The annual meeting will focus on "Sound Science Through Effective Project Planning".

The 18th Annual Waste Testing & Quality Assurance Symposium will be held August 11–15 in Arlington, VA. This conference brings together regulators, analysts, engineers, and managers from federal and state regulatory agencies, the regulated community, and the laboratory and engineering support communities in an informal setting just outside the nation’s capitol. The latest changes in regulatory policy, sampling techniques, and new methods will be presented and discussed. Formats include panel discussions, oral and poster presentations, and short courses.

WTQA is managed by the Independent Laboratory Institute (ILI), in association with the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL, www.acil.org) and Instant Reference Sources, Inc. (www.instantref.com), under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The technical program is organized each year by a committee of environmental chemists from government and private industry that seek to bring together technical and policy topics of interest to all participants.

This year, the conference has some new features:

• State’s Issues Forum. Competitive presentations devoted to state environmental analytical issues will be followed by a roundtable discussion. Topics may include technical or policy issues. Five state government candidates will each be awarded $1000 for travel plus free registration for the conference.
• Student Projects Poster Sessions. Competitive presentations by undergraduate and graduate students will focus on environmental monitoring and analysis. Ten candidates will be awarded free registration for the conference and a Certificate of Merit.

Hotel Information
WTQA 2002 will be held in the Crystal Gateway Hilton Hotel, 2399 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202 (703-418-6800; fax, 703-418-3763). The hotel is just minutes from downtown Washington, DC, one mile from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 30 minutes from Dulles International Airport, and 45 minutes from Baltimore–Washington International Airport. Numerous shops and gourmet restaurants are within a short walk of the hotel. The hotel is very close to the Metrorail system and Washington’s Capital Beltway.

Registration
Advance registration ends July 18 and on-site registration begins July 19. A registration form is available for advanced registration. Some attendees may qualify to attend the WTQA 2002 conference free of charge.

Contact Information
Policy questions should be directed to Joan Walsh Cassedy, director of the Independent Laboratory Institute; jcassedy@acil.org; 202-887-5872.

Technical and conference management questions should be directed to Lawrence H. Keith, conference manager; larrykeith@earthlink.net; 770-267-7758.

Additional information on WTQA is also available at www.wtqa.org.