A.02.10_PLA Survey Medical Waste Incinerator Facility, Fort Detrick - 01.June.2022.pdf

Title: Medical Waste Incinerator Facility, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland

W912DR22R0032

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the potential use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for a large-scale construction project (exceeding $25 million) located at Fort Detrick, MD.

Project Description:

This acquisition is for the construction of a Medical Waste Incinerator Facility located at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. This project will provide a building housing new state-of-the-art medical waste incinerators to dispose of all laboratory, medical and infectious waste generated on Fort Detrick, Maryland including BSL3/BSL4 waste. The facility will be approximately 14,000 square feet in size. The incinerators will have N+1 redundancy at an anticipated 550lb units (2 units each with a capacity of 550 lbs/hr). The facility is expected to process one (1) million pounds of medical waste yearly (it is assumed that at a minimum 8 hrs/day, 5 day/wk operation of a single unit could achieve the necessary one million point throughput, annually).

The general waste characterization includes Plastic, Sharps, Biologicals and Paper. This facility will accept waste from nine (9) sources (minimum). The facility will be built on Fort Detrick, Maryland and will be a single construction award.

PLA Background Information:

A PLA is defined as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. 158(f).

Federal Acquisitions Regulation (FAR) 22.503, Policy states: Project Labor Agreement (PLA) is a tool that agencies may use to promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.

Pursuant to Executive Order 13502, agencies are encouraged to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements in connection with large-scale construction projects. An agency may, if appropriate, require that every contractor and subcontractor engaged in construction on the project agree, for that project, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreements will

(1) advance the Federal Government’s interest in achieving economy and efficiency in Federal procurement, producing labor-management stability, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other matters; and (2) be consistent with law.

Reference: FAR 52.222-33 Notice of Requirement for Project Labor Agreement, Clause: FAR 52.222-34 Project Labor Agreement.

The construction community is invited to comment on the use of PLA’s by responding to the following questions:

(1) Do you have knowledge that a PLA has been used in the local areas on projects of this kind? If so, please provide supporting documentation.

(2) Are you aware of skilled labor shortage in the areas for those crafts that will be needed to complete the referenced project? If so, please elaborate and provide supporting documentation where possible.

(3) Are you aware of time sensitive issues/scheduling requirements that would affect the rate at which the referenced project should be completed? If so, please elaborate and provide supporting documentation where possible.

(4) Identify specific reasons why or how you believe a PLA would advance the Federal Governments interest in achieving economy and efficiency in federal procurement.

(5) Identify specific reasons why you do not believe a PLA would advance the Federal Governments interest in achieving economy and efficiency in federal procurement.

(6) Identify any additional information you believe should be considered on the use of a PLA on the referenced project.

(7) Identify any additional information you believe should be considered on the non-use of a PLA on the referenced project.

The information gathered in this exercise should include the following information on projects completed in the last 2-5 years:

(1) Project Name and Location

(2) Detailed Project Description

(3) Initial Cost Estimate vs. Actual Final Cost

(4) Was the project completed on time?

(5) Number of craft trades present on the project

(6) Was a PLA used?

(7) Were there any challenges experienced during the project?

Responses are to be sent via email to Leigha Arnold at Leigha.m.arnold@usace.army.mil no later than 11:00 AM (EST) on 17 June 2022. Responses are limited to 10 pages.

This is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL and does not constitute any commitment by the Government. Reponses to this labor market survey will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this survey.