The United States Department of Energy (DOE) intends to extend the tank operation contract with Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS) at the Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site to furnish safe, compliant, cost-effective and energy-efficient services to further the DOE Office of River Protection (ORP) mission to store, retrieve and treat Hanford tank waste, store and dispose of treated waste, and to close the Tank Farm waste management areas to protect the Columbia River. The proposed contract extension is for up to 24 months from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023. Services at the DOE Hanford Site as listed below are contemplated as part of the contract extension. These services may include, but are not limited to, the following: Base Operation and Projects Maintain and operate the tank farm single-shell and double-shell facilities. Maintain and operate the 242-A Evaporator to support tank waste retrievals, Direct-Feed Low?Activity Waste (DFLAW) feed and operations, and waste returns for waste treatment operations. Operate the Effluent Treatment Facility and support facilities and carry out facility modifications. Maintain and modify systems associated with cross-site transfer lines to support tank waste retrieval operations in the 200 West Area. Manage storage space in the double-shell tank (DST) system, including waste transfers using existing systems, and upgrade waste transfer systems. Maintain tank integrity and monitoring programs. Continue implementing safety measures to address tank farm vapors. Tank Retrieval and Closure Design, procure, permit, construct/fabricate, and operate single-shell tank (SST) waste retrieval systems that remove waste from the SSTs and transfer it to the DSTs or treatment systems. Perform waste management area closure activities in accordance with site-wide integrated closure strategies. Support the Integrated Disposal Facility Performance Assessment, Waste Incidental to Reprocessing determinations, and permitting activities associated with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and Clean Air Act. Design and construct interim tank-farm surface barriers and monitor existing barriers for effectiveness. Waste Treatment and Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Support Provide integrated system planning for the DOE ORP mission and perform project planning, system upgrades/replacements, and operations to accomplish waste-feed delivery to the treatment facilities. In collaboration with the WTP prime contractor, implement an integrated management strategy to ensure successful startup and hot commissioning of DFLAW treatment under the existing Tank Operations Contract and WTP Contract. Design, permit, construct, and operate systems for tank waste retrieval, pretreatment, and feed qualification and delivery to the low-activity waste pretreatment facilities. Design, permit, construct, commission, and operate low-activity waste pretreatment facilities and modifications to the tank farms in support of DFLAW. Provide capabilities that support the transport, storage, and disposal of immobilized low-activity waste. Design, permit, construct, and operate supplemental treatment facilities to treat low?activity waste, secondary wastes, and other waste stream created by the processing of the tank waste. Provide support to DOE for litigation involving the March 11, 2016 Amended Consent Decree entered in State of Washington v. Brouillette, No. 08-5085-RMP (E.D. Wash.) as well as any administrative or judicial litigation resulting under the Tri-Party Agreement. The proposed contract action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is the Competition in Contracting Act (41 U.S.C. - 3304) , implemented under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1(a) which authorizes other than full and open competition when the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source, and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The present contract with WRPS is due to expire on September 30, 2021. The proposed contract extension will allow activities to continue at the DOE Hanford site until completion of the on-going follow-on procurement, the Hanford Integrated Tank Disposition Contract, currently anticipated to result in an award of a new contract by end of Calendar Year 2022. There cannot be any gaps in service between contracts for this requirement due to the hazards to human health and safety from waste stored in the tanks. The current Tank Operations Contract must remain in place through the entire procurement process and completion of the transition from the current contract to a new contractor. WRPS as the incumbent contractor is the only contractor who has unique qualifications to continue the necessary activities at the DOE Hanford site without a break in service until new contract award. THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL UNDER FAR PART 12, 15, OR AN INVITATION FOR BIDS UNDER FAR PART 14. IF PARTIES CHOOSE TO RESPOND, ANY COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF DATA OR ANY OTHER COSTS INCURRED IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESPONDENT AND WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED BY THE GOVERNMENT. Interested parties believing they have all of the capabilities may submit capability statements to provide all of the services, including a demonstration of the ability to meet all of the needs identified above within the required timeframes. The capabilities statement describing and demonstrating the above shall be submitted within 15 days of publication of this notice to the following address: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of River Protection, P.O. Box 450, MSIN H6-60, Richland, WA, 99352. ATTENTION: Shelby Nicole Schuller.
