In-Water Vessel Hull Cleaning Technology and Services

The purpose for this amendment is to extend the response due date to July 16, 2012 and to correct the NAICS to read 562998. Request for Information & Sources Sought In-Water Vessel Hull Cleaning Technology and Services Introduction: The Maritime Administration (MARAD) Office of Ship Disposal (OSD) is soliciting information regarding existing or potentially feasible technologies or processes with the capability to remove biofouling from the underwater hull and appendages (niche areas) of MARAD National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) non-retention vessels, while the vessels are in-the-water, such that: 1. The resultant vessel hull meets the United States Coast Guard requirement for movement of the vessel from its home port United States Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) district to another COTP district with regard to the National Invasive Species Act of 1996 and implementing regulations (attached). - 2. The equipment, process and/or methodology used to remove biofoulants from the hull can demonstrate it has a discharge control factor of no less that 90% by volume or mass. A control factor of "no less than 90% by volume or mass", is considered by MARAD to mean minimum 90% of the total volume, or mass, of the total material removed from the hull is captured, contained, managed, treated or controlled, in such a manner, that it is not discharged to the surface waters. - 3. In the alternative, if it can be demonstrated that the discharge from the equipment/process/methodology is in compliance with applicable federal, state and local water quality discharge standards in the water basin area(s) where MARAD non-retention vessel are located, and the operator has been issued a valid Permit to Operate by the appropriate and cogent federal, state or local authority, MARAD would consider the control factor requirement satisfied. The Maritime Administration currently berths its obsolete vessels at the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, CA, at the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Beaumont, TX and at the James River Reserve Fleet in Ft. Eustis, VA. A list of NRDF Non-Retention Vessels, including vessel specifications, can be found at: http://www.marad.dot.gov/ships_shipping_landing_page/national_security/ship_operations/national_defense_reserve_fleet/national_defense_reserve_fleet.htm and https://voa.marad.dot.gov/ . Note that this Request for Information/Sources is specific to MARAD non-retention vessels and does not include active MARAD Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessels. Note that this sources sought notice is for obtaining information only. This does not constitute a Request for Proposal or an Invitation for Bid and does not obligate the Government in any way. Sources Sought: It is MARAD OSD's intention to issue an RFP for in-water hull biofoulant services after evaluation of the information and sources sought submitted to MARAD. This RFP will be for in-water hull cleaning of vessels in the James River Reserve Fleet in Ft. Eustis, VA and the Beaumont Reserve Fleet in Beaumont, TX. It is not applicable to vessels in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Benicia CA. Only those companies that are capable of performing the work described herein, and who have fully responded to this RFI will receive notification of the RFP solicitation, when it is released. Background: Current commercially-available equipment/processes of in-water hull biofoulant removal with mechanical brushes causes: A discharge of the biofouling material and remnants of some biofoulants (barnacles, mussels, bryozoans, etc.) being removed, and A possible discharge of the underwater hull coating system consisting of either, or both, solid paint (i.e., particles, chips or flakes) and/or dissolved paint constituents, resulting from the process of mechanical abrasion. Current in-water hull biofoulant removal processes are intended to minimize the removal of hull coatings from the vessel underwater hull and appendages. Additionally, currently commercially available hull biofoulant removal processes are not intended to remove hard calcified hull fouling from the vessel underwater hull and appendages. While currently commercially available hull biofoulant removal equipment can achieve the goal of limiting the spread of Aquatic Nonindigenous Species by their removal prior to vessel relocation, the issue of the discharge of hull coating remains problematic. A "best" solution to this issue would be a technology, process or procedure that would clean the hull to the degree necessary to prevent the transfer of invasive species from the vessel COTP district to another COTP district (one biogeographic region to another), while simultaneously meeting the minimum State acceptable discharge standard, and the MARAD requirement for a discharge control factor of at least 90%. RFI Response: Please provide a written response consisting of no more than 10 single-sided pages, using single-spaced lines, and a 12 point font. Please indicate if the technology, process or methodology being presented is propriety, is business confidential, or may be released without restriction. Also, indicate if the proposed process/equipment currently exists and, if so, provide a summary of its use on vessels or other marine structures. Video, photos or other diagram attachments can be submitted in addition to the 10 page response. Provide documentation related to the methodologies proposed, data generated that demonstrates the discharge control factor of the proposed technology, and information on how the control factor will be monitored/determined during actual operations in the field. Additionally if the biofoulant equipment/process/methodology has been issued a water quality discharge permit by a federal, state or local authority for in-water operations, please include a copy of the permit to operate. Responses are to be received by MARAD not later than 5:00 pm Eastern, Friday June 16, 2012. Responses are to be submitted to Alfredia Rich-Murphy, Contracting Officer via email: contact@example.gov or mail to US Department of Transportation/MarAd, Office of Acquisition (MAR-380) 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590. Subsequent in-water biofoulant removal RFPs for MARAD non-retention vessels will only be available to those offers responding to this RIF and Sources Sought and whose proposal has been evaluated as technically acceptable.