B--Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source

The Department of Energy plans to negotiate a sole source contract with the Desert Research Institute to provide cultural resources management and scientific research support. This support is critical to ensuring compliance with legal obligations related to the protection and management of historic properties, archaeological sites, and culturally significant locations potentially affected by the development of a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The work is mandated by several federal statutes and policies including the National Historic Preservation Act, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, the Native American Graves Protection Act, relevant Executive Orders, and Department of Energy regulations. This notice serves as a formal announcement of intent to award without soliciting competition, based on the determination that Desert Research Institute is the only responsible source able to fulfill the agency’s unique requirements. It clarifies that this is not a solicitation for proposals or bids and that the government does not expect to receive any responses. The contract, identified under solicitation number DE-AF28-05RW12328, relates to preserving and managing cultural resources as part of the DOE’s commitment to comply with legal and regulatory frameworks in the Yucca Mountain project.