The US Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking the acid precipitation monitoring services for monitoring site CA76 in the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, National Trends Network (NADP-NTN) located in Siskiyou County near Yreka California. The land is owned by the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District. This will allow for operation of a NADP-NTN wet atmospheric monitoring station. Operation requires weekly site visits to the site to collect, process, and ship the precipitation sample, collect, process and transmit associated data with the site including the precipitation gage record and perform routine instrument checks, maintenance and repairs as needed. Period of Performance will be Date of award through 1/31/2017 with 4 One year options as follows: Option Year One: 02/01/2017-01/31/2018 Option Year Two: 02/01/2018-01/31/2019 Option Year Three: 02/01/2019-01/31/2020 Option Year Four: 02/01/2020-01/31/2021 The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Mission Area, Office of Water Quality requires the operation of these sites in order to support the NADP-NTN. The USGS is the designated lead agency for the monitoring of atmospheric deposition and NADP is the operational organization through which the USGS and other participating organizations accomplish this national-scale monitoring in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. The USGS is aware of no other source that can provide the above. Therefore, it intends to make an award to the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control Board, unless it is contacted by any who believes they have obtained similar technical expertise and can provide the same service. Vendors are invited to contact the Contract Specialist, Andres Castro via email at
[email protected] no later than 2:00 PM EST, Tuesday, February 2, 2016 with an affirmative answer. SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION STATES THE FOLLOWING PART: The following information is provided to demonstrate the proposed contractor's unique qualifications: The Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District is uniquely qualified to continue to provide this requirement due to their responsibilities, regulated by the state of California, within the county to conduct air quality monitoring and research. Staff members have the experience, knowledge, and expertise to complete the requirements without training or time spent in learning how to operate the equipment. It is imperative that direct-reading instruments be operated, and their data interpreted, by qualified individuals who are thoroughly familiar with the particular device's operating principles and limitations and who have obtained the device's latest operating instructions and calibration curves. It is essential that this requirement be accomplished without loss of continuity by fully qualified Personnel as well as without incurring delays. Airborne contaminants can present a significant threat to the public¿s health and safety, thus, identification and quantification of these contaminants through expedient air monitoring is vital. If option year two is not exercised, the USGS would incur the risk of delaying the reporting of high concentrations of chemicals present in the ambient atmosphere, which would compromise public safety. In addition, the option year four cost does not include the cost of additional training and travel that would be required if a new alternate vendor were selected to operate the site. This additional cost for training is estimated at $XXXX. It also does not include the cost of relocation of the analytical and sample processing laboratory which would be required if a new vendor was selected for NADP site operation. The nearest sampling station is located 311 miles away in Tahoe City, CA and the cost to relocate would be in the range of $XXXX and does not include any improvements that may be required by the USGS at the new analytical and sample processing laboratory. Furthermore, since the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District is near the Siskiyou County Airport, this reduces the cost of transporting the samples to a local airport when they are sent to the NDAP, saving the Government an estimated $XXX a year. Since 2011, the USGS has relied on the expertise and monitoring abilities of the Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District and Siskiyou owns the property on which the sampling equipment is located, including the sample processing and laboratory equipment, located within a county building. The Siskyou County Air Pollution Control District is the only known source qualified to collect this information on atmospheric deposition levels in the Yreka, California, area and they do not allow third-party vendors to operate this site or have access to the land, site or equipment. The NADP is a public, nonprofit, unincorporated, interstate association of parties interested in atmospheric deposition and its effects. It is structured as a cooperative program that represents coordinated efforts of many federal, state, academic, and private organizations and individuals to operate monitoring sites, report data, and oversee research activities related to atmospheric deposition. Membership in NADP is open to individuals and institutions interested in participating in any aspect of atmospheric deposition monitoring and/or research stemming from NADP data. This organizational structure is consistent with State Agricultural Experiment Station (SAES) Guidelines for Multi-state Research Activities. The contracts the USGS seeks to award represent partnerships to support sites in the most efficient manner with organizations and individuals that own and control the local site locations. Under the interagency National Acidic Precipitation Assessment Program established in 1981, the USGS is the designated lead agency for the monitoring of atmospheric deposition and NADP is the operational organization through which the USGS and other participating organizations accomplish this national-scale monitoring in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.