SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Urban Soils Survey and Hydrologic Characterization Work for Sustainable Use of Vacant Land in Cleveland, Ohio
- Notice Date
- 5/27/2010
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Specialized Service Center/Cin. Proc. Operations Div., 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268
- ZIP Code
- 45268
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-OH-10-00106
- Response Due
- 6/10/2010
- Archive Date
- 7/10/2010
- Point of Contact
- Point of Contact, Kathleen Rechenberg, Purchasing Agent, Phone (513) 487-2853
- E-Mail Address
-
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(Rechenberg.Kathleen@epamail.epa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NAICS Code: 541380 This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are beingrequested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Refer to RFQ-OH-10-00106 when responding to this request. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 05-41. This acquisition is set-a-side for small business. The NAICS code is 541380-Testing Laboratories, the size standard is twelve (12) million dollars. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Sustainable Technology Division, located in Cincinnati, Ohio has a requirement for an Urban Soils Survey and Hydrologic Characterization Work for Sustainable Use of Vacant Land in Cleveland, Ohio. All services shall be provided to the U.S. EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Sustainable Technology Division, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The F.O.B. point shall be destination. Price quotes shall include any setup charges. The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, applies to this to this acquisition. The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items is applicable and the specific evaluation criteria are included in the Technical Evaluation Criteria. Offers shall provide descriptive technical literature in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the technical approach meet the minimum requirements specified in Statement of Work. Statement of Work: Statement of Work: Urban Soils Survey and Hydrologic Characterization Work for Sustainable Use of Vacant Land in Cleveland, OH 1. Background and Purpose Post-industrial cities share the problems of ageing civic and water infrastructure, a depleted tax base and underserved populations lacking in basic environmental services and opportunity. On the other hand, these same urban core areas possess significant natural resource capitals in terms of what are presently unmanaged vacant lots, riparian areas, and culverted stream systems. Due to the expense of legal actions against large cities for violations of the Clean Water Act (1972) for combined sewer overflows, governmental authorities have started to look for ways of managing storm flows without resorting to traditional, capital-intensive wastewater infrastructure. One option to decrease the storm flow quantity is to use vacant land and its soil pore space for detention of excess storm water runoff volume. However, more specific data is required to understand the potential for using highly-variable urban soils for storm runoff volume detention and its subsequent redistribution. Soil investigations will be conducted on a selection of vacant lot areas to develop a representative soil map that accounts for major sources of variability in soil formation, horizonation, excavation and land-grading associated with construction and demolition activities, among other attributes. This updated, detailed soil sampling and mapping will inform environmental managers on the potential for soil management and how to best utilize soil resources in adding detention capacity to the various ("sewershed") drainage areas, quantify variation in infiltration capacity, and establish soil capabilities and limitations in the context of this overall effort. Due to the unique objectives, we have to obtain a good representation of soil conditions throughout a highly-heterogeneous land mass. 2. Logistics and tasks 1.The contractor shall create a Quality Assurance Project Plan for the overall project. 2.Starting July 12, 2010 and finishing July 31, 2010, USEPA will take nominal 2 inch diameter by 4 feet depth (or to refusal ) soil cores. The cores will be left in the acetate core sleeves. USEPA will accumulate cores over a a three day period, and the vendor shall be responsible for picking up the core at either a field location (to be determined) or at the USEPA R5 office in Westlake OH), and transporting the cores to the vendor's office-laboratory. 3.The contractor shall spend July 12-15 2010 with the USEPA. The first cores will be taken under the supervision of the contractor, who will at that time establish with USEPA staff protocols in preserving and transporting soil cores. 4.The contractor shall instruct USEPA on how the cores should be preserved (e.g., in a half-section of a PVC tube) and transported. Any type of tube or sample holder for transport shall be provided by the contractor. 5.The contractor shall conduct descriptions of up to 150 soil cores (total) as per details in the next section on approach and QA/QC; and subsample each horizon of each soil core (as per next bullet point instructs), and the vendor will arrange for transport or shipment of soil sub-samples to a soil characterization laboratory. 6.Based on grouping sets of soil cores by similarity in their descriptions, the contractor shall look for similarities in description of horizons that will allow for pooling samples for lab analysis, thus reducing the total number of samples that require lab analysis. The number of cores is not to exceed forty (40) cores with three horizons (120 subsamples to lab), and ten (10) soil core samples with four horizons (40 more subsamples to lab), will be representative of the larger overall sample set of soil cores, and adequate to determine generalized soil chemical properties. Details: Soil DescriptionA complete pedon description of each component identified in the study area shall be written by the Contractor and the taxonomy of the soil core (nominal pedons, pedons hereon) shall be detailed and, if possible or suggested, related to a well-defined, existing soil type. Where possible, the number of pedons that are sub-sampled for chemical analysis shall be based on similarities in soil composition and arrangement of diagnostic horizons among the soil cores. Samples shall also be subject to lab analyses including (grinding-sieving, pH, organic carbon determination, particle size analysis, exchangeable base determination, and titratable acidity). Laboratory analysis shall be performed by a suitable, certified soil characterization laboratory. USEPA shall inspect and at their option approve laboratory analysis protocols as written and held by the contractor's laboratory. Soil survey standards from the National Soil Survey Handbook [Section 627.08(d)(2)] and the Soil Survey Manual shall be followed. Quality assurance protocol shall be carried out by the contractor. As stated above, the Contractor will spend July 12-15, 2010 to ensure that core sampling protocol is understood and that the vendor has an opportunity to advise on dealing with sampling under highly-variable soil conditions, and protection and preservation of soil cores. Development of MapThe contractor shall develop a map. All map units shall be consociations with a single component representing a homogeneous unit, except for asphalt, concrete, buildings, or other manmade (impervious) surfaces included in the delineations. A series name shall be used to identify the component wherever possible. Where a series name cannot be used, a soil family shall be used to identify the component. One site shall be selected from each map unit identified, to typify soil characteristics of that map unit and to serve as a basis for soil classification based on Keys to Taxonomy (11th edition). Map units shall be labeled with a combination of two digit numeric symbol representing the taxonomic unit followed by an alphabetic character representing slope. If other phases are needed, they shall be designated by a numeric symbol following the slope phase. Special feature symbols shall be used, if needed and will represent point features. The map shall be digitized; all sample locations and transect points shall be georeferenced (by USEPA) using GPS at the time of sampling. A legend of map symbols and map unit names along with a conversion table (that will add provide greater detail (order-1 resolution) by giving a taxonomy to soils presently designated as urban land complex) based on map units currently identified by NRCS in the Soil Survey of Cuyahoga County, laboratory data, and pedon descriptions shall be provided. In addition, a populated attribute database shall be developed and tables shall be generated. Deliverables: Descriptions and soil laboratory analysis shall be completed no later than August 30, 2010; a draft report including descriptions of pedons, map unit descriptions, tables, maps, laboratory data, and spatial filed shall be delivered to the USEPA technical lead by November 1, 2010. The USEPA technical lead will provide comments to the contractor by November 15, 2010. The final report shall incorporate comments from USEPA and data be delivered in its final form by December 15, 2010. Evaluation Factors 1. Evaluation Method The Government intends to issue a single purchase order to the responsible offeror whose quote represents the best overall value to the government based on (1) technical and previous experience, (2) past performance, and (3) quality assurance plan. Award may not necessarily be made to the lowest price offeror. 2. Evaluation Criteria and Score Method 1)Technical experience (facilities, technical expertise and equipment) a. Facilities: The offeror shall describe the available facilities and equipment as it relates to fulfilling services and objectives of this RFQ as set forth in the statement of work (SOW); b. Technical Expertise and previous experience: The offeror shall describe their technical and organizational experience for projects similar in size, scope, and complexity for the work as outlined in the SOW. This shall include the description of the resources necessary to achieve the objectives of this contract. Specifically: i) Assist with sampling site selection given project objectives that pertain to urban storm water management outlined in the SOW associated with this request; ii) use extensive knowledge and experience with other urban soil assessments and soil surveys in the NE OH area or related projects in other urban areas to provide description and taxonomy of soil cores taken by USEPA scientists; iii) provide soil chemical analysis services on a subset of these cores (can be subcontracted to a business that practices proper protocols and QA); and iv) experience with the development and updating soil surveys to the extent the offeror can integrate all past and present information with the data from this project into a soil survey framework based on extensive prior experience with previous soil surveys at different scales of resolution and decision making on classification of soil taxonomy in areas previously unclassified due to the predominance of urban land complex soil designations. c. Technical plan of action and milestones: The offeror shall describe the technical approach in a plan of action and milestones for achieving the aims of the SOW. d. Organization and management plan: The offeror shall provide a clear delineation of the responsibilities, lines of authority, and proposed staffing levels. Staffing and qualifications of personnel in providing services similar in scope to those described in the SOW. e. Resumes: Resumes shall be no more than 2 pages for the key personnel and shall include education, previous experience and publications, and technical certifications held. A demonstrated familiarity with NE OH urban soils would also promote good performance under this contract. 2)Past performance The offeror shall provide a list of completed projects of similar size, scope, complexity; or work products or activities that pertain to the objectives outlined in the SOW and otherwise pertinent to urban soil description and taxonomic work, soil assessment (chemical, physical) and integration of data into a soil survey. 3)Quality assurance plan The evaluation of the offeror's quote will be based in part upon the submitted quality management plan. This document will ensure that quality work will be executed and that the services will meet the overall requirements of the tasks listed in the RFQ. Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer. This clause may be found on the Internet at the following site: http://www.arnet.gov/far/. Clause FAR 52.212-4, Contract terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The Clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. Under FAR 52.212-5 paragraph (b), the following additional clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (May 2004),52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246), 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006). 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998), 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006), 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (Jan 2009), 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (Jun 2008), 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration (Oct. 2003). These documents can be found at: http:www.epa.gov/docs/etsdop/. Any firm that believes it is capable of meeting EPA's requirement stated herein may submit a quote, which if received by the response date of this announcement will be considered. Responses to this solicitation must be in writing. The quote shall include a breakdown of the total price that includes for example: any labor costs, travel costs, installation, acceptance testing, warranties. All quotes received in response to this posting will be evaluated based on Best Value. Offerors shall submit 1 copy of their offer including their DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number, referencing RFQ-OH-10-00106 and, no later than, June 10, 2010 at 5:00 PM EST to Katie Rechenberg as follows: via email at rechenberg.kathleen@epa.gov. Quotations may be sent via regular mail to: U.S. EPA, ATTN: Katie Rechenberg, Mail Code: NWD-CPOD, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, or via Express Mail/Hand Carry to: U.S. EPA, 4411 Montgomery Road, Suite 300, Norwood, OH 45212. Questions may be submitted via e-mail at rechenberg.kathleen@epa.gov.
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