B12_Attachment_1_Redacted_J_A_Redacted_1.pdf

SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR ACQUISITION UNDER THE

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD

1. Contracting Agency and Activity. The Department of the Interior, United States Geological

Survey, plans to contract on a sole source basis. This document sets forth the justification and approval as required by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

2. Nature of Action Being Approved. The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center requests a new firm-fixed price Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) to ALS Group USA, Corp.

Submitting analytical samples to ALS Group USA, Corp laboratory located Middletown, Pennsylvania. Period of performance is July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.

3. Description of Supplies or Services. The ALS Group USA, Corp laboratory will supply the necessary sample bottles upon request and analyze the water and soil samples for specific analytes. Results will be delivered to the Pennsylvania Water Science Center, U.S. Geological

Survey, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania in hard copy (pdf format) and electronically along with the associated internal quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) results. QA/QC results will only be provided in the hard copy deliverable.

4. Estimated Dollar Value.

5. Statutory Authority. The proposed action may be awarded on a sole source basis under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1) – only one source reasonably available.

6. Rationale Supporting Use of Citation in No. 5. The Pennsylvania Water Science Center

(PWSC) has been conducting a study at the Ammonium Perchlorate Rocket Motor Destruction

(ARMD) facility at Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) since 2016. The primary laboratory that has conducted the analytical analyses for the project since 2016 has been the ALS Group USA, Corp laboratory in Middletown, Pennsylvania. The current analytical results need to be compared to results from previous years, it is imperative that analytical analyses be conducted by the ALS Group USA, Corp laboratory to preserve the continuity of data, and the data be reported directly to the PWSC. If Pennsylvania Water Science Center were to change labs eight years’ worth of data would be lost because the chemical characteristics could change from the site or switching labs. If another lab was chosen to conduct the analytical analyses USGS would lose annually with duplication of costs and efforts. The costs were derived from past-history of eight years working with ALS Group USA, Corp. This laboratory meets all the project requirements for reporting detection levels for the analytes required by the project workplan for environmental monitoring in the vicinity of the ARMD facility developed by

LEAD in coordination with the Pennsylvania of Environmental Protection.

ALS Group USA, Corp has been providing electronic data files that are partially formatted for input into the National Water Inventory System (NWIS). This is another reason why it is critical to use this laboratory to conduct the analyses.

7. Other Information. N/A

8. The Efforts to Identify Additional Sources Including the Market Research Conducted.

Market research was conducted using Workbook: DOI Historical Vendor Research Dashboard website using the key word search “analytical samples” nothing came up. GSA Ebuy was researched using the key word term “analytical samples” and analytical semi micro balance sales items showed up along with books on sampling and sample preparation. Other searches were conducted using Google on analytical samples and no other vendors were found that can provide the necessary analytical test.

9. Future Plans to Permit Competition.

USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center is continually searching for more competitive ways to conduct its research that would retain the integrity of the research through networking with professional societies and reading of professional literature. Future requirements will be competed at the maximum extent practicable.

10. Recommendation and Certification from Program Office

Based on the above, I recommend this acquisition be conducted on a sole source basis and certify the above statements are true and accurate.

Daniel Galeone, Project Chief

11. Certifications from the Contracting Officer:

a. The Contracting Officer will determine prices fair and reasonable based upon competition among resellers and by comparison to published list prices and/or invoices for similar goods/services.

b. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.