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Part I  
Part II 
Part III |
FAQ - Coal Analyses (Part II) 2. What methods should be used for sampling, preparation, and analysis of coal?
Answer: EPA supports the use of recognized methods developed by voluntary
consensus organizations where they are appropriate. A letter received by EPA containing methods recommended by the ASTM for sampling, preparation, and analysis of coal is attached below. Other recommendations concerning provisional ASTM standard methods are pending. If a facility wishes to use some other documented procedures, the facility must be prepared to demonstrate the methods comparability to existing ASTM standard methods, unless this comparison has been done previously.
In regards to the question in the ICR (Part II, question 10), a letter was received from NIST (2/16/99) to the EPA regarding SRMs.
"...NIST has released SRM 1630a Trace Mercury in Coal. This SRM will be certified for Mercury, Chlorine, and Sulfur. Information about ordering SRM 1630a is available from NIST's Web site.
A follow-up question was asked. "Will EPA approve of using SRM 1632b's mercury value until SRM 1630a is available?" Answer: Yes, EPA has received information that NIST is out of stock of SRM 1632b, but for those who have it, the Hg information value has been recently updated to 0.07 mg/kg and an updated certificate is available [from NIST].
The following file is a letter response received from USGS concerning USGS's involvement in ASTM task group activities and mercury determinations. It discusses (among other things) an alternative mercury extraction method. USGS Letter:
OMB Control Number 2060-0396 |