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

66 -- PURCHASE OF HEWLETT-PACKARD INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETER (ICP-MS) MODEL #HP-4500 (LEASE CONVERSION) POC Starry Jones, Contracting Officer, (919) 541-2897 The Environmental Protection Agency intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Hewlett-Packard Company, Analytical Business Center, 2850 Centerville Road, Wilmington DE 19808, for the purchase of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) model #HP-4500. The mentioned ICP-MS is currently being leased, under purchase order #6C6619NTLX, by the EPA from Hewlett-Packard and the EPA intends to purchase the unit upon the expiration of the lease on September 30, 1998. This unit is being used to generate a data set in support of an analytical method for the speciation of arsenic. The evaluation of interface designs and solvent systems has been obtained with the on-line chromatographic data analysis software which is unique to the HP-4500. The preservation of this feature is essential to the timely development of the speciation based methodology. In addition, the uniformity of the data set in terms of interface design, data collection, and peak integration parameters would be compromised by an instrumental conversion. The removal/installation conversion time, in combination with the need to reiterate system performance experiments to assure comparability, will result in unacceptable delays for the project. Also, the bench-top feature and small footprint of the HP-4500 are essential due to the space limitations on the current laboratory facilities. EPA believes that Hewlett-Packard is the only vendor capable of satisfying the requirements stated above. No solicitation is available. All interested parties must respond within 15 days of the date of this announcement. Interested vendors shall provide a written narrative of capability that: 1) include information on the proposed equipment which clearly supports the requirements outlined above; 2) provide a plan describing the procedure to install and have the proposed equipment in full operating condition without downtime for the project; 3) provide itemized pricing that is sufficient to make a determination that competition is feasible. Responses tothis synopsis must be in writing. Submit your responses to the U.S. EPA, Attention: Starry Jones (MD-33), Contracts Management Division, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. No telephonic or facsimile request will be honored. Posted 08/22/98 (W-SN240599). (0234)

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