Analytical methods for the determination of the derivatives of the herbicide (${pm}$)-2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propionic acid (MCPP) by capillary column gas chromatography with mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and electron-capture detection (GC-ECD) were studied. A successful procedure was introduced for the ester preparation using $H_2SO_4$, as the catalyst and the alcohol 2,2,2-trichloroethanol (TCE) or 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE). The identificaiton and elucidation of MCPP by GC-MS spectrometry following the esterification with diazomethane, $BF_3$/methanol, $H_2SO_4$/methanol, TCE, TFE, or pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFB) were carried out. A comparison of the response-sensitivities among those MCPP esters was made with GC-ECD. Although the methylation product of MCPP was confirmed by GC-MS, its low sensitivity to the ECD limited the detection of MCPP. TCE, TFE, and PFB derivatization methods resulted in a high rate of MCPP esterifications and very sensitive ECD molecular responses. Based on efficiency, convenience, worker safety, and least sample contamination, TFE esterificaiton was considered as the superior method for MCPP analysis to the other methods of derivatization. An accurate method is described for quantifying MCPP in soil leachates by GC-ECD at very low concentrations without the requirement of a complicated clean-up process. As a result, MCPP residues at concentrations of less than $0.1{mu}g$ in 100ml soil leachate were detected.