Welsbach/General Gas Mantle Superfund Site

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT announcement; a market survey for information only, to be used for preliminary planning purposes. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS SOURCES SOUGHT. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this synopsis or any follow up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation; however, the information will be used to assist the Government in finalizing the acquisition approach, structuring the evaluation criteria, and selecting the set-aside requirement for this acquisition. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District has been tasked to solicit for and award an Indefinite Delivery Contract for environmental remediation activities at the Welsbach/General Gas Mantle Superfund Site. The proposed procurement will be a competitive, cost plus fixed fee construction contract. The contract will be procured in accordance with FAR 15, Negotiated Procurement using "Best Value" trade-off process. Any set-aside decision to be issued will depend upon the capabilities and responses to this synopsis. The Welsbach/General Gas Mantle Superfund Contamination Site (Welsbach/GGM or Site) is a multi-property site located in Gloucester City and Camden, Camden County, New Jersey. The Site consists of two former gas mantle manufacturing facilities, along with commercial, industrial, recreational and residential properties surrounding the former facilities. Between the 1890s and 1940s, the Welsbach Company (Welsbach) manufactured gas mantles at its facility in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Welsbach was a major manufacturer and distributor of gas mantles until gas lighting was replaced by the electric light. Welsbach imported monazite ore to use as its source of the radioactive element thorium. Welsbach extracted thorium from the ore and used it in the gas mantle manufacturing process since thorium causes the mantles to glow more brightly when heated. Just after the turn of the 19th century, Welsbach was the largest producer of gas mantles and lamps in the United States, making up to 250,000 mantles per day. A second gas mantle manufacturing facility, General Gas Mantle Company (GGM), located in Camden, New Jersey was a smaller competitor to Welsbach. GGM operated from 1915 to approximately 1940. EPA initially identified the Site in 1980, and in May 1981, EPA conducted an aerial radiological survey of the Camden and Gloucester City area to investigate for radioactive contaminants. The survey encompassed a 20 square kilometer area surrounding the former locations of the Welsbach and GGM facilities. Based on the evaluation of the data from the aerial survey, EPA divided the Welsbach/GGM site into six study areas in Camden and Gloucester City, New Jersey. A brief description of each study area and its current land use is presented below: - Study Area One: includes the former GGM Facility and residential/ commercial properties which surround the facility. The former GGM Facility is located in a mixed industrial, commercial, and residential zoned section of Camden. - Study Area Two: includes the location of the former Welsbach Facility and nearby residential/commercial properties. The former Welsbach Facility is situated in an industrial zoned section of Gloucester City with residential properties to the immediate east. - Study Area Three: includes residential and recreational properties in Gloucester City, including the Gloucester City Swim Club and the Johnson Boulevard Land Preserve. - Study Area Four: includes residential properties in the Fairview section of Camden. - Study Area Five: includes residential properties, vacant land properties, and two municipal parks near Temple Avenue and the South Branch of Newton Creek in Gloucester City. - Study Area Six: includes residential and commercial properties, as well as two vacant lots near Market, Powell and Seventh Streets in Gloucester City. Based on the aerial survey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) conducted detailed radiological investigations at more than 1,000 properties in Camden and Gloucester City in the early 1990s. Radiological contamination was identified at the two former gas mantle facilities and at approximately 100 properties located near the two facilities. In 1996, the Welsbach/GGM site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) because of the presence of radioactive contaminants. The following four Operable Units (OU) were identified: - OU1 - Soils and Waste Materials - EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) in July 1999. The selected remedy is excavation and off-site disposal of radiologically contaminated soil and waste materials. - OU2- Armstrong Building - The ROD was issued in September 2011. The selected remedy included decontamination of radiologically contaminated surfaces and off-site disposal of radiologically contaminated waste materials. - OU3-Surface Water, Sediments and Wetlands - In July 2005, EPA issued a ROD which indicated no action necessary for surface water, sediments and wetlands at the site. - OU4- Groundwater - EPA plans to investigate the groundwater at the completion of the OU1 remediation. The purpose of this synopsis is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities and qualifications of various members of industry, to include the Small Business Community: Small Business, Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The Government must ensure there is adequate competition among the potential pool of responsible contractors. Small business, Section 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB businesses are highly encouraged to participate. The Government is seeking qualified, experienced sources capable of performing environmental remediation activities at the site. The work performed under this Indefinite Delivery Contract will be all part of the OU1 remediation. This work will primarily be performed at the Gloucester Marine Terminal (GMT) property. In addition to this property, work could also include other properties within Gloucester City and Camden, NJ as necessary to meet the requirements of the Record of Decision. The Former Welsbach Facility is located within the GMT property. The GMT property is an active port, warehouse and logistics facility. The property is owned by GMT, Realty Limited Liability Company (LLC) and is operated by Gloucester Marine Terminal, LLC through Holt Logistics. The GMT property is approximately 95 acres and it has 25 buildings and 4 berths. This facility is the largest fruit and vegetable importer on East Coast. The GMT property is bound by the Delaware River on the west, Newton Creek on the north, Monmouth Street on the south and Ellis Street on the East. The Walt Whitman Bridge divides the GMT property, with approximately a third of the property lying to the north side of the bridge and approximately two thirds of the property lying to the south side of the bridge. The property directly below the bridge is owned by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA). The selected contractor will have to have the ability to work in multiple remediation areas concurrently and adapt to changing requirements of the terminal operator, Holt Logistics (Holt). The contractor will be limited on the areas that they are able to excavate and will have to be flexible to move to other areas based on Holt's scheduled shipping needs. The Government plans to work very close with Holt to ensure that disruptions to their operations are kept to a minimum. The environmental remediation activities will be based off designs which are completed on a separate Government Contract. Remediation activities may include: excavation of radiologically contaminated soil, backfill, underground utility relocation/construction, excavation support, dewatering, water treatment, site restoration, waste management and transportation by rail for off-site disposal, and operation and management of an on-site radiological lab. In accordance with FAR 36/DFARs 236, the estimated construction price range for this project is: Between $25,000,000 and $100,000,000 The contract ordering period of performance is five years. The total contract capacity of the Indefinite Delivery Contract will not exceed $100,000,000.00. The North American Industry Classification System code for this procurement is 562910 which has a small business size standard of 750 employees. The Standard Industrial Code is 1794 and The Federal Supply Code is 3805. Small businesses are reminded under FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting that they must perform at least 15% of the cost of the contract, not including the cost of materials, with their own employees for general construction-type procurement. Should the acquisition be set-aside for the 8(a) program, 8(a) firms are reminded they need to have a bona fide office in the geographical area of consideration where the work is to be performed as determined by SBA. Prior Government contract work is not required for submitting a response under this sources sought synopsis. The official synopsis citing the solicitation number will be issued on Federal Business Opportunities www.fbo.gov and inviting firms to register electronically to receive a copy of the solicitation when it is issued. Firm's response to this Synopsis shall be limited to 7 pages and shall include the following information: 1. Firm's name, address, point of contact, phone number, and e-mail address. 2. Firm's interest in bidding on the solicitation when it is issued. 3. Firm's capability to perform a Cost Reimbursable contract of this magnitude and complexity (include firm's capability to execute construction, comparable work performed (excavation of radiologically contaminated soils) within the past 5 years: Brief description of the project, customer name, timeliness of performance, customer satisfaction, and dollar value of the project) - provide at least 3 examples. 4. Firm's experience with the following: - Excavation, waste handling, and transportation for off-site disposal of radiological contaminated soils - Design, construction, and O&M of excavation dewatering and water treatment systems - Excavation support techniques - Projects executed in active industrial areas requiring coordination with the property owner. 5. Firm's Business Size - LB, SB, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB. 6. Firm's Joint Ventures (existing), including Mentor Prot'g's and teaming arrangement information is acceptable 7. State the evaluation factors your firm thinks would be the most valuable discriminators that the Government should include to assist in selecting the best value firm. 8. What key personnel positions would be necessary in support of this project? 9. Do you anticipate subcontracting out this work? If so, state the portions of this work your firm intends on subcontracting. Interested Firm's shall respond to this Sources Sought Synopsis no later than July 08, 2016 at 4:00 pm, local Kansas City time. All interested firms must be registered in SAM to be eligible for award of Government contracts. Email your response to Josh Hill at william.j.hill@usace.army.mil