NAICS Code: 541710 THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION. QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is RFQ-RT-03-00017, and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 01-09. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541710, which has a size standard of 500 employees to qualify as a small business, is applicable. The contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. A firm, fixed-price purchase order is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. This procurement is for environmental mercury sampling and analysis of 180 samples. Environmental sampling is required to fully characterize total and methyl mercury in each environmental media, including the biotic compartments of fishes, plankton and algae. A watershed approach is to be taken, whereby soils, shallow groundwater and surface waters are sampled and the data used to parameterize a model of mercury loading. Provided that source characterizations reveal loading between watersheds to be uniform, additional modeling and analyses will be performed to evaluate ecological parameters influencing variable methyl mercury body burden in predatory fishes (bass and catfish) among ponds: size of pond and differing primary and/or secondary productivities; fraction riparian habitat responsible for increased methylation rates, or differences in food webs between ponds. Total mercury sampling using clean chemistry methods for the environmental media will be performed initially by contractor, and it is hoped that ultimately tribal and EPA personnel can undertake future sampling. Sampling will be performed for one sampling event in October/November, 2002 and 5 sampling events in January, April, June, August and October of 2003. The contractor shall collect surface water, shallow groundwater and atmospheric depositional samples utilizing clean chemistry techniques and analyze samples for total and methyl mercury. The objective of this contract is to conduct the needed environmental sampling to support model development and MeHg hazard assessment in the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation (S. Dakota), as well as the needed laboratory analysis to quantify mercury concentrations in the samples. Task 1: Environmental Sampling of Mercury. The contractor shall perform characterizations of mercury inputs through environmental sampling of atmospheric deposition, surface water, sediments and shallow groundwater on the number of samples listed in Table 1. For both the collection and analysis of environmental samples, the contractor shall adhere to the sampling and analytical methods explained in the document Guidance for Implementation and Use of EPA Method 1631 for the Determination of Low Level Mercury (40 CFR part 136, EPA 821-R-01-023, March 2001). The document is available on the USEPA web site: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/methods/1631.html. This includes requirements for clean techniques, quality control, preservation, and storage of samples (chain-of-custody). Task 2: Laboratory Analyses for Mercury. The contractor shall analyze environmental samples collected above and provide data as to concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury in each media, following the Guidance for Implementation and Use of EPA Method 1631 for the Determination of Low Level Mercury (40 CFR part 136, EPA 821-R-01-023, March 2001). Methyl mercury in sediments (as well as drier sediments and soils) should be prepared by acid bromide/methyl chloride extraction and analyzed by aqueous phase ethylation, isothermal GC separation, and cold vapor atomic fluorescence (CVAFS) detection using modified EPA draft method 1630. Total mercury in sediments is prepared by cold aqua regia digestion and analyzed by SnCl2 reduction, dual gold amalgamation, and CVAFS detection using modified EPA method 1631. Modified EPA method 1631 used for water analysis includes total mercury determined by BrCl oxidation, SnCL2 reduction, and dual gold amalgamation. All mercury analysis for water samples should be performed using CVAFS (Bloom, Crecelius, and Fitzgerald, 1988). Monomethyl mercury (MMHg) is liberated from water through distillation using an all teflon distillation system (Horvat, Bloom, and Liang, 1993). Distilled samples are analyzed using aqueous phase ethylation purging onto Carbotrap, isothermal GC separation, and CVAFS (Bloom, 1989). To address accuracy and precision, all laboratory analyses should follow quality assurance measures with the following minimum frequency: the collection of laboratory duplicates (one per ten samples), method blanks (three per analytical batch), filtration blank (one per ten samples), and laboratory-spike recovery (one per ten samples) or standard reference material (one per ten samples). All handling of samples in the laboratory are undertaken in a mercury-free clean air bench. Ultra-clean mercury trace metal protocol are used including the use of rigorously cleaned and tested teflon equipment and sample bottles and pre-screened and laboratory purified reagents. A class-100 clean air station is used and monitored routinely for low levels of total gaseous mercury. Laboratory atmosphere and water supply are also routinely monitored for low levels of mercury. Primary standards used in the laboratory are NIST certified or traceable to NIST certified materials. MeHg standards made from pure powder and calibrated for MeHg against NBS-3133 and cross verified by daily analysis of NRCC DORM-2 (see http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of00-043/Hg/mercury.html #HginCores). As the experimental ponds are to be manipulated by fish stocking in early August, the contractor is projected to start on or around Nov. 1, 2002 to characterize the environmental conditions at the beginning of the study. Spring and Fall sampling events will be planned in ?03 to characterize environmental conditions as the study is underway. The contractor shall be communicate with the Project Officer to discuss technical matters. The contractor shall formally document progress on a monthly basis. If any significant problems occur, the contractor shall notify the EPA Project Officer immediately. The monthly progress report shall be submitted to EPA by the 10th of each month following the month the work was accomplished. Monthly progress report shall include: 1) Work performed and accomplished during the reporting period, including cost breakdown; 2) Problems encountered and recommendations for remedial action; 3) Work to be performed during the next reporting period. Progress payments shall be made monthly. Deliverables: 1) CD-ROM with all records of samples taken, field notes, and corresponding laboratory analytical results for samples processed by contractor; and 2) Summary letter describing project and any supporting information relevant to interpretation of both environmental samples and laboratory analyses. The period of performance is from date of contract award through December 30, 2003. The contractor shall provide a price per sample for each of the contract line items below. Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) One: 36 each Surface water - methyl; CLIN Two: 36 each Surface water - total; CLIN Three: 9 each Sediment - methyl; CLIN Four: 9 each Sediment - total; CLIN Five: 9 each Ground water - methyl; CLIN Six: 9 each Ground water - total; CLIN Seven: 36 each Atmospheric - methyl; CLIN Eight: 36 each Atmospheric - total. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52-212-1, Instructions to Offerors?Commercial Items; 52.212-2, Evaluation--Commercial Items. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: (i) TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES CRITERIA: 1) Provide a copy of QA/QC protocols; 2) Demonstrate experience in field collection of environmental samples using ultra clean chemistry methods; 3) Demonstrate experience in mercury speciation; 4) Address validation technique and time frame for sample QA/QC (including blanks, trip blanks, surrogates, spikes and duplicates as well as preparation of analytical standard curves); 5) Ability to provide electronic deliverables (i.e., Excel spreadsheet and pdf); 6) Ability to meet deadline (timeliness of report writing); (ii) PAST PERFORMANCE: Provide three references involving similar projects for evaluating quality of product or service, timeliness of performance, and overall customer satisfaction; and (iii) PRICE. Technical and past performance, when combined are equal to price. Award will be made to the offeror whose offer is determined the most advantageous to the government, price and other factors considered. All offerors are to include with their offer a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items. The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items; 52.246-11, Higher Level Contract Quality Requirement, 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items and the following additional FAR clauses which are cited in Clause 52.212-5: 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As Amended. Any applicable wage determination(s) will be made a part of the resultant purchase order. The completed Representations and Certifications should be included with the price proposal. All technical questions are to be forwarded via email to the Contract Specialist at the following email address:
[email protected]. Offerors should review the Statement of Work and other information posted with this Request for Quotation on EPA's website at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. Arrow down to the REQUEST FOR QUOTATION section and click on the solicitation. Arrow down below that section to COMMERCIAL BUY CLAUSES AND FORMS which are provided for your convenience. Please submit two copies of the technical proposal and price proposal to Jennifer B. Hill, Contract Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Courier delivery address is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Attn: Jennifer B. Hill, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), Research Triangle Park, NC 27703. All offers are due by November 7, 2002, 1:00 p.m., ET. No telephonic or faxed requests will be honored.