45CONS, 1201 Minuteman St, MS 7200, Patrick AFB, FL 32925-3237

B -- OUTSOURCING OF NUCLEAR FORENSIC ANALYSIS SERVICES POC Lois E. Brockson, Contract Specialist (407) 494-2026/John T. Moore, Contracting Officer (407) 494-6217 A market survey is being conducted in order to request industry comments on the possible acquisition to outsource its environmental and ultra-trace nuclear forensic analysis services currently carried out at McClellan Central Laboratory (MCL), McClellan AFB CA. Due to impending base closure, the Government anticipates stopping operations at MCL after 30 Sep 99. This is a request for information only. This is not a Request for Proposals or an indication that the Air Force intends to contract for services. The Air Force will not pay for information received in response to the request for information. The environmental sample and ultra-trace nuclear forensic analysis services currently carried out at MCL are being performed primarily by military personnel. The following is a description of the work currently performed at MCL: Definition of some terms: Bottle: 900cc steel container filled with whole air constituents requiring processing for analysis. Sample: Physical object requiring processing to isolate particles of interest for analysis. Particle: Singular microscopic item of interest requiring analysis for elemental and isotopic information. PARTICLE ANALYSIS: 1. Process and analyze samples provided by Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC). 2. Process and analyze 3,000 particles per year from as many as 300 samples. 3. Perform thermal ionization mass spectrometry analyses of 4500 particles per year. 4. Perform gross mass spectrometry analyses of 200 samples per year. 5. Perform nondestructive screening of up to 200 samples per year and characterize, using standard geometries, 20 samples per year by gamma spectroscopy. Identify isotopes of interest present in the sample using high resolution gamma spectroscopy. 6. Perform secondary ion mass spectrometry isotopic and elemental analysis on 30 samples per year. 7. Maintain all processing areas and microscope clean rooms in accordance with the current General Services Administration standards for clean room and workstation requirements. Maintain class100 clean room techniques sufficient to ensure no cross-contamination between samples. 8. Describe and characterize sample particle isotopics, morphologies, elemental and molecular compositions using all available analytical techniques. 9. Maintain the capability to perform isotopic and elemental analyses via scanning techniques such as microscope, electron microprobe, or ion beam. 10. Provide stoichiometry information on selected particles. 11. Separate and measure microgram amounts of elements of interest from supplied samples. Characterize the isotopics of the elements of interest. 12. Perform gross elemental analysis as required. Report requested isotopic ratios to a precision specified by AFTAC. GAS ANALYSIS: 13. Be proficient with various radioactive gas counting techniques. 14. Determine prior to separation, the percent of oxygen and nitrogen and the volume (in cubic centimeters) of other selected effluent gases within sample bottles. Estimate a maximum of 250 bottles per week. 15. Separate selected radioactive effluent gases, as required, from cryogenic and whole air samplers from a maximum of 250 samples per week. A smaller set of samples (estimate 50 per year) will require additional gases to be separated. 16. Radioassay a minimum of 470 samples per week. A small amount of additional samples (estimate 200 per year) will also require radioassay. 17. Maintain capability to process and analyze samples from surge of additional collections, as required. Requests for these analyses may occur with little notice and may require 8 hour to 24 hour analysis capability. RADIOCHEMISTRY ANALYSIS: 18. Analyze up to 200 samples per year for both short-lived fission products and the actinides from airborne effluent debris collections resulting from nuclear weapons testing (this includes radiochemical separation, purification, and measurement if necessary on samples containing between 10**10 and 10**12 fission). 19. Perform high resolution gamma spectroscopy on 5500 filter paper samples per year. 20. Analyze 200 whole-air samples for the xenon isotopes per year. 21. Perform mass spectrometry on a maximum of 200 samples sufficient to determine the gross elemental abundance and isotopic composition of lithium, uranium, and plutonium isotopes. 22. Perform radiation measurements (initial gamma activity assay, high resolution gamma spectroscopy, alpha spectroscopy, alpha yielding of uranium and neptunium samples. 23. Handle and properly dispose of all hazardous material and waste, radioactive material and waste, and mixed waste generated in the analysis. Currently, the services are performed at the Technical Operations Division, Building 1080, the Russell Building, McClellan Central Laboratory which was constructed ten (10) years ago, and contains 122,000 sq. feet. Roughly half of this space is in actual laboratory processing rooms, and the rest is in administrative/office/facilities support areas. Due to the radiological work performed at MCL, the facility operates under a radioactive material permit issued by the Air Force pursuant to a license issued to the Air Force by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). It is anticipated the Russell Building will be turned over to the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for the city of Sacramento, CA who may make it available for re-use. Performance of the above requirements may be required as early as 1 Oct 99 to assure uninterrupted mission requirements. Interested parties should note that critical mission needs require all requested analyses be performed within a single facility. In the event the Government elects to outsource its ultra-trace nuclear forensic analysis services, prospective sources must possess, or show the capability to obtain, a NRC Broadscope Radioactive Materials License (or an agreement state license/permit, as applicable for the facility where work will be performed), prior to performance start. Mission essential analysis equipment will belong to the Government and be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and the government will retain ownership. Due to the potential of contaminating trace-level mission samples, analysis equipment and areas of any facility used for environmental sample or nuclear forensic analysis services shall not be used for activities other than AFTAC work without the expressed written permission of the government program office. A documented history of operations at the current facility will be made available upon request. Due to the nature of this potential effort, no foreign country sources will be considered. Prospective sources would be required to have DOD security clearances of at least the SECRET level. Participation in this potential effort would require both a facilities and storage capability of at least the SECRET level. In an attempt to generate industry comments on the possible acquisition to outsource the nuclear forensic analysis services currently carried out at McClellan Central Laboratory (MCL), McClellan AFB CA., it is requested that interested parties respond to the following questions: Are you interested in providing the required services? Would you be willing to accept the existing facility, and all associated liability, without a release for unrestricted use -- i.e. a material and facility transfer without the performance of a decontamination and decommissioning? (Note: The Government would disassociate itself from any residual liability. The results of a recent scoping survey performed by the Air Force's Armstrong Laboratory indicated very little likelihood rooms in Building 1080 are contaminated above current release guideline values.) Would you be willing to perform the services at the existing facilities if the Government does obtain a release for unrestricted use by performing a decontamination and decommissioning, thereby disassociating the Government from any future liability? Would you be interested in performing the required services at your own facility, in lieu of accepting the existing facility? To what degree are you interested in this project (e.g., Would certainly compete/Probably would compete/Maybe, but not likely)? In considering the use of one location or facility over another, what factors did you consider? To what extent do you plan to use decommissioned equipment currently in use in Bldg 1080? Describe experience with, or ability to obtain local, state, and/or federal identification numbers, permits, or licenses as required to comply with environmental regulations, for example, but not limited to Resource and Recovery and Conservation Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act. Describe experience with, or ability to comply with Department of Transportation Regulations for Transportation of Hazardous Materials. Briefly describe your experience and capability qualifying you as a potential source. If you anticipate any business arrangements (joint-venture, partnership, prime-sub relationship) with another party, please describe your planned arrangement as well as the experience and capability of all other parties. Briefly describe the experience of your key staff. Do you have sufficient financial resources for a project of this type? What are your primary concerns or uncertainties/questions or information concerning this potential acquisition? Interested parties are asked to submit their comments in writing to the Contracting Officer at the following address: 45CONS/LGCXB, Attn.: Mr. John T. Moore, 1201 Minuteman Street, Patrick AFB FL 32925-3237, FACSIMILE # (407)494-5560, Phone (407)494-6217, e-mail address: john-moore@pafb.af.mil. Please include your fax number and e-mail address with any correspondence to facilitate the distribution of future information releases. This document, and any additional information made available in the future, will be on the Patrick AFB 45CONS web site for review. The web site address is http://www.pafb.af.mil/45LG/45CONS/45cons1.htm. If you have any questions best answered by the LRA (i.e., business climate & facilities) or wish to visit the facilities, please contact Mr. Mike Perry, Sacramento Board of Military Base Conversions, 3237 Peacekeeper Way, McClellan AFB CA 95652, Phone (916)643-6877. Please DO NOT attempt to contact any laboratory personnel. Any attempt to do so may compromise your ability to bid on work at this facility. (0115)

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