Attachment 2.Q A.pdf

AG-3D47-S-10-0001

Attachment No. 2

Amendment No. 2

Questions & Answers

Deckers Creek AMD Treatmen e 1 and Beulah Chapel Site 1 t Project ‐ Goat Sit Job Showing

October 28, 2009

1. Q: ual

The ARRA reporting requirements on page 23 of the contract include the ann compensation of the top five officers of the company. Why is that necessary?

A: The ARRA reporting requirements are mandated by federal law and are not within the control of NRCS. Read paragraph 8 of the clause (52.204‐11) which talks about when you are required to include information on the top five officers of the company.

Q: licensing requirements for this work? Is a license required What are the Contractor before submitting a bid?

A: Contractors are required to have a West Virginia Contractors License. A bid may be submitted, and consideration will be given if the bidder is actively pursuing licensure and will be licensed prior to the notice to proceed on or about March 15, 2010. The website for the West Virginia Division of Labor is www.wvlabor.com.

ded to become licensed in WV. This site has all the information nee

. nd for

Q: Is there a bo mat preference?

A: See section L.7 for Bid Guarantee (bond) information and format requirements.

Paragraph (b) discusses how the bid bond should be submitted.

. Q: hese percentages for the About the minority/female participation goals, are t workforce on site, or the Contractor’s overall staff?

A: Please read FAR Clause 52.222‐23 located in Section L.5 of the solicitation package.

This clause pertains to a contractors’ workforce. The clause states “the contractor shall make a good faith effort to employ minorities and women evenly on each of its projects.

For Large Businesses‐ If the successful bidder is a large business, a Small Business Subcontracting Plan will be required. You can read the FAR Clause 52.219.9 at https://www.acquisition.gov/far. Small businesses are not required to submit a plan.

Q: Is the NRCS Safety Supplement available on‐line?

A: Yes, it is part of the contract, Section H, Special Contract Requirements.

http://www.wvlabor.com/ https://www.acquisition.gov/far

6. Q: Are the quality control inspectors required to have any special erosion and sediment control certification for monitoring and inspecting the pollution control work?

A: No special certification is required. The NPDES permit does require the Contractor’s employee training program to include components and goals of the SWPPP (Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan). See the NPDES permit for either site, Section G.4.e.2.C.iv, Employee Training.

Q: Is the surveying required to be out‐sourced?

A: No, the surveying staff may be company employees that have the qualifications 7, Construction Surveys. required in Construction Specification

Q: What is meant by a Class III fill?

A: Construction Specification 23 classifies earthfills by compaction type. Class III compaction is method‐specified. If the fill is installed with the specified material and in the specified manner, no further actions are necessary to assure compliance to the compaction requirements.

Q: What permits do we have to get?

A: For each site, the project sponsors have secured the NPDES permit, the 401 and 404 permits, the PLC permits, and for Goat Site 1, the Floodplain Management permit.

For Beulah Chapel Site 1, the Division of Highways Encroachment Permit is secured.

These permits will be available on‐line with the contract documents. The Contractor is required to maintain a copy of these permits on site during the work. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to obtain any other permits required to conduct the work.

. Q: Aren’t there restrictions on the periods of in‐stream work by the PLC permit?

A: The general PLC permit prohibits in‐stream work during the fish spawning season.

The streams of these sites are lifeless according to a survey by the USACE. The West Virginia DNR has directed the project sponsor to apply for a waiver of the fish‐ spawning restriction, being assured that the waiver would be issued. Plan your work with no restriction on the timing of stream work.

1. Q: rade, is the repair of cracks in rock subgrade 1

For channels with the bentonite subg rfoundations considered extra wo k?

A: Construction Specification 412 is amended and does not specify the repair of limestone rock subgrades having severe cracks. This condition is not anticipated at the abandoned coal mine sites.

2. Q: Are there approved borrow sites of bentonite?

A: The bentonite material specified in Construction Specification 412 is a commercially‐produced product delivered to the site in bulk or sacks, similar to cement. NRCS does not pre‐approve suppliers of materials. The Contractor will need ply with the specifications. to certify to NRCS that the materials com

3.

Q: Are there approved earth borrow sites?

A: Borrow areas for the construction of the earth cores of the rock sediment dams on Goat Site 1 are identified on the plans. Locations of earth borrow for all other construction is not specified. Off‐site borrow is not anticipated. Borrow locations

s. on‐site must remain within approved construction limit

4.

Q: How is the channel’s bentonite lining to be compacted?

A: See Construction Specification 412, Section 3, Installation

5. 1

Q: Is there any bedding material placed under the culverts?

A: No. The culverts are installed on the excavated grade as shown on the plans. Take note that Construction Specification 23, Earthfill, Section 10.H.(2) specifies a maximum rock size for Earth Backfill, and 10.H.(3) requires the earth backfill of culverts to comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The Contractor shall ent. use the most conservative requirem

6.

Q: How is the DOH Culvert item paid?

A: All work and materials to install the culvert on County Route 72 is paid lump sum . with Item 20, Bid Schedule B. Maintenance of Traffic is included in the work

7. Q: pH of the water on Beulah? Is the gravel bulkhead limestone or

What is the sandstone?

A: The mine discharges on Beulah are as low as 3.2. The construction of the Mine Adit Seals is amended to use sandstone only for the gravel bulkhead shown on sheet 13 of the Beulah Chapel drawings.

18.

Q: Is the subgrade of the geotextile to be under‐cut?

A: No, channels are excavated to the line and grade of the surface of the subgrade only.

Bentonite‐lined channels encountering a rock foundation have special requirements for excavation below the design subgrade. See Construction Specification 412.

A mendment No. 2

. Q: Do the temporary access roads on Goat Site 1 have to be reclaimed?

A: No, the temporary access roads on Goat Site 1 that are part of the construction access plan (see Construction Specification 5) may remain after construction.

0. Q: aced in the disposal area, or may excess

Does all channel excavation have to be pl earth be placed adjacent to the channel?

A: Channel excavations may be placed adjacent to the channel alignment and compacted to a density similar to the adjacent soils. These incidental “adjacent disposal” areas must be free‐draining towards the channel and blend smoothly with the immediate topography. The channel excavations are expected to exceed the l alignments. volume that can be reasonably wasted adjacent to the channe

1.

Q: The weather days shown in the contract, what does it mean?

A: Section H.6 (page 12) shows the number of days per month that adverse weather can be expected at the contract sites. The Contractor is expected to use this data to plan the construction schedule. If the number of days of adverse weather in a month exceeds the amount shown, the Contractor may request an extension of performance time. Keep in mind that the Contractor’s performance during fair r time extension. weather days is considered with a request fo

2.

Q: May both sites be worked at the same time?

A: There is no restriction to work one site at a time. If the successful bidder plans to work the sites simultaneously, notify the COTR for scheduling of quality assurance personnel.

. Q: May equipment be “walked in” on the access road?

A: At the Goat site, the existing water supply access road to the lower parts of the site may be used for delivery of equipment and materials as suits the Contractor. This access road is to be maintained throughout construction for use by the city of Masontown. Verify any planned periods of closure with the city of Masontown. Note the requirement of Construction Specification 2 to trim trees along this access road.

For the upper existing access road, continuous maintenance is not critical. As is the case for all existing private access roads, their condition at the close of the contract shall be the same or better than at the start.

Temporary construction access roads will be built at the Goat site for the movement of equipment and materials over the site’s large area. This access road network will be determined by the Contractor and approved by the Contracting Officer prior to the notice to proceed. An access road will be constructed (bid schedule item) on the steep grade into the Beulah Chapel site, but no access road plan is required for movement within this site.

Amendment N

24. Q: to do with the apparent inclusions of jurisdictional wetlands in the

o. 2

What are we work areas?

A: The Corps of Engineers and the Department of Environmental Protection have reviewed the work sites and the planned construction, and have issued permits for the planned work. If the Contractor constructs the work as planned within the construction limits shown and within the construction limits to be approved for the access road plan on the Goat site, and with compliant erosion and sediment control features, there will be no unapproved impact to the environment.

25.

Q: Is it required to by‐pass stream flows around the active work area 24 hours a day?

A: The PLC permit prohibits water from entering the new channel “until construction is complete and the banks are stabilized.” It would be in the Contractor’s interest to limit channel excavations to lengths that can be finished in a day. Otherwise, continuous by‐pass operations will be necessary.

6. f th 2

Q: Can existing flows be impounded as part o e dewatering work?

A: Impounding water is not prohibited. Any hazard created by impoundment structures is the Contractor’s liability.

. Q: Are AutoCAD drawing files available for the Contractor to use for this work?

A: AutoCAD drawings will be provided to the successful bidder at contract award, upon request.

. Q: Are there benchmarks are each site?

A: Two points of horizontal and vertical control are given for each project site. See each trol points. site’s plan view drawings for locations of con

9. record required?

Q: Is a pre‐construction video

A: It is not required by NRCS.

0. 3

Q: Is there a warranty period for the work and how long is it?

A: See FAR Clause 52.246‐12 (Inspection of Construction). It is referenced in your solicitation package in Section E.1. This clause discusses contractor responsibility of

/fartheir work. The clause can be found at https://www.acquisition.gov .

1. 3

Q: Whom do we contact for access to these sites while preparing bids?

A: Call the NRCS Kingwood Field Office, 304‐329‐1923. The Goat site is used by a hunting club. Contact Rick Sanders, 304‐864‐1012, for notification to the clubs members. The hunting club requests that no one access the Goat site from November 22 to December 2, West Virginia’s deer rifle season.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far

2. Q: h site, are construction access routes along channels required to be At the Beula reclaimed?

A: Yes, access routes which are incidental to the construction of channels will be graded and seeded in compliance with Construction Specification 6. These seeding areas are included in the seeding item quantity. Surfacing materials used by the Contractor shall be removed or buried, biodegradable surfacing may remain in place to the extent the material does not interfere with establishing the permanent grass cover. The access road from County Route 72 into the site will remain upon completion of the work, including its stone paving.

3.

Q: Are the access roads required to be built all at once?

A: Constructing all the access roads at one time is not required.

34. Q: y debris permitted? Are wood chips allowed for use as a road Is the chipping of wood stabilization product?

A: The contract does not prohibit the chipping of woody debris removed by the clearing and grubbing work. Wood chips from the clearing and grubbing work may be used to stabilize construction access roads except as shown on the plans. Note that the contract requires the salvage and stockpiling of timber on the Beulah site;

and the contract will be amended to require the same at the Goat site. See Construction Specification 2, Clearing and Grubbing.

35. : ded for bentonite layer construction in the Q Are borrow sites for the soil material nee channels on the Beulah site designated?

A: Soils in the excavated subgrade of the channels will be used to construct the bentonite subgrade. Borrow sites are not designated, but the material is anticipated to be on site. See Construction Specification 412.

. Q: onite material is necessary than If the bentonite site test shows that more bent specified, how are we compensated for that?

A: The contract has a clause for Variation in Estimated Quantity (52.211‐18). This clause is incorporated by reference in Section F.1 of the solicitation. The clause states:

If the quantity of a unit‐priced item in this contract is an estimated quantity and the actual quantity of the unit‐priced item varies more than 15 percent above or below the estimated quantity, an equitable adjustment in the contract price shall be made upon demand of either party. The equitable adjustment shall be based upon any increase or decrease in costs due solely to the variation above 115 percent or below 85 percent of the estimated quantity. If the quantity variation is such as to cause an increase in the time necessary for completion, the Contractor may request, in writing, an extension of time, to be received by the Contracting Officer within 10 days from the beginning of the delay, or within such further period as may be granted by the Contracting Officer before the date of final settlement of the contract.

Upon the receipt of a written request for an extension, the Contracting Officer shall scertain the facts and make an adjustment for extending the completion date as, in a the judgement of the Contracting Officer, is justified

7. 3

Q: Are all channels lined with this bentonite material?

A: No. None of the channels on the Goat site use bentonite. The bentonite‐lined channel reaches on the Beulah Chapel site are shown on sheets 7, 8, and 10 of the Beulah Chapel drawings.

8. Q: the bentonite test‐section going to be built? The results could vary by Where is location.

A: The test locations are specified in Construction Specification 94. The methods used to build a successful bentonite trial reach for the channels shall be used throughout the remainder of the work. A second test is specified for the bottom of the settling pond; it will be conducted in the actual pond bottom soils.

9. Q: in segments of the work be built before completion of the downstream

May certa features?

A: The general progression of the work is required to be from downstream to upstream on each reach of channel. This requirement does not prohibit the Contractor from conducting an individual day’s work in the opposite progression.

For example, excavation of a segment of channel that can be lined with rock riprap in that same day can be conducted from upstream to downstream. But, without exception, downstream erosion and sediment control features must be completed prior to disturbing soils upstream. The rock sediment dams on Goat and the settling pond on Beulah Chapel are considered sediment control features.

Amendment No. 2

0. Q: Are shop drawings required for the precast culvert headwalls?

A: Yes, Construction Specification 432 requires the headwall’s “design documents and drawings” to be submitted to the Contracting Officer prior to delivery to the site. An important reference in these documents and drawings is a statement of compliance with the referenced ASTM specs in CS432.

1. Q: mention a lot of material certifications. How is that done for this 4

The specs contract?

A: A written statement that certifies the materials proposed for delivery and incorporation to the work are fully compliant to the contract is required. A separate statement for each kind of material is necessary. The Contractor may use NRCS e same format. Form AS‐93 or another document having th

2. 4

Q: Is the work awarded to the lowest bidder?

A: This is a Sealed Bid. Award will be made to the lowest bidder.