2025 PWS for Task Order 1.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICAL HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH

OIL AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RELEASES

Task Order 1 – Emergency Response Support

1. Background

The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), is the focal point for spill preparedness and response, hazardous waste site investigation, environmental damage assessment, coastal ecosystem restoration programs, and marine debris programs within NOAA. OR&R addresses environmental threats from natural and technological hazards both accidental and intentional, such as oil and chemical spills, chronic toxic releases from Superfund waste sites, marine debris, and vessel groundings in marine sanctuaries. OR&R partnerships empower communities and decision-makers through training, guidance, decision-making tools, and funding that emphasize actions to improve coastal ecosystem health.

OR&R operates under the following regulatory frameworks:

● Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA or Clean Water Act, 33 USC §1251)

● Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)

● Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or the Superfund Act, 42 USC §9601)

● CERCLA Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations (43 CFR Part 11) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Contingency Plan (NCP, 40 CFR Part 300)

● Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA, 33 USC §2701)

● OPA NRDA regulations (15 CFR Part 990),

● Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.)

● National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA)

All activities described in this PWS must be performed in a manner consistent with relevant and applicable laws, regulations, and associated guidance.

2. Scope of Work

OR&R has a requirement for scientific and technical support focused on assessment of chemical hazards related to oil and hazardous materials pollution, which is a critical function for OR&R to fully meet its mission goals and statutory mandates. Work done under this requirement will primarily be in support of the Emergency Response Division (ERD) of OR&R, which serves as the designated science advisory team to the US Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator during Coast Guard-led emergency responses to oil and hazardous materials pollution events.

This scientific and technical support focuses on:

● Assessing risks to the general public from volatile chemicals, including prediction of volatilization rates, air dispersion, and transport;

● Assessing environmental impacts from chemicals released into surface water, both marine and fresh waters;

● Identifying potential hazards from fires or explosions;

● Discussing environmental and human toxicity from pollutants;

● Providing information about physical properties and reactivity of chemicals;

● Translating scientific understanding into guidance documents, information products, training, tools or other products for use by lay responders and field personnel during an incident response or for planning and preparedness to pollution events or damage assessment activities;

● Analytical lab support during ongoing pollution emergencies, particularly focused on physical and chemical property measurements of petroleum products and petroleum-containing field samples;

● Advising on methods of chemical analysis and field sampling;

● Interpreting analytical assay results from analyses performed by the Contractor’s lab or third-party labs;

● Assessing the likelihood that a field petroleum sample matches a known source sample using oil fingerprinting methods;

● Occasionally responding to an on-scene Incident Command Post to provide scientific support

3. Task Order 1 – Emergency Response Support (FFP)

OR&R has a statutory responsibility to address emergency pollution events when and where they occur. The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel capable of providing rapid support to designated spill emergencies. On average, there is about 1 emergency response incident per month during the contract period that will require the Contractor to provide support for 1-3 days each. However, the incidents can occur at any time and multiple events can occur simultaneously. The incidents will primarily involve oil spills and hazardous materials in the coastal marine environment but can include other locations. This task constitutes the base level of support for emergency responses. In the event that a more complex or time-consuming emergency event occurs, for example a Spill of National Significance like the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010, then additional funding would be added on a time and materials basis (see Task D of the Performance Work Statement for the main solicitation).

The Government’s historical annual level of effort for these tasks is as follows:

Labor Categories Estimated Hours Principal Investigator 50

Senior Scientist 150 Program Manager 15

Field Investigator 1 200 Field Investigator 2 200

3.1. Response Posture

The Contractor is responsible for establishing a method to enable OR&R personnel to contact critical Contractor personnel any time of day, seven days a week. Emergency events are unplanned and occur at all hours; therefore, the Contractor must maintain a 24/7 (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) response capability for both telephone and email support on an on-call status. Holidays are not exempt. A qualified spill response professional must respond to a call from OR&R within one hour of the initial contact such that he or she is able to provide the required support directly by verbal consultation or have access to the resources required to investigate the request and provide follow-up communications both verbally and in writing.

3.2. Chemical Hazard Assessment

During an emergency response involving OR&R, the Contractor must provide either oral or written reports when requested. The general protocol for such support is to provide an initial oral report or discussion during the first phone contact, followed by written documentation (a report) that is electronically submitted within the next two hours. The Contractor must have the resources necessary to research specific chemical and scientific questions on a 24/7 basis.

This typically requires the Contractor to have internet capability and either remote or physical access to key reference materials.

A typical report will consist of a concise assessment of the hazards associated with the spilled chemical, the transport and fate of the chemical relative to the specific incident environment, and any unique or scenario-specific concerns. Such reports are generally defined as Chemical Hazard Assessments rather than risk assessments since they identify threats rather than probability. They must be written using plain-language standards which have been defined for government communications to the public, as appropriate.

Other emergency requests may include recommendations for sampling or a review of proposed sampling protocols, analytical protocols, quality assurance project plans, or health and safety plans, or to recommend or review spill mitigation techniques.

Assessing the fate and effects of chemicals spilled or released into the environment requires multi-disciplinary scientific knowledge and experience. In addition to a strong chemistry background, the Contractor must be able to provide professional guidance that combines chemistry with relevant physical and biological sciences. The Contractor must be able to communicate the requested information to both scientists and to spill responders who may lack an in-depth scientific background.

Since the majority of OR&R's activities are located in coastal areas or offshore, an understanding of coastal environments and rudimentary marine science by the Contractor is required. Many of the emergency events involve the release or potential release of volatile and/or highly reactive chemicals, so the Contractor is required to be capable of assessing hazards associated with toxic air plumes, as well as fires and explosions. Familiarity with chemical air dispersion modeling is essential.

3.3. On-Scene Response Support

The Contractor may occasionally be required to send personnel to travel to the site of the incident to provide direct consultation and technical/scientific support to federal response personnel and cleanup personnel on issues related to chemistry. In addition to direct consultation to NOAA's Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), Scientific Support Coordinator, and other response officials, the Contractor must provide field support activities that may include field monitoring, sampling, and assessments if requested. If the situation requires on-scene response support and a request is made, the Contractor must be en route to the site of the emergency within 24 hours after the request. Most incidents occur within the coastal regions of the U.S. and its territories, but international travel has been requested in the past. The Contractor must maintain the ability to respond internationally if required.

The contractor must have the personnel and ability to respond to multiple simultaneous events and relieve on-scene personnel during extended responses, if required. Such requests are uncommon, but have occurred in the past. On-scene responders must maintain the minimum training and preparedness requirements defined in Section 3.1.4.

3.4. Contractor Training and Work Environment

The Contractor's field team personnel must maintain proper Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) Certification. It is the policy of OR&R to not send personnel into unstable, hazardous environments. This is true of both political hazards (such as war zones) and environmental hazards such as the hot zone during a chemical release. During an emergency response, Contractors must not enter into any zone where respirators or supplied air is required, without special approval from OR&R's Contracting Officer's Representative.

The Contractor must meet all safety training and standards as directed by NOAA for Contractor personnel. All members of the on-site response team are required to have HAZWOPER Training as defined by 29 CFR Part 1910.120. At a minimum, Contractor response team members are required to meet the 24-hour training requirements under 29 CFR Part 1910.120(e) (3) (ii), maintain annual 8-hour refresher certification, and carry certification documentation when responding on scene.

Additional cold water survival and aircraft safety training may be required by NOAA for certain response activities. This type of training will be arranged by the Government and provided to the Contractor at no cost; however, the Government will not pay for travel and per diem expenses for the training.

The Contractor will also initiate activities designed to maintain the preparedness of its own staff, to include maintaining an understanding and awareness of current research and applications of alternative spill response technologies such as bioremediation and dispersants.

3.5 Laboratory Support

When required, the Contractor will provide laboratory analysis of bulk petroleum and petroleum-contaminated environmental samples to determine the relevant physical characteristics, short-term fate, and apparent toxicity of the oil based on the relative concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), using conventional environmental chemistry laboratory instruments and methods.

Possible types of field samples include water, sediment, and biological material (animal and plant tissues), and other materials such as sorbents or sheen nets.

Analytical support may extend into the identification of other chemical pollutants or unknowns, but will not extend to the analysis of any known highly dangerous samples that would be outside the scope of work for a typical commercial laboratory. The Contractor will assess the quality of the data from the chemical analyses provided, and interpret the results in terms of its implications to operational decisions.

Emergency response may require time-critical analytical support for a limited number of samples and may require completion of the requested analyses and preliminary reporting within 24 hours of sample receipt. The Contractor will use standard or specified procedures for sample handling, holding times, sample preservation (freezing, refrigerating), and avoidance of cross contamination, including observing and maintaining proper chain of custody procedures and documentation.

Analyses that are typically requested during active emergency responses include:

● Compositional analysis of field petroleum oil samples by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and/or Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detection (GC/FID), with a focus on general identification of oil type

● Comparison of the GC/MS spectra of petroleum-contaminated field samples with those of known oils (oil fingerprinting)

● Initial determination of bulk physical characteristics of oil samples, particularly density

● Evaluation of dispersant effectiveness for a particular oil sample

● Occasionally, compound-specific quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon

(PAH) residues in shellfish are requested as part of emergency response and post-spill studies

It is the Government's best estimate that there may be up to 6 GC/MS analyses required per month for any combination of the following: spill response, research, or method validation and

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC). If a significantly higher number of analyses are required for an emergency response, additional funding would be arranged.

Deliverables: Deliverables will be described at the time of each request, but typically include:

a. Oral and written reports for chemical hazard assessments.

b. Written chemical analytical results of oil and chemical assays, along with chromatograms and other instrument outputs in a mutually agreed upon format/medium.

c. Written reports of laboratory analyses, including any issues encountered and QA/QC findings.

4. Qualifications of Key Professional Staff

The following direct labor categories are needed in order to perform the anticipated Task Orders to be issued under the contract. All categories are described in a generic manner;

however, personnel working in each category are required to have the appropriate background, experience, and education to perform the tasks described in Section I.

Any changes in key personnel (Program Manager/Project Manager, Principal Investigator, or Senior Scientist) during the period of the contract must be approved in advance by the Contracting Officer's Representative and confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. A single individual may perform multiple functions.

4.1. Program Manager/Project Manager (PM): The PM has the responsibility for administrative supervision of contract provisions, including receipt of technical orders issued, cost accounting, project scheduling, and completion of deliverables. Serves as the primary point of contact and Contractor liaison on the contract. Provides supervision and guidance to project personnel as appropriate.

Education/Experience:

a. At least 5 years of demonstrated managerial capacity including ability to supervise and lead people, plan and execute/manage budgets, and manage projects to meet milestones and deadlines.

4.2. Principal Investigator (PI): The PI has primary responsibility for scientific and technical aspects of project design and implementation. Required experience includes planning, conducting and supervising projects of major significance related to chemical hazard assessment. An ability to provide technical advice and direction to other professionals must be demonstrated.

a. Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to the technical requirements specified in Task C and 4 years’ experience in the analysis of chemical hazards in the environment; or

b. Master’s degree (M.S.) in chemistry, or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to the technical requirements specified in Task C and 12 years’ experience in the analysis of chemical hazards in the environment; or

c. Bachelor of Science Degree (B.S.) in chemistry, chemical engineering or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to the technical requirements specified in Task C and 15 years’ work experience in the analysis of chemical hazards in the environment.

4.3. Senior Scientist: This individual has responsibility for scientific and technical aspects of project design and implementation. Required experience includes planning, conducting, and supervising projects of major significance related to environmental hazard assessment.

a. Ph.D. degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to the technical requirements specified in Task C and 3 years' experience in the analysis of chemical hazards in the environment; or

b. M.S. degree in chemistry, or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to the technical requirements specified in Task C and 8 years' experience in the analysis of chemical hazards in the environment; or

c. B.S. degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to the technical requirements specified in Task C and 12 years’ work experience in the analysis of chemical hazards in the environment.

4.4. Field Investigators (Levels 1 or 2) perform work specified in Task Orders under the direction of the PI or Senior Scientists. Individuals must have demonstrated experience in translating technical guidance received from supervisors into usable data applicable to the assignment, demonstrate experience in coordinating the activities of other technical personnel, and have experience in performing varied assignments that require originality and ingenuity.

Level 1 - B.S. degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to his/her responsibility with no years of related experience.

Level 2 - B.S. degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a discipline in science or engineering that is directly applicable to his/her responsibility with a minimum of 3 years of experience directly related to the requirements in the statement of work herein, or an M.S. degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related discipline.

5. Geographic Coverage

Most of the work will be within the coastal regions of the U.S. and its territories, but international travel has occurred in the past. The Contractor must have the ability to respond internationally if required.

6. Individual Task Order Deliverables

Deliverables will be specified in each individual order. These deliverables must be consistent with NOAA’s needs for administration of funds and must be approved by the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). At a minimum, the Contractor will provide the Base Period Deliverables listed in the table below for each task order.

NUMBER DELIVERABLES DUE DATE

1 Monthly Progress Reports - All Tasks -

Provide a report documenting task order start date, estimated completion date, summary of tasks and summary of funds expended by task and if appropriate, by site.

These reports must be correlated with typical billing cycles or on a monthly basis.

Within 7 days after each month ends

2 Special Reports - Complete special reports or studies pertaining to the task effort as required. (Specified in Individual Orders)

As specified in the Individual Order

7. Performance Requirements

The Contractor will be responsible to ensure all tasks are completed in accordance with performance requirements outlined in Section 7.1. Failure to meet the performance requirements will be reported verbally to the Contractor by the COR and reported on a Contract Deficiency Report by the COR. The Contractor must correct substandard performance within the timeframe specified in the Contract Deficiency Report. Deficiencies not corrected within that timeframe will be subject to the contract clause entitled "DEFAULT" and will be considered an additional failure to meet performance standards.

7.1. Performance Requirements Summary

The Performance Standards are identified below. The Contractor's performance of the items will be evaluated continuously throughout the contract's stated performance period. The Contractor must meet the acceptable performance standards as noted below. Failure to meet the standards during a review period will result in the Contractor's submission of a Corrective Action Plan within five calendar days of notification by the Government. Failure to meet the standards during a second review period will result in corrective action and a five percent reduction of the associated monthly billing(s). The COR will be responsible for monitoring task order performance to assess progress. The CO will be notified by the COR when it appears that Contractor performance will not successfully meet the established measures.

Performance Indicator

Standard Acceptable Quality Level

Surveillance Method

Development of Monthly Reports

Progress reports submitted within seven calendar days of the completion of every month during the period of performance.

Reports are complete, submitted on time, and mostly error free.

Review of required deliverables.

Review of progress reports.

Discussions with Contractor.

Development of Final Task Order Report or Product

The final report or project required in the Task Order will be submitted within thirty calendar days upon completion of the performance period.

Reports are timely, professional, and provide complete and accurate information.

Content, grammar, and punctuation mistakes are minimal.

Do not need more than one revision per report.

Participation in meetings and planning activities

Attendance and active participation in group, division, or other meetings. Contractor provides insight into the active project and recommendations are well supported.

Attendance at all invited meetings.

Presentations are professional, and provide complete and accurate information.

Contract requirements compliance

Support is professional and provides scientifically accurate information.

Work supports NOAA’s mission and is in compliance with contract and task order requirements. Work is accomplished in a timely manner.

Report/deliverables are complete, well supported, submitted on time, and mostly error free. Do not need more than one revision per report.