25-Attachment R - Standards and Specifications.pdf

ATTACHMENT R – STANDARDS & SPECIFICATIONS

Under this contract, work shall consist of clearing and removing all “eligible” debris as defined by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Publication 325, all applicable State and Federal Disaster Specific Guidance and policies, and/or as directed by the County. Work will include but not limited to:

• Examining debris to determine whether debris is eligible, burnable or non-burnable.

• Loading the debris

• Hauling debris to approved Debris Management Sites (DMSs) or landfill(s).

• Reducing the debris.

• Hauling the debris to an approved disposal facility, and dumping the debris at the dumpsite or landfill.

Debris not defined as eligible by FEMA Publication 325 or State or Federal disaster specific guidance or policies will not be loaded, hauled, or dumped under this contract unless written instructions are given to the vendor by the County. It shall be the vendor’s responsibility to load, transport, reduce, and properly dispose of all disaster generated debris which is the result of the event under which the vendor was issued a notice to proceed (NTP), unless otherwise directed by the County, in writing.

Vegetative Debris consists of the following:

• Damaged and disturbed trees, tree limbs, bushes, shrubs, brush, untreated lumber, and wood products.

• Remains of standing trees which are clearly damaged beyond salvage.

• Whole trees, tree stumps, tree branches, tree trunks, and other leafy material

Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris consists of the following:

• Building materials, including wood structural members, concrete blocks, window glass, structural siding, and roofing materials including shingles or metal roofing panels.

• Household debris, consisting of damaged furniture and appliances, flooring materials, and the like.

• Treated timber, plastic, rubber products, sheet rock, cloth items, and carpeting materials.

• Metal Debris - Various thicknesses of corrugated metal and other thin sheet metal products.

Other debris consists of the following (only if pre-authorized by the County):

• Tires

• White Goods, including refrigerators, freezers, stoves, and dishwashers.

• Soil, Mud, and Sand

• Vehicles and Vessels

• Electronics, including televisions and computers.

1. Description of Designated Area and Debris Management Sites

• This emergency services contract is for post disaster debris removal from all types of catastrophic events, including natural and man-made, and their associated debris streams caused from the event. Furthermore, this contract may be used for any combination of debris streams (of the debris types listed in this contract) and should not be construed to be preferential to any one type of debris. The quantity of work required to complete this contract is estimated; actual quantities may be more or less than estimated amount used for bid pricing. Variation in the actual quantities is not grounds for renegotiation of contracted rates.

• Key personnel identified by the vendor must participate in the County’s annual preparedness activities including tasks such as meetings, training, and DMS site review.

• Vendor is expected to be present in Harris County during the duration of the event (when anticipated).

• Vendor shall conduct a detailed on-site debris assessment of the County debris to be removed, and consider the following:

- Amount and types of debris

- Working conditions such as traffic, street/road width, and land use.

- Means of ingress and egress to work areas.

- All other factors affecting the removal and disposal work.

• Vendor shall provide an on-site project manager to the County, and one assistant project manager. The project manager and assistant project manager shall provide a telephone number to the County with which he or she can be reached for the duration of the project. The project manager will coordinate directly with the County’s Debris Management Officers. The project manager and assistant project manager will be expected to have daily meetings with County representatives.

Daily meeting topics will include, but not limited to, volume of debris collected, completion progress, required coordination, and damage repairs. The vendor’s project manager must be available (24) twenty-four hours per day, or as required by the County. Additionally, vendor is responsible for providing primary and secondary contact information and updating the County immediately if this information were to change.

• The vendor shall provide a Project Supervisor to each of the County’s four Commissioner Precincts. The project supervisor will coordinate directly with the County’s Debris Management Officers and Precinct staff for debris management

• All debris identified by the County shall be removed. The vendor shall make as many passes as necessary through the designated Right-of-Way (“ROW”), as directed by the County, removing debris along County maintained ROW, public property, county parks, and facilities. ROW also includes any public County property, and any orphaned or private/gated roads as directed by the County.

Partial removal of debris piles is strictly prohibited. The vendor shall not move from one designated work area to another designated work area without prior approval from the County or its representative. The vendor shall methodically complete passes before moving to another location (i.e., complete the street they are working on before moving to another). At the discretion of the County, any eligible debris, such as fallen trees, which extends onto the ROW from private property shall be cut at the point where it enters the ROW, and that part of the debris which lies within the ROW shall be removed. The vendor shall not enter onto private property during the performance of this contract unless specifically authorized by the County, in writing.

• Vendor shall only deliver debris to approved landfills, final disposal sites, or debris management sites that have been permitted to receive disaster generated debris and adhere to all State, Local, and Federal regulations.

• Debris shall be reasonably compacted into the hauling vehicle. No limbs shall be allowed to protrude more than (6") six inches beyond the sides of the truck bed.

Any debris extending above the top of the bed shall be secured in place to prevent it from falling off. Measures must be taken to avoid debris blowing out of the hauling vehicle during transport to the disposal site.

• All debris will be mechanically loaded. Hauling vehicles that are hand loaded or that require mechanical assistance for dumping will not be permitted to dump at DMSs, unless approved in advance by the County.

• Loose leaves and small debris more than one bushel basket shall be removed within the designated area unless specifically directed otherwise by the County.

No debris shall be left on the road surface. No single piece of debris larger than (6”) six inches in any dimension shall be left on site unless specifically directed otherwise by the County. Hand crews and rakes are required, beginning in the second pass at a minimum. Residential debris removal areas shall be cleaned to the point that an average residential push lawn mower can safely mow the area.

• All debris collected by the vendor shall become property of the vendor upon collection. Vendor may retain any recycling revenue from vegetation, white goods and electronics.

• Unless otherwise directed by the County, titled or registered debris (such as vehicles, boats, and trailers) shall not be removed by the vendor. Such titled property will not become property of the vendor.

• The vendor shall be responsible for locating, acquiring, purchasing, leasing, maintaining, and managing of any DMSs. The vendor is responsible for restoring any DMSs to its original condition to the satisfaction of the property owner, abiding by all State and Federal regulatory requirements, including environmental requirements. The County must approve and ensure proper permitting of all DMSs prior to each site beginning to process debris. The County may assist in permitting functions at the discretion of the County.

• Tipping Fees: The vendor shall establish an account at a disposal location approved by the County, negotiate a rate for the disposal of the material (i.e.

tipping fees), and process/pay disposal invoices. The County shall approve the disposal rate prior to finalization. The vendor shall invoice the County for payment of disposal invoices. Vendor takes notice that tipping fees ARE NOT included in the load and haul rate.

• The vendor shall conduct the work so as not to interfere with the disaster response and recovery activities of Federal, State, tribal and local governments or agencies, or of any public utilities.

• The County reserves the right to inspect the DMSs, verify quantities, and review operations at any time.

• The County may assign certain incorporated municipalities to the vendor for debris removal operations as a result of a debris specific interlocal agreement between the County and the municipality. The vendor shall not approach other jurisdictions on behalf of the County.

• Household Hazardous Waste materials. This contract does not include the removal of household hazardous waste (HHW) with the exception of Freon removal from white goods. If the vendor unknowingly removes household hazardous waste materials with debris, the vendor will separate the materials at the DMS (if applicable), following safe handling and proper procedures as detailed in the vendor’s Health and Safety Plan.

• County and Public Drop Off Piles and DMS Sites. As directed by the County, Contractor shall establish, operate, and manage Public Debris Collection Sites at designated DMS locations and/or other County-identified locations. These sites shall:

- Be designed to accommodate self-service debris drop-off by County residents and County vehicles.

- Include separate collection areas for vegetation, C&D debris, white goods, electronics, and household hazardous waste.

- Be staffed during operational hours (minimum 10 hours per day, 7 days per week during emergency periods, subject to adjustment by County).

- Include traffic control measures to prevent queuing on public roadways.

- Include signage clearly indicating acceptable materials, hours of operation, and restrictions.

- Incorporate safety barriers, site controls, and resident assistance personnel.

- Maintain daily logs of visitors, material types, and estimated volumes.

- Process and reduce debris consistent with requirements for other DMS operations.

- Follow all environmental and permitting requirements as stipulated for primary DMS operations.

- Vendor shall establish separate ingress/egress for residential vehicles and debris haulers.

- Maintain traffic control personnel

- Install concrete barriers or other physical separation between public unloading areas and debris processing areas.

- Provide clear signage listing acceptable/non-acceptable materials in

English and Spanish.

- Staff site with personnel trained to assist residents with unloading.

- Establish separate unloading areas for vegetative, C&D, and household hazardous waste.

- Operate citizen drop-off areas minimum 12 hours daily (7am-7pm) during first 30 days.

- Provide lighting for extended operations.

- Maintain daily logs of citizen vehicles and estimated volumes.

- Maintain dust control measures throughout public access areas.

- Establish and maintain a 20-foot fire break between public drop-off and processing.

The Contractor shall develop and submit a Public Collection Site Operations Plan for County approval within 72 hours of site establishment request. All costs associated with establishing, operating, and closing public collection sites shall be billed according to the established bid schedule line items.

2. Performance, Mobilization, Hauling Units and Capacity

• Vendor is expected to be present in Harris County during the duration of the event

(when anticipated).

• At least 72 hours and every 24 hours thereafter prior to an anticipated event, the

Contractor’s project manager will contact the County’s Debris Management Officers to confirm contact numbers, share information, and conduct final pre-event coordination.

• Immediately following the NTP by County, Contractor shall meet with County’s Debris Manager within 24 hours to discuss mobilization, hauling capacity, payment, record keeping, and reporting. Mobilization shall be considered incidental to the contract.

• The vendor shall establish emergency road clearance teams within all four (4) Commissioners Precincts within twenty-four (24) hours of NTP, if requested by the County.

• Contractor shall commence mobilization immediately upon receipt of the NTP meeting the requirements outlined in Appendix A: Debris removal operations must begin within 24-48 hours of the NTP in all four Commissioners Precincts and be functioning at 100% of capacity within 10 days. Vendor(s) shall ensure that a minimum of 80% of debris hauling units are always operational. Liquidated damages shall be assessed each day when the daily minimum required capacity outlined in Appendix A is not met ($10,000 per day). Due to changing operational needs as collection efforts progress or unforeseen circumstances, the daily minimum required hauling capacity may be reduced if approved in writing by the County.

• Please note that self-loading equipment and double or tandem axle dump trailers are preferred. Also note that bobcats, skid-steers, gradalls and excavators are not acceptable loading devices but may be used if a special exception is granted by the County. Hauling units should have at least a 25 cubic yard capacity.

• Harris County reserves the right to redistribute crews/teams/capacity if desired. It is expected that debris removal operations will begin first in areas most heavily impacted, and then moving to areas with lesser impacts. The County reserves the right to expand or reduce the area assigned to the vendor(s) for debris removal.

Additionally, the County reserves the right to add additional contractors for debris removal to the areas assigned to the vendor(s) as the County deems appropriate.

• Unless otherwise directed by the County, vendor shall operate hauling of debris from public rights of way and public property 7 days per week during day-light hours including holidays, unless otherwise approved by the County in writing.

Vendor shall conduct volumetric reduction operations at DMS sites 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, unless otherwise directed by County in writing.

• Removal of Debris shall be completed in accordance with the time allocated in Appendix A. An incentive shall be offered if first pass is completed before the relevant First Pass Completion Deadline outlined in Appendix A. The incentive is $10,000 per day (maximum of 10 days). All final disposal and DMS operations must be completed within 30 calendar days of the last load of debris delivered to the site. Incentives are as follows:

- Vendor shall receive an incentive payment of $10,000 per day for each day of early completion of first pass, up to a maximum of 10 days.

- For zones completed ahead of schedule, vendor shall receive a 5% markup on the cubic yard rate for all debris collected within that zone.

- Zones must be verified as 100% complete by County representatives to qualify for incentive payment.

- Early completion shall be measured against the established schedule

- Incentive payments shall be processed within 30 days of verification of zone completion.

- No incentive shall be paid for zones that require rework due to missed debris.

• All work at the DMS sites, including site restoration prior to close-out, shall be completed within 30 calendar days of the last load of debris delivered to the final disposal location, unless the County authorizes additional time.

• Initial Small Truck Deployment:

- Within the first 72 hours after Notice to Proceed, Vendor shall deploy a minimum of ten (10) small trucks (capacity 10-15 cubic yards) per precinct specifically for narrow street operations, cul-de-sacs, and areas with limited access.

- Small trucks shall be equipped with articulating arms or other equipment suitable for operation in confined areas.

- Small trucks shall focus on emergency access routes, critical infrastructure approaches, and other priority areas as designated by the County.

- Payment for small truck operations shall be at the same cubic yard rate as standard trucks with no deduction for reduced capacity.

- Failure to deploy the required number of small trucks within the specified timeframe shall result in liquidated damages of $2,500 per truck per day.

3. Debris Clearing Emergency Road Clearance (PUSH) – Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to clear and remove debris from County roadways and waterways, to make them passable immediately following a declared disaster event. All roadways designated by the County shall be clear and passable within seventy (70) working hours of the issuance of a notice to proceed from the County to conduct emergency roadway clearance work. This may include roadways in municipalities within the County. Clearance of these roadways will be performed as identified by the County. Vendors shall provide equipment and labor rates on attachment b., Bid Pricing Sheet(s), Item A. 1-51; all other costs associated with this task shall be considered incidental to items listed in VI.B.1.

4. Debris Removal, Disposal and Operations 1. ROW Vegetative Debris Removal Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs to pick up and transport vegetative debris existing in the County ROW to a County approved DMS or other designated disposal facility.

• Vegetative debris existing in the County ROW is defined as debris resulting from a disaster which has been or will be placed along public rights-of-way, easements, County parks, alleys, County debris staging areas, and other areas as designated by the County.

• Removal of vegetative debris will be performed as identified by the County. The County will not pay for debris removed from unassigned incorporated areas.

• This includes the removal, collection, hauling, and disposal of all stumps less than twenty-four (24) inches in diameter and any stump not originating in the

ROW.

• Entry onto private property (to include orphan roads, private roads, and/or gated communities) for the removal of vegetative hazards will only be permitted when directed by the County or its authorized representative. The County will provide specific Right-of-Entry (“ROE”) legal and operational procedures.

• ROW debris pickup may include debris from orphan roads, private roads, and/or private gated subdivisions, as directed by the County.

The county shall have sole discretion in directing and modifying work assignments, including but not limited to geographic area assignments, personnel and equipment deployment, work priorities and scheduling, and debris site operations and logistics. The vendor must acknowledge receipt of County work directives within 2 hours of issuance and submit a proposed action plan within 6 hours of receiving the directive. The vendor must deploy required resources within 12 hours of directive approval and, for priority or emergency clearance, deploy resources within 4 hours. For requests designated as 'immediate need,' resources must be deployed within 2 hours. Failure to meet these response times shall result in liquidated damages of $1,000 per hour of delay. Additionally, the vendor must maintain a 24-hour response capability throughout the contract period.

• Homeowner Association (HOA) Communities and Private Subdivisions:

- For HOAs and gated communities with centralized management, the County may, at its discretion, establish a single pin for the entire neighborhood in the mapping system.

- When a community is designated with a single pin, the Vendor shall be responsible for complete debris removal throughout the entire community as directed by the County.

- Vendor shall coordinate with HOA representatives and the County to establish a timeline for debris collection that is clearly communicated to residents.

- Vendor shall maintain a specific HOA contact list, provided by the County, for coordination purposes.

- All normal documentation and photo requirements apply to HOA community debris removal.

• Zone Completion Requirements:

- Vendor shall methodically complete debris removal in one zone before proceeding to another zone.

- Vendor shall not move equipment or personnel from an assigned zone to any other zone without prior written approval from the County.

- Vendor shall complete debris removal on all streets within a zone during each pass.

- Contractor shall pay liquidated damages of $5,000 per occurrence for any unauthorized zone-jumping or incomplete zone clearance.

- Vendor shall provide daily electronic reports showing streets cleared and percentage of zone completion.

- Zone completion is defined as 95% or more of the debris volume removed from the zone, as determined by the County or its representative.

Mapping System Zones and Boundaries:

- Vendor shall utilize the County’s mapping system which includes the following clearly defined features.

- Bridges, precinct boundaries, county facilities and voting locations.

- TXDOT-identified Scour Critical bridges designated in a separate layer.

- Zone boundaries that align with municipal city limits.

- Zone numbering convention following the format: PCT (Precinct Number), Camp (Camp Number), Type (City, Park, County), and Sequence Number.

- Designation of cities and parks as separate zones.

- South or Eastern Right-of-Way (ROW) as the Zone Line boundary.

- Vendor shall not cross zone boundaries without explicit written authorization from the County.

- Vendor shall provide feedback on any zone boundary discrepancies within

48 hours of zone assignment.

ROW C&D Debris Removal

• Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs to pick up and transport C&D debris existing in the County ROW to a County approved landfill or other final disposal facility.

• C&D debris existing in the County ROW is defined as debris resulting from a disaster which has been or will be placed along public rights-of-way, easements, property, County parks and as directed by the County.

• Removal of C&D debris will be performed as identified by the County.

The County will not pay for debris removed from unassigned incorporated areas.

• It is intended that the vendor shall collect and transport most C&D debris directly to an approved landfill, however the scale of some events may result in the need for DMS sites to handle C&D debris reduction. The use of DMS is subject to County approval.

• ROW debris pickup may include debris from orphan roads, private roads, and/or private gated subdivisions, as directed by the County.

Demolition, Removal, and Transport of Structures Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to demolish structures on private property as directed by the County. Further, debris generated from the demolition of structures, as well as scattered C&D debris on private property, will be transported to a County approved DMSs or other designated disposal facility.

• Removal, transportation and disposal of demolished structures and scattered

C&D debris on private property, will be performed as identified by the County.

• Entry onto private property will only be permitted when directed by the County.

The County will provide specific right of entry (ROE) legal and operational procedures. The vendor is required to strictly adhere to all Local, State, and Federal regulatory requirements for the demolition of structures.

• The vendor is required to submit a ROE program plan to the County for approval prior to beginning demolition on private property.

5. Debris Removal from Private Property Vendor shall only enter private property and utilize this pay item once given approval from County or its designated representative. This pay item is intended for use when contractor vehicles are required to enter private property to remove debris. Debris removal from private property under this section does not include debris removal covered under sections VI.B.4.1 and VI.B.4.2. .

6. Annual DMS agreements If authorized by Harris County, the vendor(s) shall provide the County a list of proposed DMSs intended for use following a debris generating event within a timeframe established by the County in the authorization. This list shall be maintained from year-to-year, through the duration of this contract and any subsequent extensions.

• The vendor(s) must show proof of lease agreement with the landowner of each proposed DMS. The list of DMSs shall include at least fifteen throughout the County with a minimum of three (3) DMS in each Harris County Commissioners Precinct. Each proposed DMS shall be approved by the County prior to finalizing lease agreements. This item is to be paid annually to the vendor.

• Each DMS shall include at least five (5) acres of land for use as debris storage and be located outside of the FEMA floodway and 100-year floodplain as defined by the most recent FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The site shall be accessible by public road. When possible, the County may assist the vendor in evaluating the site with respect to other environmental permitting requirements.

7. DMS Management and Operations Once DMS locations are determined, the vendor shall provide an address, GPS coordinates, estimated acreage, site layout overview, site management plan, and fire prevention and safety plan.

• At its sole discretion, the County may provide DMSs to the vendor. The vendor remains responsible for maintaining and managing all debris operations at these sites. The vendor is responsible for restoring any DMSs to its original condition to the satisfaction of the property owner, abiding by all Local, State and Federal environmental regulatory requirements. DMS site preparation work is the responsibility of the vendor. The cost of the lease of the land is incidental to this pay item.

• Based on the severity of the disaster, the County may task the vendor with locating additional sites available as DMSs.

• The County does not warrant or guarantee the availability or use of any final disposal sites. The vendor must coordinate directly with owners of all final disposal sites.

All final disposal sites must be approved, in writing, by the County. The vendor shall remain legally responsible for the handling, reduction, and final haul-out and final disposal of all reduced and unreduced debris. DMS operations and remediation must comply with all Local, State, and Federal fire, safety and environmental standards.

Vendor reduction, handling, disposal, and remediation operations must be approved, in writing, by the County.

• Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to manage and operate DMSs for the acceptance, management, segregation, and staging of disaster related debris. DMS layout and ingress and egress plan must be approved by the County.

• If DMS are authorized by the County, 8 sites must be functional within 7 days of NTP and 15 sites must be functional within 14 days of NTP. If this schedule is not met, liquidated damages of $10,000 per day will apply.

• The management of DMSs includes assistance in obtaining necessary Local, State, and Federal Permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies.

• Debris at the DMSs will be clearly segregated and managed according to the separately priced collection operations outlined in these specifications and attachments.

• Vendor is responsible for providing DMS traffic control and dust control.

• Vendor shall provide a tower from which the County or its authorized representative can make volumetric load calls. The tower provided by the contractor will at a minimum meet the specifications provided in the Debris Site Tower Specifications of this contract.

• Vendor is responsible for operating the DMSs in accordance with Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) guidelines.

• The vendor shall submit a Fire Suppression Plan for each DMS for review and approval by the County and the County’s Fire Marshal’s Office. Changes to the Fire Suppression Plan must be submitted in writing for approval by the County or its designated agent. The vendor shall include the procedures for monitoring temperatures in stockpiled debris using temperature probes and mitigating actions for potential fire hazards in the Fire Suppression Plan, as required by Fire Marshal’s Office FMO Standard 1908, Wood Waste And/or Recycling Facilities or any subsequent versions of this code. DMS site will not become operational until site is secure, and Fire Suppression Plan is approved.

• Vendor shall provide full water tanks for fire suppression (separate from small tanks used for dust suppression) and other fire prevention/fighting items.

• Vendor is responsible for notifying County of any smoking piles, fire, theft, or vandalism, immediately after notifying the proper fire or law enforcement agency.

Vendor is responsible for all costs necessary to control and extinguish a fire at a DMS site if one should occur.

• Vendor must maintain sufficient equipment for DMS operation and fire prevention.

At least one excavator 360 or larger and one bulldozer D4 or larger at a DMS site with debris under 100,000 cubic yards always. If debris volumes exceed 100,000 cubic yards, an additional excavator and bulldozer are required.

• Upon completion of haul-out activities, vendor shall remediate the site to pre-disaster condition at their own expense to the satisfaction of the property owner, abiding by all State and Federal regulatory requirements, including environmental requirements, and obtain a written release from the County or its authorized representative. Photographs of the site from pre-operations and post-operations shall be submitted to the County. Photographs shall include latitude and longitude, the general direction in degrees, and the nearest recognized address.

• The vendor is responsible for providing all required temporary utilities required for debris removal operation at each DMS.

• The vendor is responsible for providing twenty-four (24) hour per day, seven (7) days per week site security and fire watch for any DMSs under the vendor’s control.

Contact information for security shall be provided to the County.

• Other vehicles authorized by Harris County shall be allowed haul to the DMSs. The County may establish public drop off sites at the DMS and/or at other locations (See VI.B.25), and the vendor(s) will assist in managing the site upon direction by the County.

• Documentation Requirements for DMS Preparation, Operation, and Closure:

The Contractor shall maintain comprehensive documentation for each DMS throughout its lifecycle. Required documentation shall include:

• Site Preparation Documentation:

- Pre-use site condition assessment with date-stamped photographs and video from multiple angles showing the entire site, including specific features and potential areas of concern.

- Baseline soil and groundwater testing results.

- Copies of all permits, agreements, and approvals.

- Site layout plan with ingress/egress routes, processing areas, and environmental control features clearly marked.

- Approved pre-operations environmental checklist completed and signed by Contractor and County representative.

• Operational Documentation:

- Daily logs recording debris received (by type and quantity), processed, and hauled out.

- Daily safety and environmental monitoring reports.

- Weekly site status reports including photograph documentation.

- Equipment logs showing all machinery operating at the site.

- Stormwater and environmental control inspection logs.

- Incident reports for any accidents, injuries, fires, or environmental releases.

- Temperature monitoring logs for debris piles (minimum twice daily).

- Records of all site visits or inspections by regulatory agencies.

• Closure Documentation:

- Post-use site assessment with date-stamped photographs and video from the same vantage points as pre-use documentation.

- Comparative soil and groundwater testing results.

- Confirmation of final debris disposition.

- Site restoration completion report detailing all remediation activities.

- Written approval/acceptance from property owner.

- Release of applicable permits or permit closure documentation.

All documentation shall be submitted in electronic format according to County specifications and maintained by the Contractor for a minimum of seven (7) years following site closure. Complete documentation packages must be submitted to the County within 30 days of site closure as a condition of final payment.

• Standardized Signage Requirements:

• Vendor shall provide and maintain standardized signage at all Debris Management Sites and Citizen Drop off locations.

• Signs shall be professionally produced, weather-resistant, and a minimum size of 4' x 8'.

• Each sign shall clearly display:

• Site name and designation (e.g., 'Precinct 1 DMS - Miller Site').

• Operating hours (days and times).

• Complete list of acceptable materials with visual examples.

• Complete list of prohibited materials with visual examples.

• County logo and emergency contact information.

• Directional signage for traffic flow.

• Signs shall be placed at site entrance, exit, and processing areas.

• Signs must be installed prior to site opening and maintained throughout operations.

• County must approve sign design prior to production and installation.

• Failure to maintain proper signage shall result in liquidated damages of

$500 a day per site

Site Security Requirements:

• Vendor shall provide 24-hour, 7-day-per-week security at all DMS and

Citizen Drop-Off sites.

• Security Personnel shall:

- Maintain a daily security log of all incidents and site access.

- Conduct hourly fire watch patrols with documentation.

- Check identification of all personnel entering the site.

- Maintain current contact information list of all security personnel, which shall be provided to the County daily.

- Be equipped with communication devices capable of immediately contacting emergency services.

- Always Have clearly visible identification and high-visibility clothing.

- Monitor site for unauthorized dumping or removal of materials.

• Vendor shall provide to the County a weekly security report detailing incidents, concerns, and actions taken.

• Vendor’s security manager shall participate in daily operational briefings with County representatives.

• Failure to maintain required security shall result liquidated damages of

$1,000 per day per site.

DMS Site Expansion Equipment Requirements:

• Vendor shall maintain on site or have available within 4 hours the following equipment for DMS site expansion, stabilization, and maintenance:

- Minimum of one D6 or larger bulldozer per DMS site.

- Minimum of one front end loader with 2+ cubic yard capacity per

DMS site.

- Minimum of one water truck (minimum 2,000-gallon capacity) for dust control per DMS site.

- Minimum of one motor grader for access road maintenance per two DMS sites.

- Sufficient crushed stone/gravel material (minimum 200 tons per site.)

- Silt fencing, hay, bales, and other erosion control devices sufficient to encompass the perimeter of all processing areas.

- Light towers sufficient to illuminate all working areas during night operations.

• Equipment shall be dedicated to DMS operations and not reassigned without County approval.

• Vendor shall provide a weekly inventory of all DMS expansion and maintenance equipment.

• Failure to maintain required equipment shall result in liquidated damages of $1,000 per day per missing equipment item.

Dust Control Requirements:

• Vendor shall implement comprehensive dust control measures at all

DMS and processing sites including:

- Application of water to all unpaved surfaces at minimum 3-hour intervals during operational periods.

- Application of water during all grinding, chipping, or reduction operations continuously.

- Installation of 12-foot dust control fence around perimeter of grinding/chipping operations.

- Maintenance of 20-foot vegetative buffer where possible.

- Reduction of vehicle speeds to 10 MPH or less on all unpaved surfaces.

- Covering of all debris trucks entering or leaving the site.

- Ceasing grinding operations when wind speeds exceed 20 MPH.

- Daily air monitoring for particulate matter with documentation provided to County.

• Vendor shall designate a dust control supervisor responsible for implementing and documenting dust control measures.

• Failure to maintain required dust control measures shall result in liquidated damages of $1,000 per day per site and/or suspension of operations until compliance is achieved.

• Fire Prevention and Suppression Requirements: Vendor shall implement comprehensive fire prevention and suppression measures including:

- Installation of temperature monitoring probes in all mulch, chip and debris piles exceeding 5 feet in height.

- Temperature monitoring at minimum 4-hour intervals with documentation.

- Immediate action when internal pile temperatures exceed 160°F.

- Maintenance of 30-foot firebreaks between all debris piles.

- Minimum of one dedicated 2,000-gallon water truck with pump and hose attachments per DMS site.

- Fire suppression equipment including 500 feet of fire hose, nozzles, and portable pumps at each site.

- No smoking policy throughout all DMS sites, enforced by signage and security personnel.

- Coordination with local fire departments for site pre-planning and emergency response protocols.

- Fire watch procedures during non-operational hours.

- Monthly fire prevention training for all site personnel.

• Vendor shall submit a site-specific Fire Prevention and Suppression Plan for each DMS prior to site activation.

• Failure to maintain required fire prevention measures shall result in immediate suspension of operations until compliance is achieved and liquidated damages of $5,000 per violation

8. Soil Sampling and Analysis Vendor must collect and analyze soil samples at each DMS in areas designated for ash storage, vehicle maintenance, fuel dispensing operations, and any areas where hazardous substances are or might be generated, stored or used, unless otherwise directed by the County. Samples must be collected prior to any operation at the site and analyzed in a timely manner. DMS close out samples must be collected, analyzed, and provided to the County for review within thirty (30) days after all operations at the site have ceased and all material and equipment have been removed from the site.

Both sets of samples shall be taken from the same locations. The vendor shall utilize an independent laboratory to test samples and provide a copy of the results to the County, including a map of sampling locations. Analysis must include Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Samples shall be taken and analyzed utilizing Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) methods. Soil sampling activities shall be bid separately from other DMS activities.

Mobilization costs associated with obtaining soil borings shall be considered incidental to the cost of the boring.

9. Reduction of Vegetative Debris (Grinding) Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to reduce debris by grinding. Reduction methods are at the discretion of the County. Grinding must be approved by the County prior to commencement of reduction activities. All un-reduced debris must be staged separately at the DMS.

10. Reduction of Vegetative Debris (Incineration) Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to reduce debris by incineration. Reduction methods (controlled open-air incineration and air curtain burning) are at the discretion of the County. The vendor agrees that it shall not seek Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approval for incineration activities without County approval.

Once County approval is received, the contractor shall be solely responsible for obtaining TCEQ approval themselves. Incineration must be approved by the County prior to commencement of reduction activities. All un-reduced debris must be staged separately at the DMSs.

11. Reduction of C&D Debris (Compaction) Vendor must obtain approval to reduce C&D debris from County. If approved for reduction by County, C&D debris must be reduced via compaction in order for the County to compensate the vendor for reduction. Compaction is achieving 50% or greater reduction in volume, on average, unless otherwise approved by the County.

12. Load, Transport and Disposal of Reduced Debris Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to load and transport reduced material existing at a County approved DMS to a final disposal facility. All un-reduced debris must be transported to a final disposal facility separately from reduced debris. In the situation where a DMS is established at the same location as a final disposal facility, the vendor shall not charge the County a haul out fee as described in this section and associated referenced bid sheets. The final disposal of all materials generated from the debris shall be in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulations.

13. Load, Transport and Disposal of Unreduced Debris Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to load and transport unreduced material existing at a County approved DMS to a landfill or final disposal facility. All un-reduced debris must be transported to a final disposal facility separately from reduced debris. The final disposal of all materials generated from the debris shall be in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulations.

14. Removal of Hazardous Leaning Trees and Hanging Limbs

• In areas identified and approved by the County, vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to remove all hazardous trees six

(6) inches or greater in diameter, measured four and a half (4.5) feet from the base of the tree or chest height and hanging limbs two (2) inches or greater in diameter existing in the County ROW. Further, debris generated from the removal of hazardous trees and hanging limbs two (2) inches or greater existing in the County ROW will be placed in the safest possible location on the ROW and subsequently removed in accordance with the item described in “ROW Vegetative Debris Removal.” Hazardous leaning trees less than twelve (12) inches in diameter, measured three (3) feet from the base of the tree or at chest height, will be flush cut, loaded, and removed in accordance with item “ROW Vegetative Debris Removal”.

The County will not compensate the contractor for leaning trees less than twelve

(12) inches in diameter on a unit rate basis. If required by the County, photographs must be taken before and after removal of hazardous leaning trees and hanging limbs and provided to the County. Photographs shall include latitude and longitude, the general direction in degrees, and the nearest recognized address. One photograph must clearly depict the diameter of the tree at the specified height or the limb.

• Removal and transportation of hazardous tree twelve (12) inches or greater in diameter and hanging limbs two (2) inches or greater in diameter existing in the County ROW and private property will be performed as identified by the County.

All disaster specific eligibility guidelines regarding size and diameter of leaning trees will be communicated to the contractor, in writing, by the County. In order for leaning or hazardous trees to be removed and eligible for reimbursement, the tree must satisfy a minimum of one (1) of the following requirements:

- The tree is leaning in excess of thirty (30) degrees in a direction that poses an immediate threat to public health, welfare, and safety.

- The tree is dead, twisted, or mangled as a direct result of the disaster and a certified Arborist can attest to the fact that the tree will die, and potentially create a falling hazard to the public.

- The removal of hazardous trees is inclusive of the removal of root balls when the root ball poses a threat and the tree is leaning more than thirty (30) degrees with 50% of the root ball exposed.

- If FEMA rules were to change, the above requirements may be modified in a manner mutually agreeable to the vendor through a Change in Contract (CIC) form as provided by the County to match current FEMA requirements.

15. Removal of Hazardous Stumps

• In areas identified and approved by the County, vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel, and miscellaneous costs necessary to remove, transport, and dispose of all hazardous uprooted stumps greater than twenty-four (24) inches in diameter, measured twenty-four (24) inches from the base of the tree existing in the County ROW. As directed by the County, the vendor shall provide fill for all root cavities.

Stumps measured twenty-four (24) inches from the base of the tree and less than twenty-four (24) inches in diameter will be considered normal vegetative debris and removed in accordance with item VI.B.4.1. The County will not compensate hazardous stumps less than twenty-four (24) inches in diameter on a unit rate basis and instead will be considered normal vegetative debris. If required by the County, photographs must be taken before and after removal of hazardous stumps and provided to the County. Photographs shall include latitude and longitude, the general direction in degrees, and the nearest recognized address. One photograph must clearly depict the diameter of the stump at the specified height.

• All disaster specific eligibility guidelines regarding size and diameter of hazardous stumps will be communicated to the vendor, in writing, by the County. In order for hazardous stumps to be removed and eligible for reimbursement, the stump must satisfy the following requirement

• Over fifty (50) percent of root ball is damaged or broken and heartwood is exposed.

Tree stumps that are not attached to the ground will be considered normal vegetative debris and subject to removal under the terms and conditions of item VI.B.4.1. The County or its representative will measure and certify all stumps before removal.

• If FEMA rules were to change, the above requirements may be modified in a manner mutually agreeable to the vendor through a Change in Contract (CIC) form as provided by the County to match current FEMA requirements.

16. Daily standby truck If authorized by the County, vendor shall provide additional debris hauling units to be paid per day, plus mileage (standard IRS mileage rate) and cubic yards hauled (based on the relevant line items). These debris hauling units would be utilized after third pass is complete and as directed by the County.

17. Abandoned Vehicle Removal Vendor shall be required to remove, and haul abandoned vehicles in areas identified and approved by the County. The removed vehicles will be hauled to a County approved staging area and subsequently disposed of by the appropriate regulatory agency. The removal, transportation, and disposal of abandoned vehicle removal includes obtaining all necessary Local, State, and Federal handling permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies.

18. Animal Carcass Removal and Disposal Vendor shall be required to remove and dispose of animal carcasses in areas identified and approved by the County. The removal, transportation, and disposal of animal carcass includes obtaining all necessary Local, State, and Federal handling permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies.

19. ROW White Goods Debris Removal Vendor shall provide all labor, equipment, fuel and miscellaneous costs associated with the removal of, transportation, and disposal of white goods. The removal, transportation, and disposal of white goods includes obtaining all necessary Local, State, and Federal handling permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies. Preference shall be given to the recycling of white goods with respect to disposal options. Should the vendor prefer landfill disposal of white goods over recycling, the County must approve such plan prior, and the plan should state why the recycling of white goods is not feasible. Removal and proper disposal of putrescible waste from refrigerators and freezers shall be considered incidental cost. The County will not pay for debris removed from unassigned incorporated areas. ROW debris pickup may include debris from orphan roads, private roads, and/or private gated subdivisions, as directed by the County.

20. ROW Electronics Removal If authorized by the County, vendor shall be required to remove and dispose of electronics. The removal and disposal of electronics includes obtaining all necessary Local, State, and Federal handling permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies.

21. ROW Tire Removal If authorized by the County, vendor shall be required to remove and dispose of tires. The removal and disposal of tires includes obtaining all necessary Local, State, and Federal handling permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies.

22. Soil, Mud, and Sand Removal If authorized by the County, vendor shall be required to remove and dispose of soil, mud, and sand.

The removal and disposal of soil, mud, and sand includes obtaining all necessary Local, State, and Federal handling permits and operating in accordance with all Local, State, and Federal regulatory agencies.

23. Refrigerant Removal Vendor shall be required to remove and dispose of refrigerants from items containing refrigerants as approved by the County.