Questions and Answers.pdf

NIST RFQ 1333ND21RNB610019 – TECHNICAL CONSUTING SERVICES – AMENDMENT 1 – Q&A

1. Please confirm this procurement is not a small business set-aside.

RESPONSE: This requirement is for Full and Open Competition

2. Do you require a price to be input for Item # 0001 on Schedule B (page 2 of the RFP): “Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) for Reactor Recovery consultation and remediation services. (3 year base)” ?

RESPONSE: No. The only price required is for the Task Order 0001 quote.

3. Please confirm that Section B is the entire schedule (the title of page 2 of the RFP says “SCHEDULE

Continued”).

RESPONSE: Confirmed, there is no continuation.

4. Please confirm the type of reimbursement structure for Task Order 001 - Gamma Camera Imaging of Process Room Plumbing Systems (fixed price, time and materials, cost plus fixed fee, etc.).

RESPONSE: Task Order 0001 is intended as a Fixed Price task order.

5. The instructions to offeror (page 100) for the Volume III: Business/Price Proposal notes that the offeror must provide an itemized proposal for Task Order 001. Can you provide an example of the desired format for an itemized price proposal, or else can you describe what you require in more detail?

RESPONSE: The Fixed Price quote for Task Order 0001 should include the total price, as well as all essential elements used to derive that total price. While the individual elements do not require price information to be included, the Government requires these elements to determine the contractor’s understanding of the project.

6. Page 100 of the RFP mentions the requirement for a “Completed SF1442 including Offeror’s DUNS no., point of contact information with name, telephone number, and email address.” Can you provide a blank SF1442 form? Or will the SF33 (page 1 of the RFP) be sufficient for this requirement instead?

RESPONSE: The SF33 will suffice.

7. Section B, CLIN 0001 is looking for a Unit Price and an overall proposed Amount for a 3-year base period. How are offerors to present pricing for CLIN 0001?

RESPONSE: No pricing is required for CLIN 0001, only CLIN 0002.

8. If the prime is proposing a team with subcontractors, is it necessary for the prime to also possess the minimum qualifications: A) Proof of a license that allows the contractor to possess radioactive materials and B) Documentation describing the contractor’s radiation worker training program? In other words, is it acceptable for one of the committed team members to meet these criteria for the whole team?

RESPONSE: This is acceptable.

9. Please confirm that the Past Performance provisions of Volume II Past Performance should simply be a list of contact information for the Case Studies provided in Volume I Technical and Management.

RESPONSE: A list of contact information is an acceptable approach.

10. Please provide any radiological survey data / dose rate information if available for the sub-pile room. If none is available, please provide an indication of anticipated range of dose rates inside the sub-pile room.

RESPONSE: Dose rates in the sub-pile room have not been measured since the event on February 3rd. A survey map of the sub-pile room, “Subpile Room Survey 10.16.20”, shows the measured dose rates prior to the event on 10/16/20 is provided. Dose rates were measured in the general ~ 4ft elevation from floor with the exception of the fuel transfer chute which were measured on contact and at 30 cm as noted on the survey map.

The government does not have an anticipated range of dose rates inside the sub-pile room.

11. Please provide a layout diagram of the sub-pile room (to include equipment and general spacing).

RESPONSE: Additional drawings of the sub-pile room are provided:

Drawings “E37-000 (1 of 2) Rev1” and “E37-000 (2 of 2) Rev1” show an elevation view of the sub-pile room.

Drawing “7-2-2 Rev 1" is a structural drawing, the elevation view of the sub-pile room is shown in the upper left hand corner of the drawing labeled as “Section A”.

Drawing “7-2-3 Rev 3" is a structural drawing, the plan view of the sub-pile room is shown in the upper left hand corner of the drawing labeled as “"Basement Floor Plan Fin. Floor Elev. 403’-0”.

12. What are the access dimensions to the sub-pile room?

RESPONSE The door going into the sub-pile room is 3’ X 5’. The door going into the process room is 3’-6” x 7’

13. The process room survey sheet indicates the dose rate measurements that were recorded at 4 feet elevation. The elevation for the other dose rate measurements has not been provided. If possible, please provide the elevations for where all dose rate measurements were taken.

RESPONSE: All available data is provided for on the survey conducted on 2/17/21 that is included as an Attachment to the RFP. Some of the data points include overhead piping but the specific elevation is not known

14. The data provided indicate that dose rates in the general area were measured at 4 feet elevation.

Are there additional data available from other elevations?

RESPONSE: All available data is provided for on the survey conducted on 2/17/21 that is included as an Attachment to the RFP. Some of the data points include overhead piping but the specific elevation is not known.

15. Has any gamma spectroscopy data been collected since the event? If so, can this be provided?

RESPONSE: Yes, gamma spectroscopy data of the primary coolant has been collected since the event. A spreadsheet tilted “Primary Activity as of 6-7-21” summarizing the radionuclides and approximate activities in the primary coolant as of 06/07/21 determined by gamma spectroscopy analysis is provided.

16. Were any alpha/beta swipe survey measurements taken as part of the 2/17/21 survey or since the event? If so, can this be provided?

RESPONSE: No alpha/beta swipe survey measurements were taken as part of the 2/17/21 surveyor since the event.

17. Is Wi-Fi available in the process room?

RESPONSE: No

18. Notwithstanding ALARA, are there any additional restrictions regarding access to the process and sub-pile rooms to perform scans (such as the number of times the room can be accessed and by how many personnel at a time, how long it takes to access the room, airlock, etc.)?

RESPONSE: The sub-pile room is a permit confined space; internal procedure requires air monitoring to be performed prior to initial entry into the sub-pile room. NIST will provide air monitoring support for access to the sub-pile room.

Notwithstanding ALARA, there are no restrictions on the number of times the room can be accessed or the number of people in that space.

19. Section 6.5 of the SOW for Task 1 states that the Government will provide health physics support and PPE. Do workers who enter the process room and sub-pile room need to be respirator qualified? If so, will the Government provide respirators?

RESPONSE: No, respirators are not required.

20. Will the activities in Task 1 be conducted under the NCNR radiation safety program?

RESPONSE: All radiological work must be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the NCNR radiation safety program.

21. What activities under future task orders are anticipated that would be outside the purview of the

NCNR license and would need to be covered under the contractor’s license?

RESPONSE: It is anticipated that the work will occur under the NIST licenses. The contractor’s license would permit them to receive, acquire, and transfer contaminated tools and/or equipment and to deliver or transfer the contaminated tools and/or equipment to NIST to support work conducted under this contract.

22. If a separate radioactive materials license is required for the contractor, what isotopes and corresponding limits are necessary? RESPONSE: The radionuclides are fission & activation products and the activities will be dependent on how the equipment is used and the effectiveness of contamination control and decontamination efforts on the equipment following completion of the work.

23. Is the NCNR facility either an “area of exclusive Federal jurisdiction” or a Federally controlled site for which Maryland, as an Agreement State, has regulatory authority over non-exclusive Federal jurisdiction land?

RESPONSE: The NCNR facility is an “area of exclusive Federal jurisdiction”.

24. The plans and photographs provided in the RFP show a complex arrangement of equipment and piping. Obtaining a detailed three-dimensional gamma survey and laser scan of all surfaces would require numerous set-ups and scans and likely not be consistent with ALARA principles. Does the Government have qualitative or quantitative guidelines for what the coverage should be for the gamma, laser, and photographic data collection?

RESPONSE: The Government does not have qualitative or quantitative guidelines for what the coverage should be. The scanning should be of sufficient detail to assess the radiological conditions in the process and sub-pile room to allow for the mitigation of contamination in the systems to an acceptable level to allow routine entry into these spaces.

25. According to the U.S. NRC’s website under Health Physics Positions Based on 10 CFR Part 20 (here):

titled Licensee’s Responsibility for Shipment of Waste and Radioactive Materials, it states: “NRC has not normally licensed service companies to possess radioactive contamination or waste at power reactor sites. Rather, any onsite service companies operate under the reactor license, and the reactor licensee is responsible for all onsite service activities and offsite shipments.” If the work described in the scope of work is to be performed at the NIST site, why is proof of a license that allows the contractor to possess radioactive materials a minimum qualification?

RESPONSE: Proof of license is required for the ability of the contractor and/or subcontractors to ship to NCNR and to receive back contaminated tools and/or equipment. The Government is not expecting to keep all contaminated tools and/or equipment in the performance of this contract.

26. Is the requirement of a license to allow a contractor to possess radioactive materials intended to be in lieu of working under the facility’s current NRC license and if so, how will the program be implemented? For example, which licensee is responsible for:

• Legal dose of record for workers

• Rad material shipments (generator/shipper)

• Approval of procedures and work packages

• Emergency plan implementation RESPONSE: No. The requirement of a license is to allow a contractor to possess radioactive materials is NOT intended to be in lieu of working under the facility’s current NRC license.

27. What if any areas or facilities (such as hot cells) are available at or near the NIST reactor to support decontamination of components or equipment?

RESPONSE: No hot cells are available for decontamination of items.

28. What if any limitations would those areas or facilities mentioned above (question 27) have with respect to radioactive materials?

RESPONSE: There are no hot cells.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrc.gov%2Fabout-nrc%2Fradiation%2Fprotects-you%2Fhppos%2Fhppos194.html&data=04%7C01%7Cdonald.collie%40nist.gov%7C986fd16b167c4e46f23a08d9303a86b0%7C2ab5d82fd8fa4797a93e054655c61dec%7C1%7C0%7C637593850201866200%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=zDC1Vb%2FyhCfmhris%2BhGwbrtFksYmsbe3lE7Oh0l7ipk%3D&reserved=0

29. Regarding the Terms and Conditions for the SATOC, Solicitation 1333ND21RNB610019, please describe the nuclear liability protection and indemnification that applies to this work.

RESPONSE: The Price Anderson Liability and Indemnification Coverage applies to this requirement.

30. Can you provide updated survey maps to account for the decay of short-lived fission products?

RESPONSE: An updated survey map of the process room titled “Process Room Survey 5.27.21” has been provided. The survey map provides a summary of the dose rates measured in the process room on 5/27/21. Dose rates listed on the “Process Room Survey 5.27.21” survey map can be compared to those measured on 2/17/21 which is included as an attachment to the RFP to assess changes in the measured dose rates from the decay of short-lived fission products.

31. It appears there is detectable alpha contamination, can confirm?

RESPONSE: There has been no alpha contamination detected that is not attributable to naturally occurring radon.

32. Has there been any remediation between now and the time of the survey data?

RESPONSE: There has not been any remediation between now and the time the survey data was collected.

33. Is there a walkdown that will be scheduled that we can attend? If not are there additional photos available that show the more of the room in its entirety?

RESPONSE: No walkdown will be scheduled, this is consistent with ALARA. We believe the government supplied photos and detailed drawings are sufficient to bid this requirement.

34. What is the approximate ambient temperature in the pump room?

RESPONSE: We believe this question is centered around the process room, in lieu of the pump room. As such, the approximate ambient temperature in the process room is 65F. The process room only has heating it does not have cooling so the approximate ambient temperature will vary with the outside temperature. That said, if the outside temperature is greater than 65 F the approximate ambient temperature in the room can be above 65 F.

35. Is there any issue with the use of radio, Bluetooth, or other wireless transmission for data from instrumentation and equipment used in the characterization?

RESPONSE: Radio, Bluetooth, and other wireless transmission methods such as Wi-Fi will not affect or will have minimal effect that can be compensated for on instrumentation in the process room and can be used. NIST does not currently have Wi-Fi connectivity in the process room due to the inability of Wi-Fi routers to last in the radiation environment of the process room.

36. For the cask design, would it acceptable to use an existing cask in lieu of a custom design if it meets the requirements?

RESPONSE: Yes, it would be acceptable to use an existing cask.

REFERENCE DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN AMENDMENT 2 ATTACHMENTS:

1) Reference Drawing 1: E37-000 (1 of 2) Rev1 (Elevation view of sub-pile room)

2) Reference Drawing 2: E37-000 (2 of 2) Rev1 (Elevation view of sub-pile room)

3) Reference Drawing 3: 7-2-2 Rev 1 (structural drawing)

4) Reference Drawing 4: 7-2-3 Rev 3 (structural drawing)

5) Sub-pile Room Survey 10.16.20

6) Process Room Survey 5.27.21

7) Primary Activity as of 6-7-21 (excel spreadsheet)