Within environmental testing, the field of stationary source testing measures the emissions of air pollutants from stationary sources, such as power plants and factories. Originally, the US EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation administered the Stationary Source Audit Program (SSAP) and provided free audit samples to gauge the accuracy and effectiveness of the testing. The program became privatized in 2008 with the emergence of private sample providers and the Stationary Source Audit Sample Expert Committee was created by The NELAC Institute (TNI) to develop consensus standards to establish the specifications for SSAP.

More recently, both providers of the audit samples have ceased manufacturing samples for the SSAP. Since there are no longer any accredited audit sample providers (AASP), the requirement to obtain these audit samples is no longer in effect until such time as another independent AASP has audit samples available for purchase. The SSAS Expert Committee wrote a letter to the EPA to notify them of the lack of providers. The letter was sent to the Director of the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). The letter stated that, at this time, the SSAS Committee's operations were suspended and barring a significant change to the SSAS Program the Committee would cease functioning as the Program's Voluntary Consensus Standards Body as of December 31st, 2022. This course of action would result in the SSAS Program having no providers and no consensus body. At this time, no additional information is available on when or if the program will be reinstated.

A good way to maintain your quality assurance programs, until or if the SSAP is reinstated, is to participate in an Air & Emissions PT study.

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Learn more about ERA Air & Emissions products

Learn more about the SSAS Program through TNI