Opinion ID: 2751605
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Sampling equipment shall be capable of collecting a sample of expired alveolar air.

Text: 2. Analytical instrumentation shall be capable of analyzing replicate samples of breath containing a known amount of alcohol with a precision of plus or minus 5% from their mean when alcohol concentrations are reported to three significant figures. 3. Analytical instrumentation shall be capable of determining the blood or breath alcohol concentration of the person sampled with an accuracy of plus or minus 10%. The calculation of an equivalent blood alcohol concentration from the result of a breath alcohol analysis shall be based on a blood to breath alcohol concentration ratio of 2100:1. 4. Instrumentation shall be capable of determining the breath alcohol concentration of the person sampled within plus or minus 10% where the concentration is expressed as weight percent alcohol per 210 liters of expired air. 5. The analytical instrumentation shall be capable of detecting the presence of potentially interfering compounds which may be present in breath and which may otherwise interfere with accurate determination of an equivalent blood or breath alcohol concentration. 6. The analytical instrumentation and procedures used for analysis of breath alcohol content for evidentiary purposes shall be approved by the Commissioner of Health. Id . ¶ 19. In Rolfe , this Court held that the DOH rules complied with the mandates of § 1203(d). 166 Vt. at 8-10, 686 A.2d at 955-56 . Defendants contend on appeal, as they did before the trial court, that the DataMaster DMT was never approved by the Commissioner as required by paragraph 6 of the rule. Specifically, defendants argue that (1) letters from the Commissioner in 2006 and 2010 approving “the DataMaster using infrared technology” were not sufficiently specific to cover the DataMaster DMT because the technologies utilized in the BAC and DMT models were so distinctive as to require separate approval letters; (2) the 2006 approval letter could not have covered the DMT model because it was signed in February 2006 and the DOH did not even begin purchasing DMTs until May 2006; and (3) the 2010 letter was signed in September of that year, so even if the letter did cover the DMT, such approval was too late to apply at the time of defendant Harris’s arrest in March 2010. Defendants further argue that even if the letters were sufficient to constitute an approval under the rule, the Commissioner did not engage in due diligence in issuing the approvals. In support of this claim, defendants point to an August 2010 letter from a state’s attorney requesting that the Commissioner approve the DataMaster DMT for use in certain counties in the Northeast Kingdom in order “to avoid this technical challenge to the new equipment.” The Commissioner responded by noting that “[w] ith respect to the new DataMaster equipment, the current form documents the Commissioner’s approval of DataMaster instruments using infrared technology and covers the former and new equipment. Since you have expressed a concern, however, I am in the process of reissuing the approval form.” ¶ 20. Defendants’ claims boil down to whether the Commissioner’s approval letters complied with the requirements of paragraph 6 of the DOH rule. This question implicates the DOH’s interpretation of its own regulations. “We employ a deferential standard of review of an agency’s interpretation of its own regulations,” and the presumption that an agency’s interpretation is valid “may be overcome only by compelling indications of error.” Conservation Law Found. v. Burke , 162 Vt. 115, 121, 645 A.2d 495, 498 (1993); see also Judicial Watch, Inc. v. State , 2005 VT 108, ¶ 10, 179 Vt. 214, 892 A.2d 191 (“Absent compelling indications of error, interpretations of administrative regulations or statutes by the agency responsible for their execution will be sustained on appeal.” ( quotation omitted)). In interpreting regulations, our paramount goal “is to discern the intent of the drafters.” Burke , 162 Vt. at 121, 645 A.2d at 499 . We begin by referencing the plain meaning of the regulatory language, but “other tools of construction are available to us should the plain-meaning rule prove unavailing.” In re Williston Inn Grp. , 2008 VT 47, ¶ 14, 183 Vt. 621, 949 A.2d 1073 (mem.). ¶ 21. Paragraph 6 of the DOH rule states that “[t]he analytical instrumentation and procedures used for analysis of breath alcohol content for evidentiary purposes shall be approved by the Commissioner of Health.” Breath & Blood Analysis Regulation, § C( I)(6). Defendants contend that “instrumentation” refers to specific breath-alcohol machine models, and that the DMT and BAC models are so different as to require separate approval letters. However, the letters indicate that the Commissioner interpreted the term to refer to one or both of two types of instruments that perform the same function, one employing the gas-chromatography method, the other employing the infrared-spectrophotometry method. This broader interpretation of “instrumentation” does not require approval of specific models such as the BAC or DMT. Considering the instrumentation approval for breath-alcohol analysis in tandem with the instrumentation approval for blood-alcohol analysis, it becomes apparent that the broader interpretation is the correct one. ¶ 22. The Commissioner’s approval letters going back to 1992 consistently approve of instrumentation using infrared spectrophotometry for breath-alcohol analysis, and expressly mention “ DataMaster .” Additionally, the 1992 and 1997 approval letters both also approve of instrumentation using gas chromatography and expressly mention “GCI Intoximeter .” In the 2004 letter, the Commissioner made no mention of instrumentation using the gas-chromatography method for “the analysis of breath alcohol for evidentiary purposes.” Both the 2006 and 2010 letters state that “[t]he instrumentation approved for analysis of breath alcohol for evidentiary purposes is the DataMaster using infrared technology,” and also omit gas chromatography as an approved method for breath-alcohol analysis. ¶ 23. The approval method for instrumentation for blood-alcohol analysis exists within the same legal framework as the approval method of breath-alcohol-analysis instrumentation. See 23 V.S.A. § 1203(d) (“Analysis of the person’s breath or blood . . . shall be considered valid when performed according to methods approved by the department of health. . . . The department of health shall use rule making procedures to select its method or methods.” ( emphasis added)). Like the instrumentation for breath-alcohol analysis, “ [a] nalytical instrumentation and analytical procedures [for blood alcohol] shall be approved by the Commissioner of Health.” Breath & Blood Alcohol Analysis Regulation, § C( II)(4). In the 1992 approval letter from the Commissioner, the sentence immediately preceding the one approving breath-alcohol-analysis instrumentation reads, “For the analysis of blood alcohol for evidentiary purposes, I continue to approve the instrumentation of gas chromatography with flame ionization detection.” The approval letters from 1997, 2004, 2006, and 2010 were less specific, omitting the phrase “with flame ionization detection.” Including the letter from 1992, none of these letters expressly identify any specific instrumentation model; they do not even name an approved brand. In the context of blood-alcohol analysis, the Commissioner clearly interpreted “instrumentation” in a more general sense than the one for which defendant’s argue. ¶ 24. Any doubt about the Commissioner’s view of the regulation would be resolved by the Commissioner’s 2010 email to the state’s attorney, which specifically stated that the approval letters pertain to “ DataMaster instruments using infrared technology” and thus “cover[] the former and new equipment.” This history suggests that the Commissioner did not view the rule as mandating greater specificity than naming a general class of instruments, such as those using infrared technology, although the letters usually went farther and named the DOH’s chosen brand. The more general language used to approve instrumentation for blood-alcohol analysis lends further support to a broader understanding of “instrumentation” as applied to approving the method to analyze breath-alcohol for evidentiary purposes. ¶ 25. The DOH rule entrusts the approval of “analytical instrumentation and procedures used for analysis of breath alcohol content for evidentiary purposes” to the Commissioner. Breath & Blood Alcohol Analysis Regulation, § C( I)(6). We have reasoned that where the Commissioner is responsible for administering a statute or rule, “the Commissioner necessarily has developed expertise in this administration. As a result, we give deference to the Commissioner’s interpretation.” Traveler’s Indem . Co. v. Wallis , 2003 VT 103, ¶ 14, 176 Vt. 167, 845 A.2d 316; see also Williston Inn , 2008 VT 47, ¶¶ 13-16 (deferring to Commissioner of Taxes’ interpretation of word “lease” in tax statute because interpretation was reasonable and did not undermine purpose of statute). ¶ 26. Here, the rule does not contain a definition of the term “instrumentation.” The rule does define “method,” however, as “an analytical technique for performing chemical analyses,” and states that “[a] method may require specific analytical instrumentation.” Breath & Blood Alcohol Analysis Regulation, § B( I)(3). The rule goes on to identify gas chromatography and infrared spectrophotometry as the approved methods and explains the standards that the “analytical instrumentation” that uses those methods must meet in order to comply with the rule. Therefore, the rule’s plain terms differentiate between “method” and “instrumentation.” The distinction is logical. An “instrument” is a tangible device; a “method” is an intangible process. ¶ 27. W e reject defendants’ argument that “instrumentation” must refer to specific DataMaster models, such as the DMT or BAC. The Commissioner was reasonable in interpreting “instrumentation” to refer to a class of instruments rather than specific models. In fact, although the DOH approval letters do not name an approved brand for the gas chromatography method, the letters have consistently approved the DataMaster brand for the infrared spectrophotometry method. This interpretation that instrumentation may refer to a brand of machinery is consistent with the plain meaning of the word “instrumentation” as well as the statutory framework and our case law. The dictionary definition of “instrumentation” is “[t] he application or use of instruments. . . . The study, development, and manufacture of instruments, as for scientific use.” American Heritage College Dictionary 705 (3d ed. 1993). By contrast, “instrument” refers to “[a] device for recording, measuring, or controlling.” Id . An instrument is designed to function in a certain way by employing a certain method. In selecting a certain method, one does not necessarily select a certain instrument, as any number of different instruments may employ the same method. Instrumentation, by contrast, concerns “ the process of developing, manufacturing, and using instruments” more generally. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary (2010). The word refers to the type of machinery used and its functional processes, rather than the specific device or model. ¶ 28. We presume that the DOH chose the term “instrumentation” for a reason, and that had it intended an approach that would require approval of specific breath-alcohol-machine models, it would have chosen to articulate that requirement with the more fitting word “instrument.” See In re SP Land Co. , 2011 VT 104, ¶ 23, 190 Vt. 418, 35 A.3d 1007 (explaining that courts “ presum [e] that the drafters of the rules intended the plain and ordinary meaning of the language used in the rules”); Slocum v. Dep’t of Soc. Welfare , 154 Vt. 474, 481, 580 A.2d 951, 956 (1990) (stating the “presumption that all language in a statute or regulation is inserted for a purpose”) . Since the rule states that the Commissioner must approve “instrumentation,” not “instruments,” the Commissioner did not err in taking the more general approach mandated by rule. ¶ 29. Moreover, the Commissioner’s approval of the DataMaster brand rather than a specific model accords with the intent of the Legislature for a more general approach that affords flexibility to the DOH in administering the statutory requirements. In Rolfe , we explained that the advantage of more general performance requirements “is that the rules are generic and do not have to anticipate the operation of many instruments that use infrared spectrophotometry to analyze breath samples.” 166 Vt. at 8-9, 686 A.2d at 955 . We went on the explain that “[t]he Legislature clearly intended a less specific approach for infrared testing by providing in § 1203(d) that a sample would be considered adequate if the infrared testing device did not reject it. Thus, it intended that the machine itself would find and indicate errors, obviating the need to prevent errors by precisely regulating the breath-testing procedure.” Id . In other words, we concluded because the Legislature expected that the machines would be self-regulating, it decided to require a less hands-on regulatory approach. See State v. Wells , 172 Vt. 603, 606 & n., 779 A.2d 680, 683 & n. (2001) (mem.) (upholding trial court’s determination that DataMaster meets DOH performance standards based on DOH chemist’s affidavit stating that “[t]he reporting of an alcohol concentration of a person’s breath by the DataMaster is evidence that the instrument had successfully met all internal and external quality control reviews and had been operating properly at the time the breath sample was analyzed”). The Legislature’s intent was thus properly effectuated by DOH’s generic, non-instrument-specific implementing rules. ¶ 30. In Rolfe , we further clarified that the DOH rule’s delegating of authority to the Commissioner to approve the analytical instrumentation and procedures “follows from the choice . . . to adopt performance standards, which are not instrument-specific, and leave it to the commissioner to ensure that any machinery will meet the performance standards.” 166 Vt. at 9, 686 A.2d at 955 . On this basis, we upheld the delegation of performance standards to the Commissioner. Id . at 8-9, 686 A.2d at 955 . In short, our decision in Rolfe interpreted the enabling statute, § 1203(d), to provide a “generic” approach to the performance standards, and concluded that the delegation of authority over performance standards to the Commissioner was also proper precisely because the standards are not “instrument-specific.” Defendants’ contention that the Commissioner’s approval had to reach such heights of specificity as to approve of every model using infrared spectrophotometry is contrary to the statutory framework and our case law interpreting it. [5] ¶ 31. Defendants assert that the Commissioner’s letters were insufficient to comply with the DOH rule because the technology used in the DMT model is so distinctive from the BAC model that a separate approval letter was required for each model. For the reasons described above, defendants’ arguments are inapposite. The interpretation of the term “instrumentation” as used in the DOH rule is not dependent on the differences or similarities between models based on their software, calibration techniques or other operating system differences; rather, it is based on the class of instruments that employs a particular type of technology—in this case the DataMaster brand. [6] Defendants do not dispute that both the BAC and DMT models are DataMaster machines that use the same basic technology. For similar reasons, defendants’ arguments regarding the timing of the letters—that the 2006 letter was issued before the State purchased the DataMaster DMT machines and consequently did not cover them, and that the 2010 letter was too late to apply to defendant Harris—are not persuasive, as the Commissioner has consistently approved the “ DataMaster using infrared technology” since 1992, and these approvals were sufficient to cover all DataMaster models, including the DMT. ¶ 32. Defendants further argue that even if the 2006 and 2010 approval letters covered the DataMaster DMT, the Commissioner engaged in little to no due diligence in issuing these approvals. Defendants primarily rely on their allegations that the devices experienced continuous malfunctions during the testing phase, leading a DOH chemist to recommend purchasing machines from a different company, and the Commissioner’s 2010 email stating that she would issue an approval letter in response to a state’s attorney’s request. We dispose of defendants’ latter allegation by noting that the Commissioner’s response to the state’s attorney did not reflect a lack of due diligence, as suggested by defendants, but rather her interpretation that the DOH rule did not require specific approval of the DataMaster DMT and, consequently, that prior approvals of the DataMaster generally covered the DMTs at issue. Defendants’ insinuation that the Commissioner issued the 2010 approval letter in bad faith is unfounded. ¶ 33. As to defendants’ former allegations, we reiterate our highly deferential standard of review of administrative actions, which we approach “with a gingerly step.” In re Agency of Admin. , 141 Vt. 68, 74, 444 A.2d 1349, 1351 (1982). “Bathed in a singleness of concern and anointed with an aura of expertise, administrative actions have traditionally kept reviewing courts an arm’s length away.” Id . Of course, “we must endeavor to ensure that such deference does not result in unjust, unreasonable or absurd consequences,” and “the presumption of validity for an agency’s interpretations of its regulations may be overcome by the existence of compelling indications of error in such interpretations.” In re Verburg , 159 Vt. 161, 165, 616 A.2d 237, 239 (1992) (quotations omitted). Here, the trial court found that the evidence showed that the DOH “conducted extensive testing of the DMT machine between 2005 and 2008, and eventually concluded that it met all of the Vermont performance standards.” The trial court further found that successive DOH commissioners properly relied on the expertise of subordinates that were intimately familiar with the breath-alcohol testing machines and the testing process employed to ensure their reliability in the field. The trial court’s conclusions are supported by the record, and we cannot say that the Commissioner’s approval was exercised without due diligence. Affirmed . FOR THE COURT: