U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268

B -- LABORATORY METHOD VALIDATION/MDL ANALYSES FOR EPA DRAFT METHOD 1622 SOL PR-OH-98-00081 POC Andre Reinhart (513)487-2119 e-mail: reinhart.andre@epamail.epa.gov WEB: EPA Office of Acquisition Management -- Contracts Mgt. Div. Cincinnati, http://www.epa.gov/oam/cinn_cmd. E-MAIL: Click here to contact the contracting officer via e-mail, reinhart.andre@epamail.epa.gov. The US EPA plans to negotiate 6 contracts, each with a separate laboratory, to analyze samples as part of a method validation study for EPA Draft method 1622: Cryptosporidium in Water by Filtration/IMS/FA and DAPI/PI. The method currently entails Cryptosporidium only, but Giardia is anticipated to become a target analyte in the future for Method 1622. Work performed under this requirement will entail analysis of Cryptosporidium in reagent and raw water samples to generate data on Method 1622's precision and recovery relative to Cryptosporidium. The next phase will entail performance of Method Detection Limit (MDL) studies for Cryptosporidium to generate data on the MDL of Method 1622. The third phase will consist of the analysis of Giardia in reagent and raw water samples to generate data on Method 1622's precision and recovery relative to Giardia. The final phase will entail performance of Method Detection Limit (MDL) studies for Giardia to generate data on the MDL of Method 1622. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Competition is being limited to those firms who are currently approved under the Information Collection Rule (ICR). Negotiations shall be conducted pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(1), which allows for negotiation without full and open competition. Competition is being limited to ICR approved laboratories, which is necessary in order to ensure the validity of the data produced under the method validation and method detection limit work. The government anticipates issuing six separate firm fixed priced orders under this requirement. Each order that is issued will require the successful completion of an Initial Precision and Recovery test for method 1622. Upon successful completion of the IPR test, the Government will then have the option to order the work for the actual method validation and MDL studies from the contractor. Sources wishing to be considered must submit documentation to the office identified above which establishes that they are an ICR approved laboratory. Documentation should be submitted within 5 working days of the publication of this notice. Questions regarding this notice should be sent via e-mail to Andre Reinhart at reinhart.andre@epamail.epa.gov or via regular mail to the address indicated above. (0330)

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