U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contracts Management Division (MD-33), Attn: ORDSC, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

A -- MIDATLANTIC INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT ANALYTICAL SERVICES SOL PR-NC-98-10083 DUE 121097 POC Sya Mayes (919) 541 3416 WEB: click here for references/tables, http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. E-MAIL: click here to contact the contract specialist via e-mail, mayes.sya@epamail.epa.gov. 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; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is PR-NC-98-10083 and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-02. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates that the contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. A firm-fixed-price contract is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. The contractor shall conduct analysis of 300-400 sediment samples for organic and elemental contaminants and up to 1600 samples for grain size. The samples were collected during the summer of 1997 for the EPA's Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA) Estuarine Monitoring Program. These samples are currently stored at the EPA laboratory located in Narragansett, R.I. The successful contractor must have experience in the analysis of these analytes (see references) in marine sediments, and shall employ methods equivalent to those utilized by the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program under NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) or EPA's EMAP (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program). Prior to contract award, the contractor must demonstrate the ability to meet the required method detection limits (see references) and shall also provide applicable reference material results. The vendor is required to submit a copy of their Quality Assurance/Quality Control protocols to the EPA Project Officer prior to the analysis of samples. The contractor must permit a QA audit of laboratory and/or data entry procedures by an authorized agent of EPA at any time during the conduct of analyses (given advance notification). Results shall be reported in an electronic format detailed in the MAIA-Estuaries Data Format Manual (see references). A copy of the cover letter which accompanies the results shall be sent to the EPA Contracting Officer. The contractor shall also provide a hard-copy output of data files (i.e. spreadsheets) for the purpose of quality assurance. A written report detailing the methods used and the results of QA measures shall also be provided by the contractor. Any laboratory notes discussing problems encountered must be included as an appendix to this report. Original records, such as laboratory notebooks and chromatograms, shall be retained for at least three years following final report submission, as they may be requested to be sent to EPA. The contractor shall provide EPA with a price on a per sample basis for each of the contract line items below, based on the number of samples projected for each line item and including the cost of the contractor picking up or shipping the samples from Narragansett to the contractor's analytical facility. Costs for the retention of samples at the contractor's facility for two years following final report submission shall be included. ITEM 0001: The contractor shall perform grain size determinations on up to 1600 marine sediment samples. At a minimum sand and mud size fractions shall be reported. Acceptable methods for grainsize analyses may be found in the EMAP-Estuaries Laboratory Methods Manual (see references). At the time of contract award, the samples will be prioritized and analyzed in an order agreed upon by the vendor and the EPA Project Officer. Results of the high priority "sediment" grain size analyses (n= approx 400) shall be reported to the EPA Project Officer no later than 60 days after contract award, while the remainder shall be due 150 days after contract award. ITEM 0002: The contractor shall perform chemical analyses on up to 400 marine sediment samples. The analytes of interest and method detection limit requirements are listed in Tables 1-7. Note that MDL calculations follow EPA's "Definition and Procedure for the Determination of the Method Detection Limit-Revision 1.11", 40 CFR Part 136, Appendix B. Previous experience in the analysis of marine sediments for the analytes of interest is required, as is participation in the NS&T intercomparison exercise or equivalent. Analytical methods utilized by the NS&T or EMAP programs (see references) or equivalent shall be utilized in order to meet the specified method detection limit and performance criteria. Note that the elemental analyses require a "total digestion" using hydrofluoric acid. A Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program shall be in place at the contractor's laboratory, and shall address, at a minimum, the following topics: accuracy and precision; calibration; detection limits; physical processing of samples; analytical methods utilized; QA/QC samples, including all acceptability criteria; and data reporting. Routine analysis, i.e. on a per batch basis, of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) isrequired. Details on QA/QC for a similar scope project are available in the EMAP Estuaries Quality Assurance Project Plan (see references). Within ten days of contract award, the samples will be prioritized and analyzed in an order agreed upon by the contractor and EPA Project Officer. Results for the high priority samples (small system, intensive sites, n=approx 200) shall be reported to the EPA Project Officer no later than 120 days after contract award, while the remainder shall be due no later than 270 days after contract award. ITEM 0003: The contractor shall perform simultaneous extracted metal (SEM) and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) analyses on up to 400 marine sediment samples. AVS/SEM methods equivalent to those found in Allen et al. (1991) shall be utilized. Prior experience in the analysis of marine sediment samples for SEM/AVS is required. QA/QC procedures, as specified in Line Item Two, shall be documented. Within ten days of contract award, the samples will be prioritized and analyzed in an orderagreed upon by the contractor and EPA Project Officer. Results for the priority samples (small system, intensive sites, n=approx 200) shall be reported to the EPA Project Officer no later than 120 days after contract award, while the remainder shall be due no later than 270 days after contract award. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Evaluation-Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Item. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: (i) technical capability to meet the Government requirements; (ii) past performance; (iii) price, in decreasing order of importance. Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. All offerors are to include with their offers a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The following FAR clause applies to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. The following additional FAR clauses which are cited in clauses 52.212-5 are applicable to the acquisition: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I; 52.203-10, Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity; 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting; 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; 52.225-3, Buy American Act -- Supplies; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As Amended. All bids/offers should be submitted to Sya M Mayes, Contract Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, MD-33, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Courier Delivery Address is: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Receptionist-Administration Bldg. Lobby, Attn: Sya M. Mayes, 79 Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. All offers are due by December 10,1997, 4:30 p.m. EST. Offers/bids received after the exact time specified will not be considered. No telephonic or faxed requests will be honored. References/Tables can be found at http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. (0329)

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