Electronic Submittal of Information (ESI) - Frequently Asked Questions
EDF "LABCODE," "LOGCODE," etc.
4.1 What is a “LABCODE” valid value?
The LABCODE valid value is a unique code of up to four characters that identifies the analytical Laboratory that receives the samples (not necessarily the laboratory that performs the analyses). If a Laboratory has more than one office location, each location needs to have its own LABCODE.
The LABCODE can be obtained by calling enABL, Inc.’s EDF Help Desk at 1-800-506-3887. If you get a voicemail message, leave your contact info and they will call you back. You can also go to their web page https://edfhelpdesk.com/form/valid-value-request . Note that enABL, Inc.’s EDF Help Desk also processes requests for other types of EDF valid values (e.g. new parameters (PARLABELs), methods (ANMCODEs), etc.).
You can check to see if a laboratory already has a LABCODE valid value from either the public ESI webpage or from a secure ESI account. Here’s how:
Public ESI webpage http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ust/electronic_submittal/index.shtml
Scroll down to the “Technical Information on Uploading Data” section
Click on “Valid Value Lists (VVL) for ESI
Click on “EDF”
From the “FIELD NAME” drop down list, select “LABCODE”
The valid value search tool uses an asterisk (“*”) symbol as a wild card. Enter the main portion of the laboratory name (just one word is suggested) with asterisks at both ends in the DESCRIPTION field and click on “Search For Values.” The reason why we don’t suggest entering the entire laboratory name is to increase the likelihood that your search will be successful in finding an exact match in our database for the text entered between the asterisks. If the laboratory name is often referred to using an abbreviation or acronym, try searching for that too (again with the asterisks).
Click on “Search For Values”
Secure ESI account
At upper left under TOOLS, click on “VVL Search Tool”
Click on “EDF”
From the “FIELD NAME” drop down list, select “LABCODE”
The valid value search tool uses an asterisk (“*”) symbol as a wild card. Enter the main portion of the laboratory name (just one word is suggested) with asterisks at both ends in the DESCRIPTION field and click on “Search For Values.” The reason why we don’t suggest entering the entire laboratory name is to increase the likelihood that your search will be successful in finding an exact match in our database for the text entered between the asterisks. If the laboratory name is often referred to using an abbreviation or acronym, try searching for that too (again with the asterisks).
Click on “Search For Values”
4.2 What is a “LOGCODE” valid value?
The LOGCODE valid value is a unique code of up to four characters that identifies the company/organization responsible for collecting field samples and related field data (i.e., environmental sampling information). The LOGCODE is not automatically assigned when you create a Geotracker account and must be requested by calling enABL, Inc.’s EDF Help Desk at 1-800-506-3887. If you get a voicemail message, leave your contact info and they will call you back. You can also go to their web page https://edfhelpdesk.com/form/logcode-request . If your company has multiple office locations, each office that gathers EDF field samples needs to have their own LOGCODE. Once your office has a LOGCODE, you do not need to request another one unless your company name changes, in which case you will need to contact enABL, Inc.’s EDF Help Desk again and request a new LOGCODE for the new company name. If the RP or consultant who is doing the EDF uploading didn’t gather the samples themselves, but instead contracted it out to another company, it would be the other company’s LOGCODE that the laboratory would need, even if the other company does not have a Geotracker account and does not upload into Geotracker.
You can check to see if a company and/or office already has a LOGCODE valid value from either the public ESI webpage or from a secure ESI account. Here’s how:
Public ESI webpage http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ust/electronic_submittal/index.shtml
Scroll down to the “Technical Information on Uploading Data” section
Click on “Valid Value Lists (VVL) for ESI”
Click on “EDF”
From the “FIELD NAME” drop down list, select “LOGCODE”
The valid value search tool uses an asterisk (“*”) symbol as a wild card. Enter the main portion of the company name (just one word is suggested) with asterisks at both ends in the DESCRIPTION field and click on “Search For Values.” The reason why we don’t suggest entering the entire company name is to increase the likelihood that your search will be successful in finding an exact match in our database for the text entered between the asterisks. If your company name is often referred to using an abbreviation or acronym, try searching for that too (again with the asterisks).
Click on “Search For Values”
Secure ESI account
At upper left under TOOLS, click on “VVL Search Tool”
Click on “EDF”
From the “FIELD NAME” drop down list, select “LOGCODE”
The valid value search tool uses an asterisk (“*”) symbol as a wild card. Enter the main portion of the company name (just one word is suggested) with asterisks at both ends in the DESCRIPTION field and click on “Search For Values.” The reason why we don’t suggest entering the entire company name is to increase the likelihood that your search will be successful in finding an exact match in our database for the text entered between the asterisks. If your company name is often referred to using an abbreviation or acronym, you can also try searching for that too (again with the asterisks).
Click on “Search For Values”
4.3 What is the “SAMPID” field in an EDF submittal and what is it used for?
The SAMPID (Sample ID) field in the EDFSAMP, EDFTEST, and EDFFLAT files is the unique identifier assigned to a field sample as it appears on the chain-of-custody. SAMPID normally is the same as the FPN, (see FAQ 5.3) although it may be different (e.g. multiple depth samples, duplicate samples, and for samples identified on the chain of custody with a longer name than the 10 or less characters long GeoTracker FPN). The SAMPID field entry can be up to 25 characters long.
4.4 How to report DUPLICATE samples?
The FIELD_PT_NAME field in the EDF for the non-duplicate sample and its duplicate should be the same. The consultant may need to edit the duplicate’s FIELD_PT_NAME in the EDF to make it the same as the non-duplicate’s name.
The duplicate’s SAMPID field in the EDF should include the actual FIELD_PT_NAME plus the letters “DUP” (e.g. “MW-1DUP”) to identify it as a duplicate.
4.5 How to Report STOCKPILE and COMPOSITE samples?
If stockpile sample or composite sample (often collected from stockpiles or holding drums) laboratory analytical results are included in the regulatory report, then you must also upload the results in EDF format into GeoTracker. To do so, for each sample you will need to first add or upload an FPN to the Global ID’s Field Point Name list.
Stockpile sample locations do not have to be surveyed but do need to be shown on the site map (see the document titled "Reporting Requirements” in the section “Electronic Reporting Overview" near the top of our ESI webpage http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/ust/electronic_submittal/index.shtml . Composite sample locations also do not have to be surveyed nor do they have to be shown on the site map.
