1. Minnesota Department of Agriculture
  2. Pesticide, Fertilizer
  3. Safety & Cleanup
  4. Guidance Document 23 - Pre-approved Commercial Laboratories: Fixed Base and Mobile

The laboratories listed below have submitted information requested on Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) guidance document GD24 Fixed Base Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plans. The information has been reviewed and these labs can be used by contractors to perform analysis without submitting additional laboratory information. Pre-approved commercial laboratories have Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plans and methods on file with the MDA.

The pre-approved laboratories must use the methods that are approved and on file with the MDA. We have noted on the listing if a laboratory’s reporting limit (RL) does not meet the program reporting limits required at most MDA Pesticide Clean-up sites. This list will be updated periodically.

If a contractor is considering using a laboratory not on the pre-approved list, the laboratory should submit the information required on MDA guidance document GD24 Fixed Base Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plans at least two (2) months prior to analysis to allow MDA staff to review and approve the method.

The current MDA List 1 and 2 Pesticides, and Nutrients are listed below. It is the responsibility of the contractor to insure that the correct compound list is analyzed and the site specific target compound reporting limits are met. The pre-approved commercial laboratory program is not a certification program nor does MDA endorse any particular laboratory. The MDA pesticide programs operate under Environmental Protection Agency Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) guidelines.

The MDA also pre-approves mobile field methods for use on agricultural chemical incident investigations and cleanups. Field or mobile laboratories interested in becoming pre-approved must submit the information outlined in MDA guidance document GD25 Mobile Laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plans which can be found on the MDA web page.

MDA List 1 Pesticides Soils RL (mg/Kg) Water RL (µg/L)
Acetochlor (Harness/Surpass) 0.05 0.5
Alachlor (Lasso) 0.05 0.5
Atrazine (Aatrex) 0.05 0.5
Deethylatrazine 0.05 0.5
Deisopropylatrazine 0.05 0.5
Dimethenamid (Frontier) 0.05 0.5
Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) 0.05 0.5
Cyanazine (Bladex) 0.05 0.2
EPTC (Eptam/Eradicane) 0.05 0.5
Ethalfluralin (Sonalan) 0.05 0.5
Fonofos (Dyfonate) 0.05 0.5
Metolachlor (Dual) 0.05 0.5
Metribuzin (Lexone/Sencor) 0.05 0.5
Pendimethalin (Prowl) 0.05 0.5
Phorate (Thimet) 0.05 0.3
Propachlor (Ramrod) 0.05 0.5
Prometon (Pramitol) 0.05 0.5
Propazine (Milogard) 0.05 0.5
Simazine (Princep) 0.05 0.5
Terbufos (Counter) 0.05 0.2
Triallate (Far-go) 0.05 0.5
Trifluralin (Treflan) 0.05 0.5
MDA List 2 Pesticides Soils RL (mg/Kg) Water RL (µg/L)
2,4-D 0.1 0.5
2,4-DB (Butyrac) 0.1 0.5
2,4,5-T 0.1 0.5
2.4,5-TP (Silvex) 0.1 0.5
Bentazon (Basagran) 0.1 0.5
Dicamba (Banvel) 0.1 0.5
MCPA 0.1 0.3
Picloram (Tordon) 0.1 0.5
Triclopyr (Garlon) 0.1 0.5
Nutrients Soils RL (mg/Kg) Water RL (mg/L)
Ammonia - N 20 0.05
Nitrate + Nitrite - N Not Applicable 1.0
Nitrate - N 10 Not Applicable
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 150 1.0

Pre-Approved Commercial Laboratories and Methods: Fixed Base and Mobile

  • ALS Environmental - Holland Facility Fixed Base
    3352 128th Avenue, Holland, MI 49424, 616-399-6070
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: Ammonia • Nitrate • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
    Water: Ammonia • Nitrate + Nitrite • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen

  • ECCS, a division of Pace Analytical Services, Inc. Fixed Base and Mobile Lab*
    2525 Advance Road, Madison, WI 53718, 608-221-8700
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: MDA List 1 • MDA List 2 • Ammonia • Nitrate
    Water: MDA List 1 • MDA List 2• Ammonia • Nitrate + Nitrite

  • Keystone Laboratories, Inc. Fixed Base
    600 East 17th Street South, Newton, IA 50208, 641-792-8451
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: Ammonia • Nitrate
    Water: Ammonia • Nitrate + Nitrite

  • Legend Technical Services Fixed Base
    88 Empire Drive, St. Paul, MN 55103, 651-642-1150
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: MDA List 1 • Nitrate
    Water: MDA List 1 • Nitrate + Nitrite

  • Midwest Laboratories, Inc. Fixed Base
    13611 B Street, Omaha, NE 68144, 402-334-7770
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: MDA List 1 
    Water: MDA List 1

  • Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories, Inc. (MVTL) Fixed Base
    1126 North Front Street, New Ulm, MN 56073, 507-354-8517
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: MDA List 1 • Ammonia • Nitrate • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
    Water: MDA List 1 • Ammonia • Nitrate + Nitrite • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen

  • Pace Analytical® - Duluth Fixed Base
    4730 Oneota Street, Duluth, MN 55807, 218-336-2115
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: Ammonia • Nitrate • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
    Water: Ammonia • Nitrate + Nitrite • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen • Nitrite

  • Pace Analytical® - Minneapolis Fixed Base
    1700 Elm Street, Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55414, 612-607-6352
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Water:  Ammonia • Nitrate + Nitrite • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen

  • South Dakota Agricultural Laboratories Fixed Base
    1335 Western Avenue, Brookings, SD 57006, 605-692-7325
    Pre-approved Analytical Methods: Status - Current
    Soil: MDA List 2
    Water: MDA List 2

Status: Information in the laboratory’s file is current for calendar year unless noted.

*The mobile laboratory is not approved for all situations and must be pre-approved by MDA staff prior to use:

  • Mobile laboratories equipped with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) may be used for initial site sample analysis of pesticides.
  • Mobile laboratories equipped with alternative detectors such as electron capture (ECD) or flame ionization (FID) require at least 10% of the samples collected in duplicate at the same time as the initial samples, and analyzed by an independent GC/MS laboratory.
  • Subsequent site sample analyses by mobile laboratories with ECD or FID detectors may be allowed by MDA, if it has been shown that there are no other analytes of concern.
  • Excavated soils must be analyzed by GC/MS to meet disposition evaluation requirements, before off-site disposal, land application or other treatment or disposal. 
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