Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty has said first-quarter inspections of 103 mammography facilities found all of them to be operating within the guidelines set by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty has said first-quarter inspections of 103 mammography facilities found all of them to be operating within the guidelines set by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

DEP inspects each of Pennsylvania's approximately 400 certified mammography facilities annually under a contract with FDA, which sets standards for these facilities under the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act.

The inspections are part of an ongoing effort to ensure a high-degree of proficiency in the maintenance and operation of sophisticated equipment used to conduct these tests.

A performance audit conducted by the state Auditor General's Office and released in December 2003 confirmed that DEP is doing an exemplary job on inspections.

DEP is making information on the inspections available by partnering with the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.

Information on locating regional mammography facilities and the latest inspection reports are available online at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, DEP Keyword: 'Mammography', then click on 'Mammography Facility Inspections in PA'.