SMYRNA, Del. - Delaware officials celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art environmental laboratory in Smyrna on Thursday, replacing an aging facility and expanding the state's ability to monitor water quality and environmental health.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's new Environmental Laboratory was funded with $27.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and an additional $2.63 million in state funding.
The facility replaces the department's previous laboratory, which operated out of the Richardson and Robbins Building in Dover.
Christopher Main, a laboratory manager with DNREC, said the old building had become increasingly difficult to maintain and was no longer suited for the needs of modern environmental testing.
"The original building, the Richardson and Robbins Building, was an old cannery built in the 1800s," Main said. "You can see that in the structure of the building."
Main said the aging facility faced infrastructure challenges, including plumbing issues and deteriorating conditions.
"We had issues where the infrastructure was starting to crumble," Main said. "We had plumbing issues and things like that."
The new laboratory is equipped with modern technology and instruments designed to support chemists, biologists, microbiologists, molecular scientists and field personnel.
According to lab director Ashley Kunder, the upgraded facility was designed to accommodate current and future testing methods while providing a safer and more efficient work environment for laboratory staff.
"This is built with all the safety features in mind to ensure that we, the laboratory, can operate in a very safe and efficient manner while still producing the data that is needed for protecting the health and environment of Delaware," Main said.
Among the laboratory's capabilities is testing for PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they can persist in the environment for long periods of time.
Laura Lockard, a laboratory manager at the facility, demonstrated equipment used to process samples for PFAS analysis and said the new space helps reduce the risk of contamination during testing.
"This is so important," Lockard said. "Having this new facility means that we are less at risk of contamination when we're processing our samples."
DNREC officials say the laboratory's work plays a critical role in monitoring Delaware's rivers, streams, ponds, groundwater and coastal waters.
"Our responsibilities test all surface and groundwater throughout the entire state of Delaware," Main said. "That is to ensure safe recreational waters as well as drinking waters for all the citizens and our visitors here to the state of Delaware."
Officials say the new laboratory will help the state continue protecting public health and natural resources while meeting the demands of increasingly sophisticated environmental testing for years to come.
