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

B -- SURFACE WATER AND TISSUE RESIDUE CHARACTERIZATION SOL XQ8109 DUE 083199 POC Marsha B. Johnson, Contract Specialist (919) 541-0952 or Ramona G. Evans, Contracting Officer (919) 541-4749 WEB: Click here to visit the site that has information about, http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. E-MAIL: Click here to contact the Contract Specialist via, johnson.marsha@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; QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is XQ8109, and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-11. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates that the contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. A firm-fixed-price purchase order is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. The EPA reserves the right to award multiple orders. The associated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is 8731. This procurement is for the analysis for up to 60 (minimum = 36) samples for organic and elemental contaminants. The first allotment will involve the analysis of 18 water and 18 oyster tissue samples for a total of 36 samples that will be shipped to the contractor at start-up. The remaining 24 samples will be ordered at the discretion of the Government between October 1999 through September 2000. It is anticipated that each additional shipment of samples to be analyzed will consist of 3 water and 3 oyster tissue samples for a total of six (6) samples per quarter. The successful contractor shall have demonstrated experience in the analysis of the analytes 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 shall demonstrate the ability to meet the required method detection limits of the Programs above and shall also provide results of analysis of applicable reference materials. The contractor shall provide a written QA Management Plan equivalent to the EPA's requirement document (EPA QA/R-2: EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans) and a written Quality Assurance Project Plan equivalent to the EPA's requirement document (EPA QA/R-5: EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) for Environmental Data Operations (category 2)) for EPA's review and approval prior to the initiation of analyses. These reference documents can be located at http://es.epa.gov/ncerqa/qa/qa_docs.html. The QAPP shall describe in detail all chemical methods, including expected percentage recovery of all analytes in each matrix, and all standard operating procedures used in these analyses. The quality assurance and quality control criteria for these analyses shall be stated in the QAPP and meet those specified for the EMAP-Estuaries Program. The basic minimum criteria include the following quality control samples for each set of samples analyzed or for a minimum of every 20 samples analyzed: (I) one laboratory method blank, (ii) one matrix spike, (iii) one matrix spike duplicate (spike concentration shall be five to ten times the specified Method Detection Limit (MDL)), (iv) laboratory control reference materials (equivalent to a certified reference material), and (v) calibration curve. The mean percentage recovery and variance of all analytes of interest in a laboratory fortified matrix and standard reference materials shall be documented in the QA PP and reported in for each batch of samples. The contractor shall re-analyze (at no cost to the Government) the entire batch of samples if recovery results of the spike matrix are deemed unacceptable for the methods utilized. The contractor shall permit QA audit of laboratory and/or data entry procedures by an authorized agent of EPA at any time while conducting the analyses (given advance notification). Results shall be reported in an electronic form (Microsoft Excel or Lotus 123). The contractor shall also provide a hard-copy output of data files (i.e., spreadsheets) and chromatograms of standards and sample analyses 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 (for each set of samples analyzed). The report for the initial set of 30 samples is to be submitted to the EPA Project Officer within 120 days after receipt of the samples. This initial report shall include a quality control chart of all detectable observations that occur with plots of mean 3 standard deviations (SD) for each detectable substance (section 1020 B.7.a of ASTM Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 1992). Analyses shall be verified by repeat performance for any sample that generated results above the upper 3 SD quality control range. Reports for each quarterly set of three oyster and three water samples shall be submitted to the EPA Project Officer within 45 days after receipt of samples. Detectable results shall be added to the control charts with each monthly set of data being calculated into the mean and 3 SD determinations. Updated charts shall be submitted with each report. Observances outside of the 3 SD ranges will be noted in a summary section. Samples shall be retained for 90 days following analysis. EPA Project Officer shall notify contractor within 90 days of receipt of report if any analyses are to be repeated. Any laboratory notes discussing problems encountered shall be included as an appendix to each report. Original records, such as laboratory notebooks and chromatograms, shall be retained for at least five years following final report submission, as they will be requested to be sent to the EPA. The contractor shall provide EPA with a cost estimate for the minimum number of samples projected on a per sample basis for each of the contract line items below. An additional cost estimate shall be provided on a per sample basis for batches of 6 samples up to the projected maximum number of samples. These additional samples will be batched and funded separately from the base number. Ordering the optional quantities is at the sole discretion of EPA. Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) One: The contractor shall perform metal analysis of 30 surface water samples (18 samples in September 1999 followed by 12 additional samples through September 2000) for organic and elemental contaminants. The metals that shall be analyzed and detection limits are in Table 1. The preferred method to be used for analysis of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and selenium is Method 200.121 (USEPA 1992) for stabilized temperature graphite furnace atomic absorption. Mercury shall be analyzed following EPA Method 245.72 using cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry. All other metals shall be analyzed using EPA Method 200.8 (ICP-MS)3. Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) Two: The contractor shall perform analysis of total organic carbon (TOC) and other organic analytes (Table 2) for the same 30 surface water samples as above for organic and elemental contaminants. The MDL's shall not exceed 10 ppb for organo chlorine pesticides, 2 ppb for organo phospate pesticides, 10 ppb for PCBs, 4 ppb for PAHs, and 2 ppb for chlorinated phenoxy and triazine herbicides. The preferred method of analyses shall be that of the USEPA (1995). Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) Three: The contractor shall perform metal analysis of 30 oyster tissue samples (18 samples in September 1999 followed by 12 additional oyster tissue samples through September 2000). The metals that shall be analyzed and detection limits are in Table 1. Results shall be reported relative to dry weight. Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) Four: The contractor shall perform analysis of organic compounds listed in Table 3 for the same 30 oyster tissue samples as listed above. Full scan GC/MS techniques shall be used as described in the Puget Sound Estuary Program-Protocols and Guidelines (1996). MDLs (wet weight basis) for oyster tissue analyses shall be 0.1 -- 5 ppb for chlorinated pesticides and 10-20 ppb for PCBs and PAHs. The proposals will be evaluated using the following technical capabilities criteria: 1.) QA/QC protocols, including plans for analyzing Certified Reference Materials; 2.) Demonstrate previous experience with tissue analysis for the various metal and organic analytes; 3.) Demonstrate previous analytical methods utilized by EMAP or similar programs; 4.) Demonstrate previous experience with TOC; 5.) Proposed methodology for each CLIN, with references, and expected MDLs; 6.) Experience with similar size/scope projects; 7.) Adhering to deadlines; and, 8.) Report preparation and records management experience. 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 clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items and 52.217-7, Option for Increased Quantity -- Separately Priced Line Item. 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. Also, Clause 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As amended (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.) is applicable to this procurement. Any wage determination(s) applicable to this procurement in the locality of the awardee will be incorporated into the resultant contract. Cost and technical information should be submitted in separate proposals. Please submit two copies of the technical proposal and two copies of the cost proposal to Marsha B. Johnson, 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: Marsha B. Johnson, 79 Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. All offers are due by August 31, 1999, 4:00 p.m. ET. No telephonic or faxed requests will be honored. Footnotes, References and Tables can be found at http://ww.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. Posted 08/11/99 (W-SN366359). (0223)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0012 19990813\B-0002.SOL)