The Scientific Laboratory Division (SLD) provides laboratory analysis and scientific expertise for public health policy development, environment, and toxicology programs in New Mexico (NM). SLD provides timely identification in order to prevent, identify, and respond to threats to public health and safety from emerging and unusual infectious diseases in humans, animals, water, food, and dairy, as well as chemical and radiological hazards in drinking water systems and environmental water, air, and soil. In addition, the laboratory performs drug testing and provides expert witness testimony for forensic investigations of DWI/DUID and cause of death from drugs and infectious disease. SLD is the primacy bioterrorism and chemical terrorism response laboratory for the state and provides training for clinical laboratories throughout New Mexico. 

New Mexico statute dictates that the Scientific Laboratory Division is the primacy laboratory for the New Mexico Department of Health, the New Mexico Environment Department, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, as well as the testing and regulatory authority for impaired driving testing.

The Scientific Laboratory is New Mexico’s official public health, environmental monitoring, and forensic toxicology laboratory. In the above roles, the Scientific Laboratory Division operates the following programs:

• Infectious disease reference testing laboratory for the New Mexico Department of Health, NM hospitals, and clinical labs;
• Primacy NM regulatory drinking water testing laboratory for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NM Environment Department;
• Regulatory air testing laboratory for NM Environment Department and City of Albuquerque;
• Primacy NM regulatory dairy testing laboratory for the Food and Drug Administration and NM Department of Agriculture;
• Veterinary infectious disease reference testing laboratory for the NM Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Services;
• Food borne infectious disease testing laboratory;
• Certification inspectors for private dairy and dairy testing laboratories for the NM Environment Department and the NM Department of Agriculture;
• DWI/DUID alcohol and drug testing laboratory;
• State toxicology expert witnesses for DWI/DUID criminal cases;
• Certifying authority for NM law enforcement officers for breath alcohol testing;
• Bio- and chemical terrorism response laboratory for New Mexico;
• Disease and drug testing laboratory for the NM Office of the Medical Examiner.

FY18 OPERATING BUDGET: $ 12,904,200

• General Funds:      $7,599,600
• Other Transfers:    $1,251,100
• Federal Funds:       $2,646,000
• Other State Funds: $1,407,500

During the second quarter of FY18, some of SLD’s accomplishments included:

• Although the Drug Screening Section Supervisor position was vacated during this quarter, the number of cases reported within the 15 day turn-around time was doubled (from 22% to 45%).
• The request perform Mercury by EPA method 200.8 was submitted to the EPA. The request included the submission of analytical data, proficiency test results, and method detection limit studies. The addition of this method will improve result turnaround times, particularly for compliance drinking water samples, and will have the added benefit of a slight cost reduction for the NM Environment Department Drinking Water Bureau.