1997 Minnesota Statutes

     18C.141 Soil testing laboratory certification. 

    Subdivision 1.    Program establishment.  The 
 commissioner shall establish a program to certify the accuracy 
 of analyses from soil testing laboratories and promote 
 standardization of soil testing procedures and analytical 
 results.  

    Subd. 2.    Check sample system.  (a) The commissioner 
 shall institute a system of check samples that requires a 
 laboratory to be certified to analyze at least four multiple 
 soil check samples during the calendar year.  The samples must 
 be supplied by the commissioner or by a person under contract 
 with the commissioner to prepare and distribute the samples.  

    (b) Within 30 days after the laboratory receives check 
 samples, the laboratory shall report to the commissioner the 
 results of the analyses for all requested elements or compounds 
 or for the elements or compounds the laboratory makes an 
 analytical determination of as a service to others.  

    (c) The commissioner shall compile analytical data 
 submitted by laboratories and provide laboratories submitting 
 samples with a copy of the data without laboratory names or code 
 numbers. 

    (d) The commissioner may conduct check samples on 
 laboratories that are not certified. 

    Subd. 3.    Analyses reporting standards.  (a) The 
 results obtained from soil or plant analysis must be reported in 
 accordance with standard reporting units established by the 
 commissioner by rule.  The standard reporting units must conform 
 as far as practical to uniform standards that are adopted on a 
 regional or national basis. 

    (b) If a certified laboratory offers a recommendation, the 
 University of Minnesota recommendation or that of another land 
 grant college in a contiguous state must be offered in addition 
 to other recommendations, and the source of the recommendation 
 must be identified on the recommendation form.  If relative 
 levels such as low, medium, or high are presented to classify 
 the analytical results, the corresponding relative levels based 
 on the analysis as designated by the University of Minnesota or 
 the land grant college in a contiguous state must also be 
 presented. 

    Subd. 4.    Revocation of certification.  If the 
 commissioner determines that analysis being performed by a 
 laboratory is inaccurate as evidenced by check sample results, 
 the commissioner may deny, suspend, or revoke certification. 

    Subd. 5.    Certification fees.  (a) A laboratory 
 applying for certification shall pay an application fee of $100 
 and a certification fee of $100 before the certification is 
 issued.  

    (b) Certification is valid for one year and the renewal fee 
 is $100.  The commissioner shall charge an additional 
 application fee of $100 if a certified laboratory allows 
 certification to lapse before applying for renewed certification.

    (c) The commissioner shall notify a certified lab that its 
 certification lapses within 30 to 60 days of the date when the 
 certification lapses. 

    Subd. 6.    Rules.  The commissioner shall adopt rules 
 for the establishment of minimum standards for laboratories, 
 equipment, procedures, and personnel used in soil analysis and 
 rules necessary to administer and enforce this section.  The 
 commissioner shall consult with representatives of the 
 fertilizer industry, representatives of the laboratories doing 
 business in this state, and with the University of Minnesota 
 college of agriculture before proposing rules.  

    HIST: 1989 c 326 art 6 s 9