Managing the Quality of Environmental Data at EPA Region 8
About the Region 8 Quality Assurance Program
- Program Guidance & Requirements
- Quality Assurance Tools
- R8 Document Crosswalks
- R8 Quality Assurance Project Plan Templates
The Region 8 Quality Assurance Branch is located in the Laboratory Services & Applied Sciences Division. (LSASD)
The Quality Assurance Branch administers the EPA Region 8 Quality Management Plan (QMP) and assures that Region 8 and the 6 encompassing states and 28 tribes follow and uphold EPA’s quality standards thus contributing to the development of sound science to preserve and improve Region 8’s diverse environmental landscapes.
The primary goal of the EPA Region 8 Quality Management Plan is to assure that environmental information produced and used are of known and documented quality that are suitable for their intended use.
National Quality Program Guidance & Requirements
EPA Quality Policies and Procedures define the quality specifications for organizations that produce or use environmental information for or on behalf of the EPA:
- Environmental Information Quality Policy CIO 2105
- Environmental Information Quality Procedure-CIO 2105-P-01
Find these and other EPA Agency-wide Quality Program Documents including information such as:
- Specifications for EPA Organizations
- Specifications for Non-EPA Organizations
- General Quality Assurance Guidance
Notice: The Agency is transitioning to a new numbering scheme for the EPA Quality Policy and Quality Manual documents.
Quality Management Plan Requirements: Use the EPA QA/S-1 and Region 8 QMP Crosswalk to develop your QMP. All QMPs submitted to the Region for approval must be accompanied by a completed QMP Crosswalk.
- EPA Standards for Quality Management Plans, QA/S-1
- Region 8 Quality Management Plan (QMP) Crosswalk for S1 Standard (2023)
Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Requirements: Use the EPA QA/S-2 or UFP-QAPP and Region 8 QAPP crosswalk or UFP-QAPP crosswalk. All QAPPs submitted to the Region for approval must be accompanied by a completed QAPP crosswalk.
- Quality Assurance Project Plan Standard, QA/S-2
- EPA Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans, QA/G-5
- Guidance on Systematic Planning using the Data Quality Objectives Process (QA/G-4)
- Uniform Federal Policy for Quality Assurance Project Plans (UFP-QAPP) Resources and Template
- Guidance for Geospatial Data Quality Assurance Project Plans (QA/G-5G)
- Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (QA/G-6)
- Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling (QA/G-5M)
- Guidance on Choosing a Sampling Design for Environmental Data Collection for use in Developing a QAPP (QA/G-5S)
- EPA Historical Requirements for Quality Assurance Plans, QA/R-5
Quality Assurance Tools
R8 Quality Management Plan Tools
R8 QA Document Crosswalks
- Region 8 QA/S-2 QAPP Document Review Crosswalk (docx) (05/2025)
- UFP-QAPPs ONLY: Region 8 CERCLA Optimized UFP-QAPP Crosswalk (09/2024)
- Brownfields Projects ONLY: Brownfields QAPP Crosswalk Region 8 QA Document Review Crosswalk (01/2023)
- Region 8 Quality Management Plan (QMP) Crosswalk for S1 Standard (2025)
- Region 8 Historical QA/R-5 QAPP Document Review Crosswalk (docx) (07/2017)
R8 Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Templates
- R8 Graded Approach --QAPP Development Template and Instructions (05/2025)
- R8 Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR ) Grants -- QAPP Template (2023)
- Tips for Retrofitting QAPPs – Converting QAPPs Prepared in the (Old) QA/R-5 to the (New) QA/S-2, QAPP Standard (2024)
Region 8 Quality Assurance Branch Contacts
| Representative | Phone | Focus Areas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Goldade, QA Branch Manager and Regional QA Manager | (303) 312-7024 | Goldade.Mary@epa.gov | RQAM; QA Document Review Requests |
| Teresa Williams | (303) 312-6892 | Williams.Teresa@epa.gov | Deputy RQAM; Field Quality Lead; DAO Program; States and Tribes FIFRA QA Lead |
| Chad Franzen | (303) 312-6846 | Franzen.Chad@epa.gov | PQAO Program and State DEQs QA Lead |
| Nathan Delhierro | (303) 312-6352 | Delhierro.Nathan@epa.gov | Contracts QA Lead |
| Erick Zacher | (303) 312-6220 | Zacher.Erick@epa.gov | Air Grants QA Lead |
| Nikki Thomsen | (303) 312-6423 | Thomsen.Nikki@epa.gov | Interagency Agreements and Grants QA Lead |