Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Joins Forces with TestAmerica

SAN BRUNO, CA – JANUARY 2004

Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has joined forces with TestAmerica Environmental Services, LLC. This change will allow EMLab to provide a broader range of services and more locations to better serve the changing needs of its clients. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, EMLab is the premier mold and bacterial testing laboratory in the United States. TestAmerica is the second-largest environmental laboratory in the United States and is based in Asheville, North Carolina.

David Gallup, Chairman of EMLab, commented, "EMLab's mission, and my job, is to help our clients succeed by providing the best analytical quality and personalized service in our industry. I have chosen to join forces with TestAmerica because I believe it is the best way for us to help our clients. It allows us to continue to focus exclusively on our core business, which is high-quality mold and bacterial analysis for IAQ investigations; and to devote more resources to developing value-added products and services for our clients. It is our goal to be the benchmark for quality and service in our industry, and I will be working to ensure that this year, like every other, our quality and service continue to improve. Our President, Dr. David Bell and I will be working hard to insure that our clients see tangible benefits as the result of our association with TestAmerica quickly as possible."

Thomas R. Barr, CEO of TestAmerica stated, "EMLab is an ideal complement to our national environmental testing business. They bring premier-class microbiological analytical capability to our clients. TestAmerica customers now have immediate access to analyses of mold and bacterial samples for indoor air quality investigations. Further, EMLab clients now have immediate access to TestAmerica's wide-ranging environmental testing services and geographic coverage."

Starting in February, EMLab clients will have the convenience of submitting their mold samples at TestAmerica facilities, to be forwarded to EMLab's headquarters in San Bruno for analysis. Over time, rush services will be available through MicroLABs run by EMLab, but located in TestAmerica facilities. Also, EMLab clients can take advantage of other IAQ analytical services through TestAmerica.

TestAmerica specializes in tests to detect trace level organic and inorganic contaminants in soil, water, sludge, and air samples that are shipped from industrial processing and other sites that are being investigated, monitored, or remediated for the presence of harmful substances. TestAmerica also performs drilling and air emissions testing.

EMLab specializes in mold, bacterial, and bioaersol analysis. It has over 30 years of experience and helped pioneer today's indoor air quality (IAQ) industry. EMLab's database and reference library are considered among the largest and most complete in the industry. The company has an industry-leading team of mycologists with experience gained from thousands of IAQ projects and lead by Dr. Harriet Burge who has been on 7 National Science Academy committees, helped develop the ASHRAE 72 standard (ventilation for indoor air quality), and has over 60 peer reviewed publications.

EMLab operates 6 facilities in the US with four in California, one near Fort Lauderdale, Florida and one in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and MicroLABs slated for Sacramento, CA and Texas. The company's clients include industrial hygienists, laboratories, state and local public health departments, hospitals, and IAQ professionals.

The company recently announced that its San Diego laboratory has received accreditation by the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA-LAP LLC) EMLAP program. The AIHA-LAP LLC accreditation applies to the analysis of mold and bacteria in EMLab's San Diego laboratory and follows the accreditation of their Northern California laboratory.

Further information about both companies can be obtained at: www.testamericainc.com and www.emlab.com.