(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Environmental laboratory” means any facility or other area, including, but not limited to, an outdoor area where testing occurs, used for microbiological, chemical, radiological or other analyte testing of drinking waters, ground waters, sea waters, rivers, streams and surface waters, recreational waters, fresh water sources, wastewaters, swimming pools, construction, renovation and demolition building materials, soil, solid waste, animal and plant tissues, sewage, sewage effluent, sewage sludge or any other matrix for the purpose of providing information on the sanitary quality or the amount of pollution or any substance prejudicial to health or the environment. “Environmental laboratory” does not include a publicly-owned treatment works, as defined in section 22a-521, that performs only physical, residue, microbiological and biological oxygen demand tests for its own facility for which results are required by or submitted to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to comply with permits or authorizations issued pursuant to section 22a-6k, 22a-430 or 22a-430b, or a pollution abatement facility, as defined in either section 22a-423 or 22a-475, that tests for pH, turbidity, conductivity, salinity and oxidation-reduction potential, and tests for residual chlorine for its own facility for which results are required by or submitted to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to comply with permits or authorizations issued pursuant to section 22a-6k, 22a-430 or 22a-430b;

(2) “Analyte” means a microbiological, chemical, radiological or other component of a matrix being measured by an analytical test; and

(3) “Matrix” means the substance or medium in which an analyte is contained, that may include drinking water or wastewater.

(b) The Department of Public Health shall (1) adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish reasonable standards governing environmental laboratory operations and facilities, personnel qualifications, certification for testing, levels of acceptable proficiency in testing programs approved by the department, the collection, acceptance and suitability of samples for analysis and such other pertinent laboratory functions, including the establishment of advisory committees, as may be necessary to ensure environmental quality, public health and safety, and (2) establish one or more schedules of the amounts of civil penalties that may be imposed under this section. Each registered environmental laboratory shall comply with all standards for environmental laboratories established by the department and shall be subject to inspection by said department, including inspection of all records necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. The Commissioner of Public Health may revoke or otherwise limit the license of any environmental laboratory that fails to comply with the provisions of this section or regulations adopted under this section.

(c) The Commissioner of Public Health shall determine whether it is necessary for the protection of the public health or the environment for an environmental laboratory to be registered and to have certification to conduct a test for an analyte in a matrix. If the commissioner determines that it is necessary for the environmental laboratory to be registered, such environmental laboratory shall obtain from the commissioner a certification to conduct such tests for analytes. No person shall operate, manage or control an environmental laboratory that tests for analytes for the purpose of providing information on the sanitary quality or the amount of pollution of any substance prejudicial to health or the environment for which the commissioner has determined registration and certification is required without having first registered and obtained such certification.

(d) The commissioner shall, annually, publish a list setting forth all analytes and matrices for which a certification for testing is required.

(e) Each application for registration of an environmental laboratory and for certification for testing any analyte shall be made on forms provided by said department, shall be accompanied by a fee of one thousand two hundred fifty dollars and shall be executed by the owner or owners or by a responsible officer authorized to do so by the agency, firm or corporation owning the environmental laboratory. Upon receipt of any such application, the department shall make such inspections and investigations as are necessary and shall deny registration when operation of the environmental laboratory would be prejudicial to the health of the public. Registration shall not be in force until notice of its effective date and term has been sent to the applicant.

(f) Each registration or certification shall be issued for a period of not less than twenty-four or more than twenty-seven months from any deadline for applications established by the commissioner. Renewal applications shall be made (1) biennially within the twenty-fourth month of the current registration; (2) before any change in ownership is made; and (3) prior to any major expansion or alteration in, or changing of, quarters.

(g) This section shall not apply to any environmental laboratory that only provides laboratory services or information for the agency, person, firm or corporation which owns or operates such laboratory.

(h) If, upon review, investigation or inspection, the Commissioner of Public Health determines an environmental laboratory has violated any provision of this section or regulations adopted under this section, the commissioner may impose a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars per violation per day and issue such other orders as the commissioner determines necessary to protect the public health. Upon notice of imposition of the civil penalty, the commissioner shall provide the environmental laboratory with an opportunity for a hearing. Governmental immunity shall not be a defense against the imposition of any civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section. In determining the amount of the civil penalty to be imposed on an environmental laboratory, the commissioner shall consider the degree of the threat to public health or the environment, the amount necessary to achieve compliance, and the history of compliance of the environmental laboratory. Any order issued under this provision may be appealed in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183.

(i) The failure of an environmental laboratory to pay a civil penalty imposed by the commissioner shall be grounds for revocation of the environmental laboratory's registration and certification for testing.

(j) The commissioner may order an unregistered environmental laboratory to cease operations.

(k) The commissioner may request the Attorney General to petition the Superior Court for an order to aid in enforcement of any provision of this section.

(P.A. 94-47; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-317, S. 1; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 40, 88; P.A. 05-175, S. 1; P.A. 06-196, S. 147; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 163; P.A. 14-231, S. 42; P.A. 15-242, S. 21, 45.)

History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-317 added a $1,000 fee for application for registration or approval; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 amended Subsec. (e) by exempting state agency laboratories from fee, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 05-175 deleted “dairy and dairy products” from definition of “environmental laboratory” in Subsec. (a); P.A. 06-196 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective June 7, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (c) to increase fee from $1,000 to $1,250; P.A. 14-231 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining “environmental laboratory” and adding Subdiv. (1) defining “analyte” and Subdiv. (2) defining “matrix”, substantially revised Subsec. (b) re regulations and commissioner's authority to revoke or limit license, added new Subsec. (c) re registration of environmental laboratory, added new Subsec. (d) re publication of list of analytes and matrices, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (e) and amended same by replacing provision re application for approval with provision re certification for testing analyte and adding provision re officer authorization, redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (f) and amended same by deleting reference to certificate of approval in Subdiv. (1), deleting reference to change in director in Subdiv. (2) and adding “or changing of” in Subdiv. (3), redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (g) and amended same by deleting provision re fee required, added Subsec. (h) re civil penalty, added Subsec. (i) re failure to pay civil penalty, added Subsec. (j) re order for unregistered laboratory to cease operations, added Subsec. (k) re request for Attorney General to petition Superior Court, and made technical and conforming changes; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing definition of “environmental laboratory” as Subdiv. (1) and redefining same, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subdivs. (2) and (3) and making technical changes, and amended Subsec. (f) by making a technical change.