Questions_and_Answers_for_RFP_No_2017-N-18107_FINAL_25January2018.docx

2017-N-18107 Amendment 0002

Questions and Answers for RFP No. 2017-N-18107 Public Health Support Services for ATSDR's Public Health Assessment Activities

Question:

1. Can you tell me how many awards the government is anticipating to make?

Answer:

No. However, the government anticipates making multiple awards.

Question:

2. RFP, Section C – Description/Specific/Work Statement, Section C.4, Page 9, Task Area 3: Training: How much of the scope is anticipated to be “in-person” public health and technical training versus training offered through distance learning and online?

Answer:

Very little training will be offered in-person. More than 90% will likely be distance learning or online.

Question:

3. RFP, Section M, M-2 Evaluation Factors, Page 86, Technical: The weighting of the subfactors for each of the Basic Contract and Task Order #0001 are very well defined. Although in Section M.1 it states “The technical proposal for the basic contract is significantly more important than the technical proposals for the Task Order”, what is the relative weighting of the Basic Contract response vs the Task Order response?

Answer:

The Government will conduct a separate technical evaluation for Basic Contract and the Task Order. The basic contract and the task order will be evaluated using the subfactors and relative weights identified in the tables on page 86. The number adjacent to each subfactor in the tables indicate the importance ("weight") relative to the other subfactors. An offeror must be awarded a Basic Contract in order to be considered for a Task Order award.

Question:

4. Attachment J6, Page 2, Section C.3, 2nd Paragraph: The solicitation states that "Education and outreach for the events will reflect the previous outreach efforts as were performed in various regions…”. Were these previous outreach efforts performed by an incumbent Contractor under the existing contract? If so, how satisfied is the Government with the Incumbent’s performance providing these services?

Answer:

There is no current soilSHOP work being carried out under a current task order. A task order that expired approximately a year ago included soilSHOP services and ATSDR was satisfied with the services provided.

Question:

5. Attachment J6, Page 2, Section C.3, 2nd Paragraph: In order to provide the best value to the Government, will the awarded Contractor have access to the documents, materials and other research developed during the original contract?

Answer:

Yes, the contractor who receives task order awards will have access to GFI as necessary.

Question:

6. Attachment J6, Page 3, Section C.4, Task 1, Sub-Section 1.3: Was an evaluation conducted of the previous outreach events? What types of events were successful in achieving the communication goals of the current contract?

Answer:

Yes. A qualitative evaluation of the outreach events was completed by the ATSDR project leads. The events that were successful in achieving the communication goals were events where partnerships (i.e. local, state, and federal) occurred. Multipurpose events were best because those were the ones that usually attracted the largest number of community members. The main goal of the soilSHOPs are to get community members to attend so that ATSDR scientists can provide them with health education.

Question:

7. Attachment J6, Page 3, Section C.4, Task 1, Sub-Section 1.7: How will the Government measure the success of outreach events conducted under this new contract?

Answer:

The Government will develop an evaluation scheme for properly measuring the success of the events.

Question:

8. Attachment J6, Page 5, Section C.11, Travel: Based on an anticipated 4 trips, can on assume the awarded Contractor will be supporting 4 soilSHOP events per year? If not, how many soilSHOP events are anticipated to occur in a given year?

Answer:

Yes, four soilSHOP events should be assumed.

Question:

9. Attachment J6, Page 4, Section C.4, Task 2, Sub-Section 2.1: Is task 2.1 an on-going task related to updating and maintaining Historical Lead Site data in the interested Regions? If so, where is the does this historical site data reside?

Answer:

No, it is not an on-going task where we have a historical site data repository. The mapping is a site-specific request and may not occur for every site. Depending on site history, there may already be plenty of contaminant maps developed that illustrate the contamination footprint in the community.

Question:

10. Attachment J6, Page 4, Section C.4, Task 2, Sub-Section 2.1: What is the Government’s level of effort (LOE) envisioned to perform task 2.1? Full-time, periodic, as needed? If as needed, how much time should one anticipate allocating to support this effort?

This will be an as-needed effort. The offeror should estimate the labor hours based on their experience and understanding of the task order requirement.

11. Attachment J6, Page 4, Section C.4, Task 2, Sub-Section 2.2: Can one assume that task 2.2 is specific to supporting each individual soilSHOP event?

Yes.

12. Page 81, #5-Travel: Is the government only requesting travel cost associated with the performance of the TO 0001? Also, please confirm that the price table-Section B from TO 0001 shall be included in the Volume II-Business/Cost Proposal?

Answer:

Yes, the pre-determined travel costs are associated with the performance of Task Order 0001. Yes, the price table-Section B is to be included in Volume II.

Question:

13. Page 84, M.1, #3-Cost/Price evaluation-is the Government only going to evaluate the TO 0001 pricing? Will the basic contract pricing (attachment J5) also be evaluated?

Answer:

Yes, all elements will be reviewed and evaluated.

Question:

14. SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS, page 2 of 92, indicates that the estimated period of performance is 06/01/2018–05/31/2023. Section F.3 Period of Performance (Contract and Task Orders), page 19 of 92, Paragraph (a) (Contract), lists the anticipated period of performance as 06/11/2018–06/10/2023. Please confirm which dates are correct.

Answer:

Page 2 of 92 has been corrected to reflect a Period of Performance from 06/11/2018 – 06/10/2023.

Question:

15. Section H.8, Personnel Rates Table, page 30 of 92 states that the rates included in Attachment J5 will apply to both firm fixed price and time and material task orders, but also requests that offerors should provide a separate table for the firm fixed price rates and a separate table for the time and material rates. Attachment J5 only requests that offerors propose Off-Site and On-Site rates, and not separate rates for firm fixed price or time and material orders. Please clarify the requirement.

Answer:

Offerors should provide a separate table for the Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) rates and a separate table for the Time and Material (T&M) rates. Tables noted in J5 shall be modified as your firm deems necessary to account for on-site/off-site FFP and T&M rates.

Question:

16. Section H.27, Facilities, page 43 of 92. Since offerors will be providing both Off-Site and On-Site fixed loaded rates in Attachment J5, that already include an offerors applicable overhead rates, are offerors still required to complete the two overhead tables in Section H.27, even though they appear more relevant to a CPFF type contract? Also, is this required when offerors most likely will not have Government approved overhead rates for all five years of the contract?

Answer:

Yes.

Question:

17. H.30, Award of Task Order, Section 1. (h), ii, page 45 of 92. Is the date of May 27, 2011, correct?

Answer:

No. This section has been updated to reflect the most recent FAR guidance.

Question:

18. Section I – Contract Clauses, page 55 of 92. Will offerors be required to submit a Subcontracting Plan as part of its business proposal-Volume II? If yes, please provide the Agency’s current subcontract goals.

Answer:

Yes, Large Business concerns shall submit a Subcontract Plan in accordance with FAR regulations. Small business goals may be found at the following link:

https://www.cdc.gov/contracts/doingbusinesswithcdc/CDCandSmallBusiness.html

Question:

19. Section L.11, Proposal page format, page 75 of 92, third paragraph. The instructions indicate that “Offerors shall submit an original, six (6) hard copies, and a CD-ROM of the entire proposal.” Please confirm whether the Government is asking for a single CD-ROM containing all three volumes of the response (technical proposal, business proposal, past performance/other additional data) or separate CD-ROMs for each of the three volumes.

Answer:

A single CD-ROM may include all requested volumes.

Question:

20. Section L.13, TECHNICAL PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS—VOLUME I, page 77 of 92, first paragraph (Section 1 - Basic Contract). The RFP states that “Attachment J4 shall be included in this section.” ATTACHMENT J4, first paragraph under the table notes that there is no page limit for the table. Should the Attachment J4 table (Labor Categories, Descriptions/Duties, and Qualifications/Education) be included within the Section 1 text or as an attachment or appendix to Section 1?

Answer:

Attachment J4 should be included in this Section as an attachment or appendix as there is no page limit associated with Attachment J4.

21. Section L.13, TECHNICAL PROPOSAL PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS—VOLUME I, page 77 of 92, Subsection A (BASIC Contract). The instructions indicate that the technical proposal is limited to 25 pages, including the “cover page and table of contents.” Are the following included or excluded in the page count: (a) binder covers and (b) offeror cover letters?

No, binder covers are excluded; however, offeror cover letters/cover pages are included in the page count.

Question:

22. Section L.14, Business Proposal Instructions – Volume II, 2nd Paragraph, page 79 of 92, references a Contract Form found in Part I, Section A. We could not locate this Contract Form in the RFP. Can the Government please provide the said Contract Form to be completed. Is it SF33?

Answer:

Yes the form has been provided. The SF 33 is the actual solicitation document. See page 1 of the RFP.

Question:

23. Section L.14, Business Proposal Instructions – Volume II, (b) Cost Data Information, page 80 of 92. If in accordance with an offeror’s approved Disclosure Statement and accounting practice consistent with FAR 31.2, it does not have a separate company indirect cost pool for Fringe Benefits, but instead is included as part of its overhead pool, can the offeror disregard the requested information in Section L.14(b)2?

Answer:

No, this element may not be disregarded. The Offeror must provide documentation with supporting rationale (i.e. Disclosure Statement) for the overhead pool that includes fringe should be provided.

Question:

24. Section L.14, Business Proposal Instructions – Volume II, (b) Cost Data Information, page 81 of 92. Are the cost(s) proposed under Section L.14, (b), 3, 4, 5, and 6 only applicable to the pricing of Task Order #0001?

Yes.

25. Section L.16, OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE DATA, page 83 of 92. Could the Government please confirm whether the “Other Administrative Data” should be included in Volume II or Volume III of the proposal.

Answer:

Yes. Other Administrative Data shall be included in Volume III.

Question:

26. Attachment J6, Task Order 0001 – Section B & Performance Work Statement. Can the Government provide an estimated level of effort (LOE) (labor hours) for the PWS?

Answer:

No. The offeror should estimate the labor hours based on their experience and understanding of the task order requirement.

27. Attachment J6, Task Order 0001, Section B-Supplies or Services and Prices/Costs. Is CLIN 0001 for labor only? If yes, will the Government provide a separate CLIN for ODCs, excluding travel? As indicated on pages 80 and 81 of the RFP, materials and services and ODCs are an allowable charge under the proposed procurement.

Answer:

No, CLIN 0001 also includes ODCs. All costs outside of travel should be rolled into CLIN 0001.

Question:

28. Attachment J6, Task Order 0001 – C.4 Technical Requirements, Task 1 – soilSHOP Planning and Outreach Support, Paragraph 1.6. Please clarify what the anticipated “soil processing” activities will be? Should the costs for equipment/supply acquisition or any laboratory analysis be included in the price proposal? If yes, will the Government add an ODC CLIN to capture these costs?

Answer:

The term processing means to take the samples that the community member brings to the event, get them as homogenous as possible, put them in a bag (if necessary), and scan them with a hand-held XRF. No lab analysis will be conducted. Only onsite sample screening will occur.

Yes. Any costs for equipment/supply acquisition should be included in the price proposal. No, CLIN 0001 also includes ODCs. All costs outside of travel should be rolled into CLIN 0001.

Question:

29. This question is specific to the "requirement" to have past performance working in government contracting. This requirement acts a significant deterrent to small business concerns from bidding on the working parts of this contract. Is the past performance questionnaire requirement meant to indirectly deter individuals or companies that never worked in government contract from bidding?

Answer:

No.

Question:

30. Does the agency recognize persons that have attained high-level degrees in the field of study as competent to work specific task orders?

Answer:

The agency cannot address this question.

31.The below question might be more for your leadership team. Does the agency have a social and economic responsibility to ensure Americans with highest degrees are accessing gainful employment?

Answer:

The agency cannot address this question.

Question:

32. H.19 – Homeland Security Presidential Directive (page 34 of 92) – is there something to be inserted in the last line of paragraph (a)?

Answer:

No. The security level will be determined at the Task Order level.

Question:

33. Page 11 of 92 – there are a lot on Security Requirements – (C.6) and on page 11 of 92 – it says that the Government has determined that HHS information under this contract is considered “sensitive” – Is this more strict than necessary or should we expect to see work that is sensitive under this contract?

Answer:

No. The security levels and specific security requirements will be determined at the Task Order level.

Question:

34. H.30 – Award of Task Order, page 45 of 92 (item (h)ii) –May 27, 2011 is outdated in this item. Please clarify.

Answer:

Reference question and answer number 17 above.

Question:

35. H.30 – Award of Task Order, page 46 of 92 – “significantly higher” – can you clarify what that means?

Answer:

Reference question and answer number 3 above.

Question:

36. Exhibit 1 and 2 (page 49 of 92 and on) – seems quite restrictive on addition or substitution of personnel (53 of 92). Are these requirements more suited to dedicated staffing contracts?

Answer:

No.

37. B.11, Page 4: To date, have there been SCA labor applied to the current IDIQ? If so, which task order numbers?

No, to-date SCA has not been applicable (reference Section B.11 Clause). The government doesn’t anticipate any SCA applicability; however, it would be determined at the task order level.

Question:

38. C.12 QASP, Page 16: Please specify if the QASP referenced here is at the Basic Contract level (with task order level details provided for each task order response) or at the Task Order level.

Answer:

The C.12 QASP reference is pertaining to the Task Order level, if applicable. There is no QASP provided for the Basic Contract.

Question:

39. C.12 QASP, Page 16: Is a QASP required with the proposal submission, or as a post-award deliverable? If with the proposal, for the Basic Contract or the Task Order?

Answer:

A QASP was not provided for the basic effort or the task order effort. Paragraph C.12 is provided in an effort to explain what a QASP is and when it could be used.

Question:

40. F.3.(a) Contract, Page 19: Are there any optional periods of performance or extension periods?

Answer:

No.

Technical Proposal for the Basic Contract

41. We understand that we should include resumes for our delignated key personnel. Would you like us to include resumes for our additional proposed technical staff?

No. Resumes are required for those designated as Key Personnel only.

Question:

42. Basic Contract, Page 77: “appendices shall only include resumes and requested literature (if any)…” Is there additional requested literature required?

Answer:

No. Any ‘additional literature’ would be noted throughout the RFP requirements.

Question:

43. L.16,Item 2, Page 83: Is this required for the prime only, or for major subcontractors as well?

Answer:

No. This information is requested for the Prime only.

Question:

44. L.10, Page 74: Is Attachment J5 submitted in Volume II? Since this volume is for Task Order #0001, should all rates be submitted in this volume, or just those applicable to Task Order 0001?

Answer:

Yes. Attachment J5 is pricing information and should be included in Volume II and should include all proposed rates. Reference RFP Section L.14 for full Business Volume submission requirements. Please be reminded that all offerors are to submit a business proposal for Task Order #0001.

Question:

45. On page 30, in the “H.8 Personnel Rates Table” clause, the solicitation states “The rates will apply to both firm-fixed-price task orders and time and material task orders. Therefore, the offeror should provide a separate table for the firm-fixed price rates and a separate table for the time and material rates.” If an offeror anticipates the FFP and T&M rates to be the same, can a single set of rates be submitted?

Answer:

Yes. But the offeror must clearly indicate that the rates are for BOTH FFP & TM.

Question:

46. Attachment J4: Can additional labor categories be added to the Basic Contract if required in response to specific Task Orders (which full scope is yet to be determined)?

Answer:

At time of submission of proposal there’s no limit to the number of labor categories; however, after award labor categories can not be added or modified.

Question:

47. Attachment J4 vs. Attachment J5: Should Attachment J5 include all of the Labor Categories listed in Attachment J4? Based upon the evaluation criteria (M.1 item 3) and L.14 volume II instructions, it is not evident where the Labor Categories beyond Task Order 0001 are evaluated.

Answer:

Yes. The labor categories proposed under Attachment J5 shall mirror the labor categories proposed under Attachment J4. No deviation is allowed. Reference is made to Section M, Subfactor 2(d).

Question:

48. If a subcontractor is part of an offeror’s team, but not included in the pricing of Task Order #0001, does any specific cost or pricing analysis or information need to be included with the offeror’s submittal or can an offeror assume that any required pricing analysis can be performed once the subcontractor is needed?

No, subcontractor pricing is not required if not being proposed in support of Task Order efforts. Yes, the Government will evaluate when applicable at the Task Order level.

49. For Subfactor 1, instructions are Explain your approach for accomplishing each of the basic tasks identified in Section C of the PWS. For Subfactor 2, instructions are Demonstrate your clear and substantive understanding of the concepts and requirements related to each of the basic task areas identified in Section C of the PWS. Should we list all of these 26 task areas twice to first explain our approach in the Subfactor 1 section and then explain our understanding in the Subfactor 2 section? We are concerned with the page limitation; is it possible to combine our approach and understanding in one section? Or should Subfactors 1 and 2 be presented separately as the instructions imply?

Answer:

The government may not direct offerors how to respond regarding an offeror’s technical response. Reference is made to Section L.13, Technical Proposal Instructions for the appropriate guidance on submission.

Question:

50. On page 75 of the RFP it states The CD-ROM which comprise the offeror's proposal shall be in MS Word .doc file format. That is an old version of Word; may we submit this as a .docx file?

Answer:

Yes.

Question:

51. L.10, Page 74: “Offerors shall submit a proposal that is divided, ordered and tabbed into 3 separate and distinct volumes…” Should Volumes I, II, and III be submitted in separate binders, or in a single binder under separate tabs?

Answer:

Volumes I, II, and III submissions should be submitted in three separate binders.

Question:

52. L.9 Proposal Submission, RFP Page 74 - Will ATSDR consider an electronic (e-mail) submission of the proposal?

Answer:

No.

Question:

53. L.11 Proposal Page Format, RFP Page 75 - Does the 30-word limit apply to individual cells within a table or for entire tables? If the latter, would ATSDR reconsider the 30-word limit for tables only?

To meet ATSDR’s intent of preventing cramming smaller text into tables, can offerors exceed 30-words for tables, so long as the text is full-size (12-point)?

Answer:

No.

Question:

54. L.11 Proposal Page Format, RFP Page 75 - .doc and .xls are file formats are only created in versions of Microsoft Office 2003 and prior. Beginning with Microsoft Office 2007, files are saved in the .docx and .xlsx formats. Is it acceptable for files on the CD-ROM to be .docx and .xlsx formats?

Answer:

Yes.

Question:

55. C.4 – Task Area 1; Component # 4, RFP Page 7 - Can ATSDR provide the Public Health Assessment Site Tool (PHAST) to bidders? Alternatively, please provide the PHAST user manual.

Answer:

No. We cannot provide access to PHAST to bidder because there is a cost for each user and system/security access requirements. PHAST is a web-based application with a flexible design built to assist ATSDR/partner health assessors in evaluating environmental data and performing complex dose calculations. ATSDR created PHAST to promote efficiency and consistency in the public health assessment (PHA) process. The application integrates the core science and assessment processes outlined in ATSDR’s Division of Community Health Investigation (DCHI) Exposure Dose Guidance (EDG) documents and other PHA guidance. Scientists with strong environmental health backgrounds, particularly ones with human health experience will be able to understand and use PHAST. A user manual and fact sheet is hereto provided with the responses to this question.

Question:

56. Task Area 2: Technical Assistance, #11, RFP Page 9 - ATSDR refers to Sequoia data. Will the Sequoia data be made available to offerors? If not, please describe the Sequoia database and both the volume and types of data stored within it.

Answer:

Yes. Sequoia is a system where ATSDR houses information on the sites we work on to generate internal reports to management. It also housed our comparison values (CV). Our CVs are concentrations of a substance in air, water, or soil that is unlikely to cause harmful health effects in exposed people. Those CVs are soon to be housed in PHAST. Sequoia data is mostly used by ATSDR scientists and management. Some of the main types of data stored in Sequoia were contaminants of concern, routes of exposure, and contaminant concentrations. The Sequoia system/database is not expected to be maintained by the offerors from an IT perspective. The offeror may just provide data to be included in the system.

Question:

57. Task order 1 Attach J6, Bullet 1.6, Page 3 of 5 - Does ATSDR own XRF units? If so, how many? Will the contractor be responsible for calibrating these units? Alternatively, will the contractor be responsible for providing the XRF units for use at the Soil Shops?

Answer:

No, ATSDR does not own XRF units. The contractor would be responsible for providing calibrated units at the soilSHOPs. The XRFs are usually just needed for one day.

Question:

58. Task order 1 Attach J6, Bullet 1.6, Page 3 of 5 - Is the contractor responsible for testing the soil samples with XRF units in addition to processing the samples? Or, will ATSDR staff test the soil samples?

Answer:

Yes, the contractor is responsible for testing the soil samples. This frees up ATSDR staff to engage the community and provide health education.

59. Task Area 2: Technical Assistance, #2, Page 8 - Is it correct to assume that this requirement is referring to site sampling equipment? Where is ATSDR’s equipment currently housed? What volume of equipment needs to be maintained?

No, it is not correct to assume. There is no specific equipment being identified at the basic contract level. Any future equipment storage and maintenance will be addressed at the task order level. The equipment may consist of meteorological stations, ambient air monitoring equipment, and various gas monitors.

Question:

60. M-2. Evaluation Factors Technical Approach and Program Management Plan Subfactor 1.a AND Subfactor 2a. Understanding the Requirement, Page 77 - Throughout the RFP, as in the example RFP section and text provided, tasks are sometimes referred to as “basic tasks” and other times referred to as “basic task areas.”

Is it correct to assume that ATSDR’s reference to “basic tasks” and “basic task areas” refers to the overall task areas: Expert and Scientific Assistance, Technical Assistance, and Training; or, do these terms refer to the list of subtasks within each of the abovementioned task areas?

“Basic tasks” and “basic task areas” refer to the overall task areas which include the subtasks.

61. Task Area 2: Technical Assistance, #4, Page 9 - Is it correct to assume that “established guidelines” refer to industry best practices relevant to the particular data? Or, are “established guidelines” referring to specific ATSDR guidelines? If so, please provide ATSDR guidelines.

Answer:

“Established guidelines” refers to best practices as well as any applicable laws and Government regulations.

Question:

62. Attachment J6-Task Order 0001; Task Order Performance Work Statement (PWS); Task 1.6 reads, “…Equipment and supply logistics may be taken care of by the contractor…” We recognize some of the items are listed on the ATSDR SoilSHOP website (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/soilshop/index.html). Please clarify which equipment and supplies are the contractor’s responsibility to provide (i.e. Is the contractor responsible for providing the XRF instrument?).

Answer:

The contractor is responsible for providing the XRF, presentation materials (e.g. dry-erase board or board to display education materials), rental space, and tent rental for the outdoor events.

Question:

63. Within the Solicitation; Section J-List of Attachments; page 62 of 92; Attachment J3-ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form is listed. In the actual attachment, there is a form, “Attachment 2 – ACH Vendor Payment Form”. Pleas verify Attachment 2 is the correct ACH Vendor Payment Form and whether it is to be completed and submitted as part of the proposal.

Yes. Attachment J3 is the correct form and should be completed and is included for informational purposes only. The title of ‘Attachment 2’ within the document has been corrected. The ACH Form is for information only and should be filled out by the awardee at the time of award.

PHAST FACT SHEET

Public Health Assessment Site Tool (PHAST) What is PHAST?

The Public Health Assessment Site Tool, referred to as PHAST, is a web-based application with a flexible design built to assist ATSDR/partner health assessors in evaluating environmental data and performing complex dose and cancer risk calculations. ATSDR created PHAST to promote efficiency and consistency in the public health assessment (PHA) process. The application integrates the core science and assessment processes outlined in ATSDR’s Division of Community Health Investigation (DCHI) Exposure Dose Guidance (EDG), the Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual, and other PHA guidance.

Key Features Screen environmental data against Comparison Values (CVs).

o PHAST compares data to all available CVs, highlights exceedances, and identifies the best CV for screening.

Calculate exposure doses for drinking water ingestion, soil ingestion, soil dermal exposure, and food ingestion (calculator only, no defaults).

o PHAST displays doses, hazard quotients, and cancer risks based on user-entered exposure point concentrations (EPCs).

Manage and save site information and sampling data.

Create, save, and export tables of results.

All science-based values can be updated by PHAST Administrative team to keep PHAST equipped with most current guidance and guidelines.

Flexible Design and Multiple Uses

Quick Calculator Staff in the field or on emergency response can use PHAST to quickly screen available data Responsive design and tablet-ready Quick summary of doses and cancer risks based on standard age groups and default scenarios

Site-specific and Complex Evaluations Import, manage, and save data sets from multiple media Run multiple exposure scenarios with site-specific exposure factors and custom-designed exposure groups

QA/QC and Reviewer Support Easy verification of CV selection and dose calculations Exported tables can be shared with reviewers Consistent results for CV screens, CV selection, dose calculations, and cancer risks Default scenarios run side-by-side to site-specific scenarios for additional quality control of site-specific modifications

Example of Drinking Water CV Results Example of Quick Summary Results Example of Drinking Water Ingestion Results April 2017 To request access or get help for PHAST, please email PHAST@cdc.gov.

PHAST User Guide

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry May 5, 2017

Contents

User Guide Overview This user guide walks through the various elements of the Public Health Assessment Site Tool (PHAST), showing the key features and connections across modules, and demonstrating how to navigate the user interface. The guide presents step-by-step directions, explanatory notes, and tips for effectively using PHAST. The sections that follow are organized by module, with screenshots of the PHAST interface and guided instruction notes. User tips are integrated throughout. Cross-links between sections and topics provide ready access to related topics.

The PHAST User Guide is not intended to provide PHA guidance; users are encouraged to consult the Division of Community Health Investigation’s (DCHI’s) Exposure Dose Guidance (EDG) documents and other public health assessment guidance, ATSDR subject matter experts, and the Associate Director(s) of Science for that purpose. The EDG documents, among other public health assessment resources and a “living” list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), can be accessed via the PHAST Resources.

Introduction What is PHAST?

The Public Health Assessment Site Tool, referred to as PHAST, is a web-based application with a flexible design built to assist ATSDR/partner health assessors in evaluating environmental data and performing complex dose calculations. ATSDR created PHAST to promote efficiency and consistency in the public health assessment (PHA) process. The application integrates the core science and assessment processes outlined in ATSDR’s Division of Community Health Investigation (DCHI) Exposure Dose Guidance (EDG) documents and other PHA guidance.

As shown in Figure 1, PHAST has multiple modules each with unique features designed to assist you in evaluating and managing site environmental data. The application allows you to manually enter data for individual or multiple contaminants, or to import larger datasets via Excel spreadsheets. Broadly, PHAST Version 1.0 provides the following functions:

· Site Information & Data: Allows for entry of site information and import of datasets using a fixed template.

· Comparison Value (CV) Screen: Screens user-provided concentrations of site contaminants in water, soil/sediment, and air (single or multiple contaminants) against ATSDR CVs. You can also enter non-ATSDR screening values, and PHAST will compare the contaminant concentrations against these values. Concentrations that exceed media-specific CVs are color-coded and boldly displayed.

· Dose Calculator: Calculates estimated exposure doses, hazard quotients, and cancer risks based on user-provided exposure point concentrations (EPCs) for the following exposure pathways: drinking water ingestion, soil/sediment ingestion and dermal contact, and food ingestion. Allows you to run a “Quick Summary” for drinking water and soil/sediment pathways based on programmed default exposure assumptions or to enter a series of site-specific exposure parameters. Generates detailed results and input parameter tables.

· CVs & Health Guidelines: Enables access to the most currently published static ATSDR CV and health guideline tables.

· Resources: Provides access to key PHA resources and other tools, such as PHAST-specific guides, DCHI EDG documents and additional PHA guidance, and other agency health and risk assessment guidance materials.

· My Saved Results: Provides access to your saved scenarios and data imports. PHAST stores individual user saved data, which can be viewed only by that user.

PHAST is designed to automate and integrate the most current PHA assessment guidance. For example, CV screening functions follow the decision hierarchy laid out in ATSDR’s PHA guidance—clearly highlighting ATSDR’s recommended CV for screening. The dose calculator integrates the logic, assumptions, and associated equations for estimating doses for pathway-specific scenarios. The underlying database stores ATSDR CVs, ATSDR health guidelines, contaminant-specific information (e.g., synonyms, CASRN, molecular weight), and default exposure parameters.

Figure 1. PHAST Conceptual Model

PHAST is scenario-driven. A scenario is based on a unique environmental medium, exposure pathway, or exposure parameters. Exposure groups with the same media, pathway, and exposure parameters can be evaluated in the same scenario. If the groups being evaluated are exposed to a different media, pathway, or exposure parameter, they need to be evaluated as separate scenarios. Users will likely have multiple scenarios for a site. Users are encouraged to identify, label, and save each unique scenario.

The overall design of PHAST is flexible, enabling you to begin in any module instead of having to follow a specific linear path. PHAST can be used for one or many tasks, ranging from screening a single contaminant to carrying multiple contaminants from an initial CV screen through the dose calculator for various exposure scenarios and generating results tables that can be used in PHA documents. PHAST can be used as a quick screening tool or as a quick dose calculator without saving any results or site information. Moreover, PHAST can also be used for a more complete site assessment, allowing you to save all the data as they are generated. If you save your data and results tables in PHAST, you can retrieve and edit your previously saved scenarios for further analysis.

Who Can Use PHAST?

PHAST is hosted on CDC servers and databases, and accessed through an external, authenticated website. The application is designed for ATSDR and partner health assessors who have been trained by ATSDR to conduct health assessment activities. To access PHAST, CDC users will need to log in with their PIV card or create a new account through CDC’s Secure Access Management System (SAMS). External users (e.g., state partners) must create a new account in SAMS.

Before receiving a PHAST account, the PHAST administrator will ask you to review and agree to the terms outlined in the PHAST “Rules of Behavior.” The Rules of Behavior document is available on the PHAST Resources page.

What are the Minimum Browser Requirements and Limitations?

Internet Explorer (IE) 9.0, and latest Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. Due to some inherent capacity issues when running PHAST in IE, Chrome and Firefox are preferred browsers for the application, particularly if users intend to import and run large datasets. When opening the application in IE, a message informs users of the preferred browsers. Users can place a request through ITSO to have Firefox or Chrome installed on local workstations and for use via CITGO as well. The following are the number of contaminants that PHAST can handle based on inherent browser capacity:

Who to Contact About PHAST?

For PHAST questions or support contact: PHAST@cdc.gov

General PHAST Features Module-specific features and user tips are detailed in the sections that follow. Here we highlight some cross-module features to help guide the user experience.

Navigating PHAST The navigation in PHAST is designed to help you move from module to module (and subpage to subpage).

Tip: Always use PHAST navigation rather than the browser’s back button.

From the homepage, you can select your starting point, and choose from the dropdown choices provided. User choices for the CV Screen are shown below as an example. Pages with no subpages launch directly to the page (e.g., Resources, CVs & Health Guidelines).

Within the subpages, you can use the top navigation to select the subpage (e.g., CV Screen) and the subcategory of interest (e.g., Water). PHAST also displays where you are at the top of the page (e.g., CV Screen: Water). You can click the ^ (up arrow) on the top-level navigation to hide the subtabs.

When attempting to move from tab to tab (e.g., from the CV Screen to the Dose Calculator, or from Water CV to Air CV), if you have not saved data you will see the following pop up message alerting you that you have unsaved data.

Prompt to save in Internet Explorer

Prompt to save in Chrome

If you select “Leave this page” or “Leave,” the message window will close, any unsaved data will not get saved, and PHAST will move to the desired page. If you select “Stay on this page” or “Stay,” the message window will close and you can then save your data (see instructions on saving datasets and scenarios in the subsections that follow).

Save Features Remember to save your work. As noted above, PHAST will prompt you to save your dataset or scenario if you attempt to leave the page you are on. Your scenarios will be saved to the PHAST database. See the Save subsections within the CV Screen, Dose Calculator, and Saved Import sections of this guide for more information about save features within these individual modules.

Export Features PHAST allows you to export results in different formats to your local network: PDF (CV Screen only), Word document, or comma-separate value (CSV) file. You can use exported tables in your public health assessment documents or to further examine data outside of PHAST.

Exported results in Word or PDF format will show results tables exactly as you see them on screen. CSV exports orient data in various ways depending on the complexity of the result tables generated. See the Export subsections within the CV Screen, Dose Calculator, and Saved Import sections of this guide for more information about export features within these individual modules.

Information Icons and Flags

Information icons appear across PHAST pages, largely providing explanation and tips to guide user entries in PHAST. They appear as pop-up messages. For example:

It is recommended that you read all of the information icons initially when first learning how to use PHAST in order to ensure that the correct type of data is being entered, and to minimize error messages.

Flags with notes describing special circumstances also appear as pop-up messages throughout PHAST. You should read all flags that appear in PHAST to understand any site-specific situation(s) that could require special attention. For example:

Units and Conversions Careful attention to units is critical to any environmental data assessment exercise. Understanding how units are handled in the different PHAST modules is therefore very important. Generally, PHAST:

· Prompts users to choose from a fixed set of media-specific units.

· Converts user-entered units to ensure accurate CV comparisons and dose calculations.

For the CV Screen:

· PHAST converts user-entered concentration to match standard CV units (water: ppb; soil/sediment: ppm; air: µg/m3 or ppb).

For the Dose Calculator:

· PHAST converts user entered exposure point concentration (EPC) to mg/L or mg/kg, depending on media, to fit into dose equation.

See Appendix A for a more comprehensive explanation and examples of PHAST unit requirements and conversions.

Future Features In some instances, you may come across “placeholders” for anticipated future PHAST features. These links are intentionally inactive (“non-clickable”) and demarcated with the icon, as shown in the example below.

Current placeholders include the following:

· CV Screening: Food (Note that this placeholder may be removed altogether in future versions, as there is no immediate expectation for development of food screening values)

· Dose Calculator: Surface Water Ingestion, Water Dermal Contact, and Air Inhalation pathways

Future versions of PHAST may include additional features, such as:

· Ability to enter additional site information and possibly store site-related documents.

· More dynamic searching of ATSDR’s CV and health guideline database, and ability to run reports/summaries.

· Capability to import larger “raw” datasets and run summary statistics (pending finalization of exposure point concentration EDG[s]).

· Additional reporting features.

Getting Started Signing In You can access PHAST at https://csams.cdc.gov/PHAST/.

Sign in using one of the options on the SAMS login page.

Testing PHAST Test cases for the Drinking Water Ingestion and Soil/Sediment Ingestion & Dermal pathways are provided in the Resources section. You can run these defined test cases to ensure PHAST is correctly screening and calculating dose calculator results, as expected.

Home Page

The following is a brief description for each button.

Use this module to enter site information and/or import site data.

Use this module to screen environmental contaminants against ATSDR CVs and non-ATSDR screening values.

Use this module to calculate default and site-specific doses, hazard quotients, and cancer risks.

Use this module to access previously saved sites, scenarios, and datasets.

Use this module to retrieve ATSDR’s health-based comparison values (CVs) and health guidelines.

Use this module to obtain various resources to help with the public health assessment process.

Click this button to access the PHAST User Guide.

Site Information & Data

Add Site Information Enter a new site or pull up information for saved sites. You can enter site name, location, and site-specific notes. Saving a site in PHAST allows you to save CV screening results and dose calculation results under that site name.

Import Site Data You can import your site data through the Site Data page (see image below).

Excel Template The data must be put into the PHAST Excel template, and retained in the template’s .xls format when saved. The template is available in PHAST on both the Site Data and Resources pages. The template format contains the exact headings shown in the table below. Do not change these headings, as PHAST will only accept a data file that contains these headings. The template has a ReadMe tab that walks through these different fields and the dropdown options available for certain headings.

When you open the template, be sure to click “Enable Content” to allow the macros in the file to load. These macros identify contaminants that are not stored in PHAST, because you cannot import a file that contains non-PHAST contaminants. The template has a “List of PHAST Contaminants” tab that contains all of the contaminants and CASRNs stored in PHAST.

If you manually type in your contaminant name and it is not a contaminant stored in PHAST, you will receive this popup message:

If you copy and paste your data into the Excel template, the macro will check for non-PHAST contaminant names and CASRNs upon saving the file. First you will see this popup message on the save screen after you choose a folder:

Then when you return to your spreadsheet, the contaminant names and CASRNs that are not stored in PHAST will be shaded red.

If both the contaminant name and the CASRN are shaded red, then that contaminant is not stored in PHAST and you need to delete the row before importing the file into PHAST.

If the contaminant name is shaded red, but the CASRN is not, then that contaminant is stored in PHAST, but under a different synonym. To allow these data to import into PHAST without validation errors, delete the contaminant names, but keep the CASRNs. When you import your file, PHAST will fill in the standard contaminant names for those CASRNs on the Site Data page.

Tip: The Resources page contains two spreadsheet utility tools that may assist you in compiling your data into the required PHAST template format. These tools were developed from the Brownfields site tools to be compatible with PHAST. The original Brownfields site tools are not compatible with PHAST and will not compile your data into the PHAST template. The Spreadsheet Utility Tools and Data Conversion Tools posted on the PHAST Resources page will.

Import Data If you created a site on the Site Information page, select it from the drop-down list. If you did not create a site yet, choose “Add New Site” and PHAST will take you to the Site Information page.

Note: Before you import data, you must first pick an existing site or create a new site to which to link your data. Your scenarios in the CV Screen and Dose Calculator modules will require you to select/create a site when you save your scenario.

1. Click Choose File to select an Excel file (in the required template) from your computer.

Click Import to import the data from the Excel file into PHAST.

The uploaded data are imported into separate media-specific tables, and will vary based on the media you have in your data file. The types of tables that PHAST may produce include the following:

1. Air

1. Water

1. Soil/Sediment

1. Food

1. Data that could not be imported because of an invalid medium in the data file.

Data Import Validation Process After the data are imported, a validation process runs in PHAST that flags any invalid data from your imported file with red validation boxes (see image below). Before you can continue to the CV Screen or Dose Calculator, you must correct the errors for that contaminant.

For the imported data, PHAST checks that the:

· Contaminant name is valid (i.e., it matches contaminant name/synonym in the PHAST database).

· CASRN is valid (i.e., it matches CASRN in the PHAST database).

· CASRN is associated with the user-provided contaminant name/synonym.

· Media matches PHAST categories: air, water, soil/sediment, and food.

· Media-specific units for Max Concentration and EPC match PHAST media-specific units.

Required fields will depend on each media and whether you want to Run CV Screen or Run Dose Calculator. Specifically,

· PHAST will allow empty Max Concentration or EPC fields in the table, as long as they are not needed for the CV screen or dose calculation.

· PHAST requires the Max Concentration and Max Unit to Run CV Screen.

· PHAST requires the EPC, EPC Unit, and EPC Type to Run Dose Calculator.

Also note:

· Because calculating doses for the air pathway is a future feature, PHAST will allow the following fields to be empty: EPC, EPC Unit, and EPC Type. However, until the feature is implemented, these fields will be flagged with red validation boxes if they are empty. You can still Run CV Screen if they have the red validation boxes.

· Because screening food is a future feature, PHAST will allow the following fields to be empty: Max Concentration and Max Unit. However, until the feature is implemented, these fields will be flagged with red validation boxes if they are empty. You can still Run Dose Calculator if they have the red validation boxes.

When correcting the contaminant name, PHAST’s Smart Search feature needs three or more letters to populate options.