Attch_14_A0003_Questions_Answers_0003.doc

MT, GAOA FINALE DAM RECONSTRUCTION

Solicitation No: 140L0625R0015 – Amendment 0002 Questions & Answers

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

A1: Waivers are contingent upon providing sufficient documentation to substantiate the issues, and at the discretion of the HCA.

A2: Period of Performance will not be adjusted. The contractor is expected to complete the project within the Period of Performance and the surface disturbance restrictions (Surface disturbing activities will be limited to after July 15th and prior to December 1st , without prior approval from the BLM Decision Record - Authorized Officer, to prevent impacts to wildlife resources).

A3: Because of files size, please submit an email request to contracting.

A4: There is no month-to-month log available for water inflow, elevation, or depth at Finale/Finn Reservoir. The reservoir is located on a dry creek that flows seasonally during storm events and snowmelt. No bathymetric data is available. Per the drawings, the normal water surface elevation is 2641.00 feet.

A5: Yes.

A6: A volume.

A7: Both need to be completed.

A8: No, see revisions.

A9: No.

A10: Confirmed.

A11: The date should be the proposal due date.

A12: Refer to Specifications Section 03300-2.01 for acceptable cementitious materials. Type 1L cement is listed as an approved type provided it meets the sulfate resistance requirements in 03300-2.01.A.2(a).

A13: A subcontractor’s experience can be used with a Letter of Commitment, placed in Factor 1, Experience. It does not increase the page count.

A14: No.

A15: The contract specifications do not require the Superintendent, SSHO, and QC Manager to be separate individuals. It is acceptable for these roles to be fulfilled by the same person, provided all responsibilities are adequately met.

A16: Please factor in potential delays in proposal submissions.

A17: See A0002 Attachments.

A18: Soil boring and test pit data are provided in Appendix A of the specifications. Based on this data, excavation is expected to encounter clay soils, but no significant cobbles or large obstructions. While shale may be encountered, it is generally described as weathered, fractured, and easily excavated, and does not meet the definition of rock excavation.

A19: No asbestos or lead-containing materials are present on this project.

A20: Refer to Specifications Section 01300 Part 3.03, the contractor shall submit a Work Schedule as part of the Submittal process. The contract documents do not specify a required phasing plan for this project.

A21: The Government is tax-exempt; however, this exemption does not apply to the contractor. The contractor is responsible for paying any applicable taxes on their purchases.

A22: Refer to Specifications Section 01300 Part 3.03, the contractor shall submit a Work Schedule as part of the Submittal process. The contractor may begin on-site work at their discretion, subject to the Period of Performance and surface disturbance restrictions (Surface disturbing activities will be limited to after July 15th and prior to December 1st, without prior approval from the Authorized Officer, to prevent impacts to wildlife resources.). Submittals and material orders may begin once the project is awarded and the Notice to Proceed is issued.

A23: Refer to Specifications Section 01400 – Quality Control/Quality Assurance, Section 02300 – Earth Dam, and Section 03300 – Cast-In-Place Concrete for specific requirements. Third-party testing is required per the specifications. The contractor must retain an independent laboratory to perform on-site and laboratory tests for quality control.

A24: Refer to Specifications Section 01060 – Permits for details. Permitting is required. The contractor is responsible for obtaining and maintaining the Storm Water Discharge Permit and preparing the associated Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) as required by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

A25: Because of files size, please submit an email request to contracting.

A26: The contractor is responsible for all construction staking necessary to complete the work in accordance with the contract documents. There is no specific requirement regarding the use of red, yellow, or blue tops. The contractor may use any staking method or color-coding system they prefer, including machine-operated equipment with survey-grade capabilities, as long as it enables them to meet the requirements of the drawings and specifications.

A27: Refer to Specifications Section 01060 – Permits, Part 1.02, “The CONTRACTOR shall prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan as required to obtain a Stormwater Discharge Permit.”

All applicable Montana DEQ stormwater and erosion control requirements must be met. Best Management Practices (BMPs), such as silt fences, wattles, or other sediment controls, may be required to prevent discharge of pollutants to surface waters. The BLM does not expect a silt fence along the entire Limits of Disturbance (LOD); rather, the BLM expects the contractor to implement effective erosion and sediment control measures in accordance with DEQ standards and per the Montana DEQ Stormwater Permit.

A28: See question 35.

A29: There is no water level data available for Finale/Finn Reservoir. The reservoir is located on a dry creek that flows seasonally during storm events and snowmelt. No bathymetric data is available. Per the drawings, the normal water surface elevation is 2641.00 feet.

A30: Means and methods are up to the contractor. The contractor is responsible for determining the effort and volume of groundwater pumping required. The BLM would expect the contractor may safely breach the dam to facilitate dewatering the reservoir.

Refer to the following specification sections for applicable requirements:

Section 01150 – Measurement and Payment, Part 1.07.O: Water Control/Dewatering

Section 01010 – Summary of Work, Part 1.04: “Structures located downstream of the dam shall also be protected during reservoir dewatering activities.”

Section 02300 – Earth Dam, Part 1.03.C: Requirement for a submittal addressing temporary dewatering, drainage, and irrigation.

A31: Refer to Specifications Section 01150 – Measurement and Payment, Item 15 Control/Dewatering and Section 02300 – Earth Dam, Part 1.03.C for submittal requirements related to temporary dewatering and drainage. There is no requirement to store water pumped for dewatering. The contractor must manage water in accordance with their SWPPP for the Montana DEQ permit. Temporary water storage (temporary ponds) may be necessary for soil moisture conditioning.

A32: Limits on construction spaces (equipment staging areas, material stockpile and processing areas, water storage, borrow limits, haul roads, etc.)

Answer: See Specifications 01010, Section 1.09 – Land Use Plan

· Commentary: A large area has been reviewed (environmental, wildlife, archeological, etc.) around the dam with nothing anticipated to be in conflict of the construction activities (date restrictions still apply for migratory bird and Sage-Grouse). The Land Use Plan Submittal will be provided to the government and approved prior to start of construction. The Land Use Plan will be reviewed internally to ensure that no environmental, wildlife, archeological, or other conflicts might exist, and the Land Use Plan seems reasonable for the project.

· Commentary: Borrow areas are listed, but any plan for borrow should be submitted with the Land Use Plan and will need to be updated if more borrow areas will be needed.

A33: Yes.

A34: See Specifications 01570, Section 1.05 – Detours.

A35: The Finale Dam is located on Triple Cross (TC) Access Road. The contractors are responsible to verify public roads to access this location and verify load ratings of bridges or other potential access issues.

· This is the information the BLM was able to collect on bridges that might be on a public access route (contractors are responsible for verifying this data):

· 6th Ave S to Aitken Rd Bridge – Posted “Weight Limit 6-7 Axles 31T”

· Location: 48°11'37.28"N, 106°38'58.17"W

· 2nd Aitken Rd Bridge – No posted weight restrictions

· Location: 48°11'36.00"N, 106°39'13.81"W

· Willow Creek Road – Willow Creek Bridge – Inspection report indicates “Vehicle SU6 33 Tons, Vehicle SU7 37 Tons, Vehicle EV3 27 Tons”

· Location: 47°55'33.85"N, 106°51'44.45"W

· Larb Creek Road to Content Road – Content Road Bridge – No posted weight restrictions

A36: The BLM culvert replacement project is anticipated to be completed prior to July 15, 2026, so there will not be any conflict anticipated.

A37: Refer to Specifications Section 01060 – Permits, Part 1.02, “The CONTRACTOR shall prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan as required to obtain a Stormwater Discharge Permit.”

Not really limitations of where water can go as long as, all applicable Montana DEQ stormwater and erosion control requirements must be met. The BLM would expect the contractor to safely breach the dam to facilitate dewatering the reservoir to the downstream side of the embankment. Dewatering to the Spillway would seem to be more effort than expected, but the contractor may build the dewatering strategy (reservoir, groundwater, etc.) into their plan as it best makes sense as long as it meets all permits and project contractual documents (contract, specifications, drawings, etc.).

A38: Refer to Specifications Section 02275 – RIPRAP, Part 3.03.

The BLM expects the grout to be placed per this Specifications section and typically the concrete truck chute and excavator bucket is used to reach the entire grouted stilling basin area (other means and methods might be used by the contractor in order to properly comply with the project plans and reach all locations for grouting the stilling basin).

A39: Refer to Specifications 01010, Section 1.09 – Land Use Plan

A large area has been reviewed (environmental, wildlife, archeological, etc.) around the dam with nothing anticipated to be in conflict with the construction activities (date restrictions still apply for migratory bird and Sage-Grouse). The Land Use Plan Submittal will be provided to the government and approved prior to start of construction. The Land Use Plan will be reviewed internally to ensure that no environmental, wildlife, archeological, or other conflicts might exist, and the Land Use Plan seems reasonable for the project.

Lime amended mixing shall be planned and designated by the contractor as part of the Land Use Plan.

Refer to Specifications 02300, Section 1.03.E – Lime Treatment Plan

Refer to Specifications 02300, Section 3.05 – Lime Treatment, “The dry weight of the soil stockpiled in the mixing area shall be verified to determine the correct lime application weight.” The amount of Lime received to the site will need to be verified and approved by the Government prior to the Lime Treatment mixing efforts. The BLM expects a rough estimate of soil based on area and height of stockpile, provided the dimensions of the stockpile area (Such as 200x200x6) are neat and easily calculated.

A40: See question 34 – Detours. The temporary route will need to meet the DEQ SWPPP and any other requirements in Specifications 01570, Section 1.05 – Detours. The temporary route should be presented as part of the Specifications 01010, Section 1.09 – Land Use Plan and also may be constructed to benefit the contractor’s hauling and driving efforts during construction.