SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Source Apportionment of PM2.5 in Seattle
- Notice Date
- 7/13/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Ord Service Center/Nheerl, Rtp Procurement Operations Division, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
- ZIP Code
- 27711
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-RT-04-00338
- Response Due
- 7/30/2004
- Archive Date
- 8/30/2004
- Point of Contact
- Point of Contact, Anna Mustard, Purchasing Agent, Phone (919) 541-4556
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(mustard.anna@epa.gov)
- Description
- NAICS Code: 541990 THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICES 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-04-00338. It is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541990, with a small business size standard of $6 million. The Environmental Protection Agency has a requirement for "Source Apportionment of PM2.5 in Seattle using STN and IMPROVE carbon fractions." The U.S. EPA National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) evaluates and develops receptor models that are used to identify and quantify sources of air pollution. These models help state and local air pollution agencies develop State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for reducing concentrations of regulated pollutants. The Speciation Trends Network (STN) and the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network are two national networks collecting data useful for evaluating particulate air pollution composition. The IMPROVE sites are generally located in wilderness areas and the STN sites are generally located in urban areas. These two networks use different thermal optical analysis (TOA) protocols to estimate concentrations of particulate organic and elemental carbon. The IMPROVE protocol reports four organic carbon (OC), 3 elemental carbon (EC), and a pyrolized carbon fractions. The STN protocol routinely reports one value for OC and EC, however, carbon fraction data are generated as part of the TOA by the analyzer software package. The IMPROVE OC and EC carbon fractions were used by Maykut et al. (2003) to evaluate the Seattle (Beacon Hill) IMPROVE particulate matter data collected from March 1996 to February 1999 using 3 receptor models: Chemical Mass Balance, Unmix, and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). The PMF model was able to separate diesel and gasoline source profiles with and without the carbon fractions but several inorganic species were critical for the separation. Alternatively, the Unmix model required the carbon fractions to separate the diesel and gasoline profiles. The Seattle IMPROVE site is unique because it is located in an urban area and it is also an STN site (started in February 2000), thus it is a location where the results from using the STN and IMPROVE carbon fractions in receptor models can be compared and contrasted. Statement of Work - The contractor shall provide a plan addressing quality assurance for the receptor modeling analyses. This plan shall meet the requirements for a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for an EPA Category IV research project (basic, exploratory research). EPA has obtained the Seattle STN TOA carbon fraction data for February 15, 2000 through December 31, 2002. The contractor shall evaluate three combinations of the IMPROVE and STN inorganic and carbon fraction data with EPA Unmix 3.0 and PMF2 to determine if the STN carbon fraction data are useful in a receptor modeling analysis. The contractor shall: 1) compare the results in Maykut et al. (March 1996 - February 1999) with this more recent data set (February 2000 - December 2002) using IMPROVE inorganic species and IMPROVE carbon fractions, 2) determine if the STN carbon fraction data provides similar receptor modeling results using the IMPROVE inorganic species data with STN carbon fraction data , and 3) determine if biases in the STN and IMPROVE inorganic data affect the results from the analysis of the second data set using the STN inorganic species combined with STN carbon fractions. The contractor shall provide the Seattle IMPROVE data and the PMF2 receptor model. EPA will provide the following STN TOA data: sample ID, organic carbon (OC) ( ug/sq cm), OC uncertainty (ug/sq cm), elemental carbon (EC) (ug/sq cm), EC uncertainty (ug/sq cm), carbonate carbon (CC) (ug/sq cm), CC uncertainty (ug/sq cm), total carbon (TC) (ug/sq cm), TC uncertainty (ug/sq cm), EC/TC ratio, split time(sec), initial absorbance, absorbance coefficient, peak 1 concentration (C ug/sq cm), peak 2 concentration (C ug/sq cm), peak 3 concentration (C ug/sq cm), peak 4 concentration (C ug/sq cm), and pyrolized carbon (ug/sq cm). EPA will also provide a data file with the sample ID, sample date, sample volume, deposit area, and STN quartz sample quality assurance flags. EPA will also provide the inorganic Seattle STN data and the EPA Unmix 3.0 receptor model. The contractor shall review available documentation on the Technology Transfer Network Ambient Monitoring Technology Information Center (http://www.epa.gov/ttnamti1/pmspec.html) to identify issues with STN data before conducting the receptor modeling. TASK 1 - The contractor shall provide a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the creation of the data sets, receptor modeling analysis, and comparison of modeling results. The contractor shall provide to the EPA a written plan in electronic format (Microsoft Word) describing the quality assurance procedures (see Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans for Modeling EPA QA/G-5M, EPA/240/R-02/007, Dec 2002; http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/g5m-final.pdf).The contractor shall prepare a plan that describes: a) references for theories/techniques/methodologies that will be used, b) data pre-processing and QA to be performed when creating the data sets, c) methods to be used when selecting variables and observations for the receptor modeling analyses, d) procedures to be used for ensuring that the model results are accurate and complete, and e) techniques that will be used to evaluate the results from multiple receptor models and multiple data sets. TASK 2 - The contractor shall create three data sets: Seattle IMPROVE inorganic and carbon fractions, IMPROVE inorganic and STN carbon fractions, and STN inorganic and carbon fractions. TASK 3 - The contractor shall evaluate each of the data sets created in Task 2 with PMF2 and EPA Unmix 3.0. TASK 4 - The contractor shall prepare a report describing the results from Task 3, and compare the results to those presented in Maykut et al. 2003. The results shall include estimates of uncertainty on the source profiles and on the average contribution from each source. Comparisons shall take these uncertainties into account. The contractor shall provide all text and tables in Microsoft Word, and all figures shall be provided as Sigma Plot graphics files. [END OF TASKS] Deliverables are as follows: Deliverable 1 - QAPP - Deliverable date: 3 months after contract is awarded. Deliverable 2 - Data sets and model parameter files (.ini, .umx) used in the PMF2 and Unmix analysis. Deliverable date: 6 months after contract is awarded. Deliverable 3 - Task 3 Report. Deliverable date: 9 months after contract is awarded. All deliverables should be sent to the project officer at the following address: Gary A. Norris, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, NERL, Mail Drop E205-03, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Offerors should refer to the following (which can be found at University libraries): Maykut N. M., Lewtas J., Kim E., Larson T. (2003) Source Apportionment of PM2.5 at an Urban IMPROVE Site in Seattle, Washington. Environ. Sci. Technol. 37:5135-5142. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52.204-6, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number; 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration. 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; 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items; 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.233-3, Protest After Award; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.225-1, Buy American Act--Supplies; and 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-- Central Contractor Registration. The following EPA clause applies: 1552.209-71, Organizational Conflicts of Interest. Additionally, the following custom clauses apply: N. C. Sales Tax Exempt; Project Officer; and, Partial Payment Authorized. 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 by NO LATER THAN July 21, 2004, at the following email address: mustard.anna@epa.gov. Offerors should review the Specifications 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 for full-text versions of FAR Part 12 clauses and provisions included in this procurement. It will be the responsibility of offerors to periodically check this site for changes/amendments to this requirement. Offerors should submit two copies each of the technical proposal and price proposal. The technical package must address each of the following elements: (i) Knowledge of the particulate matter sources in Seattle, WA; (ii) Demonstrated application of both the Unmix and PMF2 receptor models to particulate matter data (inorganic, carbon fractions); (iii) Demonstrated experience in evaluating and comparing the results from multiple receptor models (Unmix, PMF2, CMB); and (iv) Past Performance. The price proposal must be broken out by price for each Task, with all costs applicable to each broken out; i.e., labor, travel, supplies, etc. Award will be made to the offeror whose offer is determined to be the most advantageous to the government, price and other factors considered. Partial payment will be authorized to enable the contractor to incrementally bill after completion and acceptance by the government of work to be accomplished under each Task. For delivery of proposals via the U. S. Postal Service, the address is U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Attention Anna Mustard, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Address for delivery via courier and/or carried by hand is U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Attention Anna Mustard, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), 4930 Old Page Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27703. All offers are due by July 30, 2004, 12:00 Noon, ET.
- Record
- SN00620384-W 20040715/040713212920 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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