a) ISO/IEC 17025:2017, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, as amended from time to time;

(b) ISO 15189:2022, Medical laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence, as amended from time to time;

(c) ISO/IEC 17024, Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons, as amended from time to time;

"directory" means the directory published under section 5 [directory of qualified laboratories];

"proficiency testing program" means an interlaboratory comparison program

(a) that is administered by a proficiency testing provider who conforms with ISO/IEC 17043:2023, Conformity assessment – General requirements for the competence of proficiency testing providers, as amended from time to time, and

(b) under which laboratories participating in interlaboratory comparison studies analyze reference samples and report, to the proficiency testing provider, results for evaluation;

"qualified laboratory", in relation to a method of analyzing samples for a parameter, means a laboratory that is listed in the directory as qualified in that method; ,

(b) by repealing the definition of "ILAC", and

(c) by adding the following definitions:

"method validation" means a process to determine whether a method

(a) accurately and reliably analyzes samples for a parameter, and

(b) is suitable for the purpose of analyzing samples for a parameter;

"new or alternative method" means a method of analyzing samples for a parameter for which the means of qualification in the method of analyzing samples for the parameter under section 5 (2) (a) to (c) are unavailable or inadequate;

"performance verification", in relation to a method of analyzing samples for a parameter, means a process to determine whether a laboratory, using equipment in the laboratory, is able to produce results consistent with the results produced in the method validation for the method;

"qualified professional" means an individual who

(a) is registered in British Columbia with a professional association, is acting under that association’s code of ethics and may be subjected by that association to disciplinary action, and

(b) through suitable education, experience and knowledge, may reasonably be relied on to provide advice within the individual’s area of expertise, as that expertise relates to this regulation;

"scope of accreditation" means a statement, issued by an accreditation body, setting out the parameters and methods of analyzing samples for those parameters in relation to which a laboratory is accredited; .

2 Section 5 is repealed and the following substituted:

Directory of qualified laboratories

5 (1) The director must publish a directory of qualified laboratories.

(2) The director may list a laboratory in the directory as qualified in a method of analyzing samples for a parameter if one of the following applies:

(a) the laboratory is accredited in the method of analyzing samples for the parameter and has provided a scope of accreditation to the director in the form and manner required by the director;

(b) if a proficiency testing program is an available means of qualification in the method of analyzing samples for the parameter, the laboratory has demonstrated through the program that the laboratory has achieved satisfactory testing performance for the parameter;

(c) if a proficiency testing program is not an available means of qualification in the method of analyzing samples for the parameter, the laboratory has demonstrated that the laboratory is able to accurately and reliably use the method in at least one of the following studies:

(i) an interlaboratory comparison study;

(ii) an analyst competency study;

(d) in the case of a new or alternative method, the director is satisfied that

(i) the method is suitable for the purpose of analyzing samples for the parameter, and

(ii) the laboratory is able to accurately and reliably use the method.

(3) A study for the purpose of subsection (2) (c) must be conducted by a qualified professional.

(4) For the purpose of subsection (2) (d), the director may require a laboratory to carry out

(a) a method validation, and

(b) a performance verification.

Index Page| Previous Regulation| Next Regulation| Cumulative Index Page

Copyright © 2026: King's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada