Attachment_2_-_Statement_of_Work.docx

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

Statement of Work

Lithium Battery Packaging Evaluation

MARCH 2019

Hazmat Engineering and Research

I. Background

The mission of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. PHMSA administers a national program devoted to the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials by air, rail, vessel, and highway. Our oversight extends to all parts of the hazardous materials transportation system—from classification of materials, to packaging, handling, moving, and unloading of hazardous materials shipments in commerce.

PHMSA’s hazardous materials safety program focuses on preventing the release of hazardous materials, minimizing the extent and impact of releases that do occur, and responding effectively to mitigate the consequences of incidents. We identify emerging threats posed by the shipment of hazardous materials and address them through a mix of research, standards, regulations, outreach, training, enforcement, grants, and the dissemination of information. Continuous improvement in program effectiveness is necessary to offset the growing risks posed by increasing volumes of increasingly complex hazardous materials moving through a strained transportation system.

Lithium batteries are regulated as hazardous materials. They pose special risks during transportation since they can overheat and ignite under certain conditions and, once ignited, can be especially difficult to extinguish. Lithium batteries present both chemical (e.g. flammable electrolyte) and electrical hazards. Lithium batteries can short circuit, overheat, and sometimes cause a fire when misused, mishandled, improperly packaged, improperly stored, overcharged or subject to failure due to latent or evolving internal defect(s).

This contract will acquire services to perform research evaluating the current packaging practices for lithium ion cells and batteries in the air transport environment, and if any, recommendations on packaging improvement.

On October 5, 2018, the President signed legislation titled “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.” See Public Law 302-89. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 includes the “Safe Air Transportation of Lithium Cells and Batteries” (See Section 333) and instructs the Secretary to submit a report to Congress. The report is to contain an evaluation of the current packaging practices for lithium ion cells and batteries in air transportation, and if any, recommendations on packaging improvement.

Full Section 333 paragraph (f) text:

PACKAGING IMPROVEMENTS.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with interested stakeholders, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an evaluation of current practices for the packaging of lithium ion batteries and cells for air transportation, including recommendations, if any, to improve the packaging of such batteries and cells for air transportation in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

II. Objective

The Contractor will conduct research in support of PHMSA’s report to Congress as required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

III. Task and Scope

The contractor shall utilize the packaging and transport requirements of the Department of Transportation’s Hazardous Materials Regulations, Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air as a baseline for carriage and packaging requirements for the air transport of lithium batteries. To achieve these measures, the incumbent contractor shall perform the following tasks:

1. Define the current practices for carriage and packaging of lithium batteries through consultation with federal regulators, shippers and carriers of lithium batteries, manufacturers of lithium batteries, packaging manufacturers, and trade associations supporting air transport and lithium batteries.

2. Conduct an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of current practices for air transport of lithium batteries, including assessment of packaging methods for compliance with the transport regulations and their ability to protect the contents against exposure to conditions normally incident to transportation including rough handling such as that encountered during high speed sorting operations.

3. Recommend safety improvements to the current practices and packaging which could be reasonably and economically incorporated in the transport regulations.

Task 1: Hold a kick-off meeting to review project expectations During task 1 the contractor will prepare an agenda and presentation for a kick-off meeting with PHMSA representatives. The contractor will prepare a detailed list of all planned tasks, schedules, milestones and deliverables to be conducted during the project (project management plan). The meeting will be held within two weeks of contract award. The contractor will submit minutes of this meeting to the Contract Officer Representative within one month of contract award.

Deliverables: project management plan, project schedule, kick off meeting agenda and minutes.

Task 2: Data Collection During task 2 the contractor shall conduct a literature review and consult with industry experts (no more than nine) with the goal of obtaining sufficient packaging and carriage data to define the current industry practices and standard in transporting lithium batteries by air. Data should address packaging and carriage of all types of lithium batteries and all types of shipments (from individual cells to shipments of large quantities of lithium batteries). Current practices should be defined in terms of shipments compliance with Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) and the ICAO Technical Instructions on the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods. The data collection report/current practices definition must be delivered to the Contractor Officer Representative no more than four months after contract award.

Deliverables: A report summarizing the literature and data reviewed; a definition of current industry practice and standard for air transport of lithium batteries, and a summary of the data collected that supports this model.

Task 3: Data Analysis During task 3 the contractor shall conduct an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of current practices for air transport of lithium batteries, including assessment of packaging methods for compliance with the transport regulations and their ability to protect the contents against exposure to conditions normally incident to transportation including rough handling such as that encountered during high speed sorting operations. Assessment will conclude with recommended safety improvements to the current practices and packagings which could be reasonably and economically incorporated in the transport regulations thus allowing for the continued air transportation of lithium cells and batteries in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The Data Analysis report must be delivered to the Contractor Officer Representative no more than five months after contract award.

Deliverables: A report detailing the analysis conducted and a list of recommended safety improvements.

Task 4: Final report The contractor shall prepare a final report on the project. At a minimum, the final report must include the data reported in Task 2 and Task 3 reports. A draft final report (for content but not final format or final graphics) will be submitted to the Contract Officer Representative for review. Final report, incorporating Contract Officer Representative’s comments, must be submitted within six months of contract award.

Deliverables: Draft final report that is section 508 compliant. Final report will be delivered to COR not more than 6 months after contract award date.

IV. Deliverables and Payment Schedule

A. Reports: The final report will be 508-compliant to meet the ADA requirements for external publication. The reports must be submitted electronically after approval of the Contract Administrator and Contracting Officer Representative.

B. Briefings: Briefings must include a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint suitable for public dissemination. The presentation will outline the work performed, including the research project’s methods and materials, results and observations, conclusions, and recommendations to PHMSA leadership based on the scientific findings.

C. Monthly progress reports: the contractor will provide the COR monthly progress reports in the form of an email or Microsoft Word document. Progress reports can be anywhere from half a page to a page in length.

· Minutes of kick-off meeting

· Project Schedule

· Project Management plan

10% of the payment will be issued once the deliverables have been accepted by the Government

· Definition of current industry practice and standard packages for air transport of lithium batteries

· Summary of data collected to support defined practice and standard 35% of the payment will be issued once the deliverables have been accepted by the Government

· Early completion of project will result in really payment of invoice(s).

D. Invoicing: Invoicing will occur in accordance to the services outlined in Section IV (Deliverables and Payment Schedule). The contractor may invoice PHMSA only after the Government has inspected, deemed conforming, and actually accepted the deliverables in section IV above. Invoices shall be emailed to PHMSA’s accounting department at 9-amc-amz-phmsa-invoices@faa.gov.

V. Period of Performance PHMSA expects the period of performance to be nine (9) months from the date of the award.

VI. Place of Performance / Travel Work will be performed at the Contractor’s facilities. Travel to the U.S. DOT Headquarters Facilities to attend meetings may be required. All travel must be approved in advance by the COR. Travel will be reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR).

VII. Contract Type PHMSA intends to issue a firm-fixed price contract for this requirement.

VIII. Sustainability Requirements The Department of Transportation (DOT) developed a Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan (SSPP) which is designed to enhance the mission of sustainability though cost effective acquisitions. Our goal is to achieve compliance by reducing resource consumption and solid had hazardous waste generation. This SSPP applies to all acquisitions and contracting mechanisms used by PHMSA. Contractors are highly encouraged to supply or use products and services that are environmentally preferable, energy efficient, contain recycled content or bio-based materials.

IX. Data Requirements As applicable, PHMSA retains ownership of all copyright and licenses agreements.

PHMSA considers knowledge management a critical aspect of its ongoing ability to service its end-users. Therefore, PHMSA will retain ownership of all data or other related information collected, developed, analyzed, and reported in connection with providing the services within the scope of this statement of work. The contractor must describe in its proposal the process for turning over the data to PHMSA at the end of the period performance of the delivery order.

X. Confidentiality & Records Management Owing to the critical nature of the regulatory development support, the Contractor must not at any time during the period of performance disclose or advertise, implicitly or explicitly, participation in this project, without the written authorization of both the CO and the COR. In addition, the Contractor must also secure and manage records and information related to tasks on this order. The contractor must describe in its proposal the process for nondisclosure and records management.

Any Government information the Contractor receives or has access to in the process of performing this contract is confidential. Release of this information is prohibited without the prior written authorization of both the CO and the COR.

XI. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to this contract. The contractor will provide all reports in a format that is compliant with Section 508 allowing people with disabilities to access the documents when posted to the internet.

XII. Contract Administration Contracting Office (CO) The Contracting Officer (CO) has the overall responsibility for this contract. The CO alone, without delegation, is authorized to take actions on behalf of the Government to modify contract terms, conditions, requirements, specifications, and delivery schedules. The Contracting Officer for this contract is:

Mr. Ben Patterson US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Office of Acquisition Services, PHF-20 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE Washington DC 20590 Telephone: (202) 366-5102 Email: ben.patterson@dot.gov

Contract Specialist Stephen Jones US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Office of Acquisition Services, PHF-20 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE Washington DC 20590 Telephone: (202) 366-6673 Email: Stephen.Jones.Ctr@dot.gov

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) CONTRACTING OFFICER RESPRESENTATIVE (COR): The COR is responsible for the technical administration of this contract and is the technical liaison with the Contractor. The COR will be responsible for the daily operation of the tasks in the functional areas of those tasks. The COR will review invoices that are specific to the functional area and review the Monthly Status Report. He/she is authorized to give technical direction and review and recommend approval of: (1) Technical matters not involving a change in the scope, price, terms or conditions of this contract; (2) Progress Reports; (3) Inspection and acceptance of supplies/services; and (4) Invoices.

The COR IS NOT authorized to issue technical instructions that: (1) Institute additional work outside the scope of the contract; (2) Constitute a change as defined in FAR 52.243-2; (3) Cause an increase or decrease in the estimated cost of the contract; (4) Alter the period of performance; and (5) Change any of the other express terms or conditions of the contract. The COR/Technical Representative for this contract is:

Mr. Richard Boyle US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, PHH-23 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE Washington DC 20590 Telephone: (202) 366-2993 Email: rick.boyle@dot.gov

Subject Matter Expert Kevin Leary US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Office of Standards and Rulemaking, PHH-10 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE Washington DC 20590 Telephone: (202) 366-2944 Email: kevin.leary@dot.gov image1.png