Dredging in the Atchafalaya River, below Morgan City, Louisiana

If you plan on attending the Industry Day on July 25th at 1300 CST in room DARM A at the USACE building, you must email the following information to AnhThu.T.Nguyen@usace.army.mil by 1300 CST July 24th: Company name Name of representative Is representative a US Citizen: Yes or No RENTAL OF ONE (1) SPECIALTY SUCTION DREDGE FOR AGITATION DREDGING, FULLY OPERATED WITH ATTENDANT PLANT FOR YEAR- ROUND DEPLOYMENT IN THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER BELOW MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA. THIS IS A NOTICE FOR SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OR INVITATION FOR BID. THERE IS NO BID PACKAGE, SOLICITATION, SPECIFICATIONS OR DRAWINGS AVAILABLE WITH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. RESPONSES ARE STRICTLY VOLUNTARY; NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT. THE GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR OR SUFFER ANY CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR ANY IMPROPERLY IDENTIFIED INFORMATION. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), New Orleans District is issuing a Sources Sought Announcement for ONE (1) SPECIALTY SUCTION DREDGE FOR AGITATION DREDGING, FULLY OPERATED WITH ATTENDANT PLANT FOR YEAR- ROUND DEPLOYMENT IN THE ATCHAFALAYA RIVER BELOW MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA. This announcement is to determine the interest, willingness, availability and capability of U.S. based Dredging Industry including Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone, Woman-Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and any other socioeconomic small business concern. The NAICS code for this procurement is 237990, which a dredging small business size standard of $27,500,000. A small business concern must perform forty (40) percent of the volume dredged with its own equipment or equipment owned by another small business dredging concern. The New Orleans District anticipates issuing a 5 year (Base + 4 Option Years) Firm Fixed Price contract. The work will consist of furnishing, delivering, and operating one fully operated special purpose suction dredge and attendant plant for the agitation dredging and sediment conditioning of shoal material. The dredging region will be in the Atchafalaya River, below Morgan City, Louisiana, approximately mile 155 to mile 167. Background: The Corps seeks to provide adequate navigable density or nautical depth, that is, density below 1200 kg/cubic meter, for the authorized channel dimensions (-20' MLG X 400') of the Atchafalaya River Bar Channel for 365 days of the calendar year. Current funding appropriations have not provided enough funding to achieve this using the traditional methods of dredging: either by utilizing cutterhead dredging or hopper agitation dredging under traditional contracting methods. By using a special purpose dredging plant built specifically for achieving this task, the Corps seeks to optimize the effectiveness of funds available for dredging this channel. The Corps DOES NOT SEEK TO PROCURE A DREDGE PLANT, rather the services of a dredging operation using a non-typical dredging or construction contract. The intention is to have two phases of the contract for each year of the contract. The first is the ACUTE REMEDIATION PHASE. In the Acute Remediation Phase, the provider would be expected to operate the dredge plant 24 hours per day/7 days per week until the 1200kg/cubic meter nautical depth line is consistently at or below -20' MLG. The second phase of the operation is the ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PHASE. In the Routine Maintenance Phase, the provider would operate the plant only the amount of time required to maintain the -20' MLG nautical depth. This amount of time will likely vary over different times of the year but in no case is it expected to be less than 3 days per week. Dredging activity will be adapted to the conditions at the time and will be required as directed by the Contracting Officer. The actual measured nautical depth, the infill rate, the movement of agitated material out of the channel by currents and the actual effects of sediment conditioning of the material that remains in the channel will all be factors considered when determining the direction given by the Contracting Officer. Should conditions rapidly deteriorate in the channel, the Contracting Officer may direct the provider to enter into the ACUTE REMEDIATION PHASE operations until the -20' MLG criteria is achieved. The offeror is expected to size the dredge plant based upon the available information. It has been observed that over a year long period up to 10+ feet of shoal material will be deposited or redeposited over the 12+ miles of channel. The offeror should consider that since agitation of sediment material and removal of that sediment by currents as well as agitation of material and resuspension of the conditioned sediments back into the channel will both be factors in delivering the stated channel dimensions and requirements for nautical Depth, a conservative approach is warranted in order to assure that the requirements will be achieved. (Note that the density of the material to be removed can have a density of up to approximately 1500 kg/cubic meter) Specific considerations for the dredge plant are as follows: Propulsion: The dredge may be either self-propelled or a stand-alone barge with the capability to mate-up to an independent vessel for propulsion. Propulsion will be a requirement of the specifications. Vessel Draft: The dredge plant shall have the ability to navigate, operate and effectively dredge in waters as shallow as 9'. Pumping Capability: The pumping capability of the dredge shall be such that is necessary to achieve the required channel dimensions and required Nautical Depth. The offeror shall propose a dredge pumping plant that is capable of producing a channel meeting the ACUTE REMEDIATION PHASE and ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PHASE Nautical Depth requirements of not less than 20' for each day of the entire calendar year. The solicitation will require the offeror to produce detailed calculations demonstrating that the proposed plant will be capable of achieving the required Nautical Depth over the full channel dimensions. The dredge may be equipped with high pressure/high volume jet water at the draghead that can be directed down into the shoal material. The dredge should also have the ability to divert or completely re-direct the jet water into the drag pipe suction at the draghead. The dredge will be outfitted with the applicable Dredge Quality Management (DQM) system. Dredge Depth: The dredge shall be capable of lowering the suction draghead between 10 and 27 feet below the water surface. Drag Arm(s): Plant may have a single drag arm or multiple drag arms. Suction Inlet/Drag Heads: Plant shall be equipped with drag head(s) acceptable to USACE and other Federal Agencies with regards to minimizing the probability of entraining sea turtles and shall have apparatus to ensure that if sea turtles are entrained that the entrainment will be detectable. The dredge shall be operated using protocols to minimize the probability of sea turtle entrainment. Discharge Requirements: Dredge shall be equipped with a discharge baffle system that will be capable of dispersing the slurry overboard fully above the water surface in a flared dispersal pattern. Geographical Range of Operations: The required operating range of the dredge will be throughout the entire range of the Atchafalaya River Bar Channel. Coast Guard Certified for Operation within Geographic Range: The operating range includes reaches that are in open water in the Gulf of Mexico. Vessel and crew must have the required certifications for operating in United States waters in these conditions. Important Funding Considerations: The funding for this operation is provided by the Atchafalaya River Bayous Chene, Boeuf and Black Project appropriation. Funding is appropriated on a yearly basis and is provided as a total amount for all activities on this project. An average for dredging the bar channel over the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 fiscal years has been approximately $5.5 million. Interested firms should submit a capabilities package to include the following: (a) business classification (i.e. HUB Zone, etc.), (b) a proof of bonding as well as (c) what type of equipment would be utilized for this project. Additionally, (d) firms must submit experience in performing work requirements stated above. This experience must have been performed within the last five years. Electronic submissions will be accepted. The responses to this SOURCES SOUGHT synopsis may be e-mailed to Michelle.Y.Lappen@usace.army.mil. Responses are due July 19, 2017, 1:00 pm CST and are limited to ten (10) pages. Interested firms shall provide the above documentation in one (1) original form. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and is not a request to be placed on a solicitation mailing list nor is it a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a solicitation. This shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for any material provided in response to this market survey nor return the data provided. Respondents WILL NOT be notified of the results of the evaluation. Statements that do not meet all requirements or submitted within the allotted time will not be considered. Sources are advised that an Industry Day is scheduled for Tuesday, July 25th, 1300 CST, in room DARM A at the USACE building, 7400 Leake Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118-3651. A call-in conference line will be provided: Primary Access Information Dial-in Number(s): 888-240-3210 Access Code: 9621129 Conference Details Start Date: Jul 25 2017 Start Time: 12:55 PM Time Zone: US Central Duration (HH:MM): 03:00 Dial-In Ports: 50 Conference Name: ATCHAFALAYA RIVER DREDGING INDUSTRY DAY