Attachment C - Bulk Sampling and Material Testing - Draft PWS.pdf

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

HEADQUARTERS

8725 JOHN J. KINGMAN ROAD

FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA 22060-6221

Material Sampling and Verification Testing Analytical Laboratory Services

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

The Department of Defense – Defense Logistics Agency – Strategic Materials (“Government”) has a need for Contractor support for bulk commodity sampling services and chemical and physical property verification testing/analytical services.

1.1 Background:

The Government acquires materials for the National Defense Stockpile (“Stockpile”), per the National Defense Stockpile Act. The Government stores these materials in varying quantities of bulk amounts for long periods of time, sometimes several decades.

Depending on the form of the material, (i.e. powder, lump, ingots, fibers, sheets, rolls, etc.), the Government may store the material in bulk in piles, drums, supersacks, crates, stacked on pallets, or other means. The Government’s storage locations are depots located in: Scotia, New York; Hammond, Indiana; Hawthorne, Nevada; and Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There may be situations where the Government stores material at a commercial location within the Continental United States (“CONUS”). Some materials may require special storage situations. Examples of special storage situations are climate-controlled areas, sealed containment under artificial atmosphere, compartmentalized areas in consideration of safety based on the material properties and potentially hazardous impurities.

1.2 Objective:

The purpose of this effort is to execute bulk sampling and verification testing services from the Contractor for the Government’s materials in the Government’s Stockpile or in the process of being acquired for the Government’s Stockpile.

1.2.1 The Government will verify material vendors are supplying the Government with materials which are compliant with the chemical properties and physical properties (i.e., particle size, bulk density, morphology, surface area) which are specified (“Specs”) in the material acquisition contract. Verification testing commences after bulk sampling operations are complete where the Contractor prepares samples that are representative for each lot of material. The Contractor’s sampling operations may take place at Government depot locations or commercial locations approved for use by the Government. If the method of material production permits sampling operations during an “upstream” point in the material vendor’s process, (typically the material vendor’s penultimate supply process), before the material vendor’s material delivery to the Government (i.e., repackaging process, railcar or truck loading, furnace output of ingots, etc.); the Government will require the Contractor to perform bulk sampling operations at a material vendor location (“upstream sampling”). The Government requires that all bulk sampling operations take place within the CONUS. If the Government’s material is stored at a commercial location, the Contractor shall perform sampling operations at the commercial location.

1.2.2 The Contractor shall perform verification testing (chemical and physical properties in the Government’s Specs) of each material lot’s sample at the Contractor’s laboratory. The Government may require chemical analyses in addition to the Government Specs. If the Contractor can perform particle size analysis at the time the Contractor is performing their sampling operations, the Contractor shall perform particle size verification testing during the sampling operations or during the upstream sampling operations.

1.2.3 The Contractor shall deliver samples of material that are representative of each lot of material and Certificates of Analysis/Analytical Reports (“COAs” – see Section 2.9) to the Government at the conclusion of all sampling and analysis for each lot of material.

1.2.4 The Contractor’s sampling operations and verification testing services shall be independent in nature. The material vendor will not have influence on the Contractor’s decisions and methods in the Contractor’s performance of this contract. This requirement of independence does not preclude the Contractor from collaborating with the Government and the material vendor to facilitate the Contractor’s performance under this contract.

1.2.5 The Contractor shall be a CONUS-based entity. The Contractor shall perform all activities in this Performance Work Statement (“PWS”) within the CONUS. The Contractor shall have an established reputation for experience in bulk sampling and material testing in, at a minimum: steel, ferroalloy materials, ores and concentrates, aluminum, fluorspar, zinc, manganese, tantalum, and niobium. The Contractor shall have experience using sampling operations that are compliant with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) bulk sampling standards or accepted standards for sampling in the associated material industry.

1.2.6 The Contractor’s laboratory shall be ISO 17025 certified and American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) accredited.

1.2.7 The Contractor shall have expert ability and experience in analytical chemistry methods and method development. The Contractor shall have expert ability and experience in analytical chemistry methods and method development in: wet chemistry, including clean pulverization capabilities; laboratory sample preparation and digestion; titration; and reagent preparation. The Contractor shall have expert ability and experience in instrumental analysis, including Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), inductively coupled plasma -optical emission spectroscopy/atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES/AES), ICP-Mass Spectroscopy (MS), and inert gas fusion and combustion analysis (especially using LECO™ instruments).

1.2.8 The Contractor shall have expert ability and experience in determining particle size, both in processus and with a collected sample.

1.2.9 The Contractor is not performing any inherently governmental function.

1.2.10 The Contractor shall assert to all Objective requirements in Section 1.2, as appropriate, in their proposal, and support each assertion with documented evidence.

1.3 General Performance Requirements:

Due to the wide variety of material in the Government’s stockpile, or in the process of entering the Government’s Stockpile, each material is unique in nature – material form, quantity, lot size, packaging, delivery schedule, storage requirements, special handling requirements, etc. Each material also has unique properties and Specs.

Contractor performance, scheduling, and responsiveness:

A. The Government’s material acquisition contracts with material vendors often require the Government to accept (or reject) material within 90 calendar days of delivery of material to the Government’s location. Thus, the Contractor shall sample, perform verification testing, and deliver COAs (IAW Section 2.8) to the Government on numerous lots within eighty (80) calendar days of the Government’s issuance of each Task Order, allowing the Government a minimum of ten (10) calendar days to determine whether the material is acceptable or not, based on the COAs from the Contractor.

B. Typically, the Government will not know the material lot size, number of containers per lot, quantity of material in each container, number of lots per shipment, number of shipments per month until one (1) month before the material vendor begins delivery of material to the Government. Thus, the Contractor shall develop and submit to the Government a material sampling plan, a material testing plan, schedule Contractor sampling personnel and Contractor equipment, travel, and be ready to commence sampling operations and subsequent verification testing within one (1) month of the Government’s issuance of each Task Order.

C. The Government reserves the ability to change material delivery schedules if, for example, the material vendor changes the lot size, quantity of material in each container, or number of containers per lot. Notification of changes in the material delivery schedules will be sent to the Contractor within three (3) business days of notification to the Government Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or Contracting Officer (KO).

D. In some situations, the Government already possesses both physical and legal custody of a material that has already been placed within the Government’s Stockpile and still in need of material sampling and testing. In these situations, the schedule, stipulations, and deadlines outlined in Section A. may be waived by the Government for sampling and verification testing.

E. The Contractor shall be self-sufficient in the performance of their sampling operations at a Government location. When the Contractor’s sampling operations take place at a Government location, the Contractor shall supply all personnel and equipment (including fork trucks, if needed, and fuel), unless otherwise stated in this PWS, to perform their sampling operations. The Government will stage material at the Government location to facilitate the Contractor’s sampling operations. The Government will have, at a minimum, one (1) Government employee available to receive Contractor personnel at the Government location and to escort Contractor personnel to the location where sampling operations shall take place. If constant escort status is not required, the Government employee will continue with their government duties, only performing occasional check-ins with Contractor personnel for safety and security purposes until work is complete.

F. When the Contractor’s sampling operations take place at a material vendor location or a commercial location, the Contractor shall provide all personnel and equipment necessary for the Contractor to perform sampling operations or upstream sampling operations. The Contractor shall collaborate with the material vendor, or commercial entity, and the Government, for scheduling of sampling operations and upstream sampling operations.

The Contractor shall protect and maintain chain of custody and document chain of custody of material samples. The Contractor shall seal containers from which the Contractor collects samples, with tamper-proof Contractor seals.

The Government reserves the right to observe and inspect the Contractor’s compliance with all activities associated with the performance of this PWS.

The Contractor shall be responsible for all costs associated with the performance of this PWS unless explicitly stated otherwise in the PWS.

The Contractor shall perform all activities associated with this PWS within the CONUS. The Contractor shall ensure no Government material or samples of Government material leave the CONUS. The Contractor shall provide, at the Government’s request, proof of applicable and appropriate federal, state, and local permits/licenses to the Government. The Contractor shall submit copies of applicable permits and/licenses with their proposal. The Contractor shall submit copies of the certifications and accreditations with their proposal. The Government will not be responsible or liable for any failure of the Contractor to comply with their certifications, accreditations, licenses, regulatory requirements, and worker health and safety issues arising from the performance of the services in this PWS.

1.4 Scope of Work:

1.4.1 This section contains a summary of the processes the Government expects from the Contractor to perform the services in this PWS. Details of each process and Government requirements for each process are provided in Section 3.

The Contractor shall perform bulk sampling services of material in the Government’s Stockpile, or about to enter the Government’s Stockpile.

The Contractor shall perform physical property verification testing of the Government’s material in accordance with the Government’s Specs and other Government requirements. The Contractor shall perform chemical property verification testing of the Government’s material in accordance with the Government’s Specs and other Government requirements.

1.4.2 The Contractor will be reimbursed for all travel and expenses incurred as a result of services performed in support of tasks within the PWS, unless otherwise stated in this PWS.

1.4.3 The Contractor shall be responsible for providing personnel and equipment necessary for the Contractor to perform the requirements of this PWS.

1.4.4 The Contractor shall be responsible for the proper disposal of all hazardous waste materials generated in the performance of this PWS in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations for waste material handling, storage, and disposal.

1.4.5 The Contractor shall be responsible for complying with all federal, state, and local regulations for the handling, storing, and processing of hazardous materials including licensing, if required.

1.5 Period of Performance (POP):

1.5.1 This contract is planned as an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract (IDIQ). The IDIQ will have a base year Period of Performance (“POP”) of 12 months with two option years, with each option year having a POP of 12 months. The Government will exercise option years at the Government’s discretion. The total length of the IDIQ will not exceed 36 months.

1.5.2 Each Task Order resulting from the IDIQ will have its own POP.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 Integrated Master Plan (“IMP”) & Integrated Master Schedule (“IMS”):

The Contractor shall develop, maintain, and follow a comprehensive IMP and IMS that ensures all activities within this PWS are planned in an order that complies with the PWS requirements and provides effective scheduling for each activity thorough completion of all work associated with this contract. The Contractor shall submit the IMP and IMS to the Contraction Officer (“KO”) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (“COR”) within 14 calendar days of contract award (based on the KO’s signature date). The Contractor shall submit all changes to the IMS and IMP to the KO/COR in writing. The KO will provide approval/disapproval of the IMP and IMS to the Contractor within seven (7) calendar days of receipt. The Contractor shall not implement any changes to the IMP and IMS prior to KO approval.

2.2 Quality Control Plan (“QCP”):

The Contractor shall develop and maintain a thorough and effective QCP to ensure services are performed in accordance with the PWS. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor’s QCP documents how the Contractor self-assures their work complies with the requirements of the contract. The Contractor shall submit the QCP to the KO/COR within 14 calendar days of contract award. The Contractor shall submit all changes to the QCP to the KO/COR in writing. The KO will provide approval/disapproval of changes to the Contractor within seven (7) calendar days of receipt. The Contractor shall not implement any changes to the QCP prior to KO approval.

2.3 Standard Operating Procedure (“SOP”):

The Contractor shall develop and follow a government-approved SOP for performance of each activity within this PWS. The Contractor’s SOP shall include an accident prevention plan, a site-specific hazard analysis (SSHA), an accident hazard analysis (AHA), and the QCP described in Section 2.2. The Contractor shall submit the SOP to the KO/COR within 14 calendar days of contract award. The Contractor shall submit all changes to the SOP and any plans contained therein to the KO/COR in writing. The KO will provide approval/disapproval of the SOP to the Contractor within seven (7) calendar days of receipt. The Contractor shall not implement any changes to the SOP prior to KO approval.

2.4 Quality Assurance:

The Government will evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract.

2.5 Federal Holidays:

The Government will not require the Contractor to provide services on federal holidays unless approved by the KO/COR.

When a federal holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as a legal holiday. When the federal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as the holiday.

2.6 Hours of Operation of Government Depots:

The Contractor shall be responsible for conducting business at the Government sites between the hours of 7:00 am and 4:00 pm local time Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays or when the government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar government-directed facility closures. The government will not reimburse the Contractor when the government facility is closed for the above reasons.

2.7 Place of Performance:

The Contractor shall perform PWS services at the Contractor’s facilities unless otherwise specified in this PWS. All Contractor facilities that will be used in the performance of this contract shall be in the CONUS.

2.8 Environmental and Safety:

The Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Contractor shall comply with DLA Strategic Materials’ Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Management System (ESOHMS) and depot on-site rules (see Attachment A – ESOHMS, HAZMAT, Radiological, Safety) while at government facilities. The DLA Strategic Materials ESOHMS Policy Statement and additional ESOHMS information can be found on the DLA Strategic Materials website at:

http://www.dla.mil/HQ/Acquisition/StrategicMaterials/iamthekey.aspx

2.8.1 Hazardous Materials:

The Contractor shall minimize their use of hazardous materials. The Contractor shall only use hazardous materials if a suitable non-hazardous material alternative does not exist. If required, the Contractor shall handle and dispose of hazardous materials in accordance with what is listed on the container(s) labeling. The Contractor shall provide a copy of the material’s Safety Data Sheet(s) (SDS) to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (“COR”) for all on-site Contractor-furnished material that requires a SDS. Copies of all SDS’s shall be maintained on-site by the designated site safety monitor for quick reference.

2.8.2 Spill Responsibility:

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for all spills or leaks during the performance of this contract that occur because of, or is contributed to, the actions of its agents, employees, or subcontractors. The Contractor shall clean up such spills or leaks to the satisfaction of the Government in a manner that complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The cleanup will be at no cost to the government. The Contractor shall report all such spills or leaks, regardless of their quantity, to the KO/COR immediately upon discovery. The Contractor shall submit a written follow-up report to the KO/COR within 24 hours after the initial report. The Contractor shall write its report in narrative form and include the following:

a. Description of item spilled (including identity, quantity, etc.);

b. Whether amount spilled is EPA/state reportable and if so, whether it http://www.dla.mil/HQ/Acquisition/StrategicMaterials/iamthekey.aspx was reported;

c. Exact time and location of spill including a description of the area involved;

d. Containment procedures initiated;

e. An estimate of the amount Government material lost;

f. Summary of any communications the Contractor has with press or

Government officials other than the KO/COR; and

g. Description of clean-up procedures the Contractor employed or will employ at the site including disposal location of spill residue.

2.8.3 Safety:

The Contractor shall require all employees and subcontractors who work on-site to read and acknowledge Contractor’s understanding of the Hammond/Scotia/Hawthorne Depot ESOHMS Orientation Guide for Contractors and Visitors (see Attachment A – ESOHMS, HAZMAT, Radiological, Safety).

Contractor employees shall sign and date the guide to document their understanding of the guide’s contents. The Contractor shall provide copies of all signed Depot ESOHMS Orientation Guides to the Government, as directed by the COR. All Contractor employees shall comply with the requirements of this guide. The Contractor shall determine the need for and supply all personal protective equipment (“PPE”) required for their employees to perform the services of this PWS with the exception of government-supplied radiation dosimeters at the Scotia Depot, if necessary. At a minimum, the Contractor shall require their employees to wear steel-toed safety shoes and eye and hand protection.

Contractor employees shall be required to comply with the DLA Strategic Materials Occupational Radiation Protection Program (“ORPP”) and wear government supplied radiation dosimeters during work within the designated radioactive material storage area and/or while dealing with radioactive materials at the Scotia Depot, if necessary. The ORPP is provided in Attachment A. The Contractor shall return the government-supplied radiation dosimeters to the Government at the end of each work period; the Contractor shall not remove the government-supplied dosimeters from the Scotia Depot.

2.8.4 Mishap Reporting:

The Contractor shall report, in writing, to the KO/COR all injuries, property damage, equipment damage, or vehicle accidents that occur during performance of this contract within two hours of occurrence. The Contractor shall complete and submit any documentation determined to be appropriate by the KO/COR to document the mishap. Any damage that occurs to Government facilities or equipment that is caused, or is contributed to, by the Contractor or its subcontractors shall be repaired or replaced at the expense of the Contractor to the satisfaction of the COR.

2.9 Certificates of Analysis (COA):

The Contractor shall include the following, at a minimum, in each of their COAs they deliver to the government:

a. Lot number,

b. Weight and number of containers the COA covers,

c. List of the tests performed and/or methodology applied,

d. Numerical results and qualitative results (as applicable),

e. Error ranges/limits for results – optional only if the ranges are specified in the testing standard and/or the Contractor’s technical proposal,

f. Specifications/requirements,

g. Name of the company or name of the laboratory,

h. Date or range of dates each analysis is performed, and

i. Printed name and signature of analyst.

2.10 Physical Security:

The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all Government material in its custody during transportation between the sampling location and the Contractor’s laboratory, and at any time the Government material is in the custody of the Contractor.

The Contractor shall track, document, and maintain chain of custody, especially when the physical location of the Government material changes. The Contractor shall provide documentation demonstrating proof of custody and location of Government material at any time upon Government request.

The Contractor shall develop and maintain a description of their physical security and chain of custody plans for the Government material. The Contractor shall submit a description of their physical security with their technical proposal.

When the Contractor is performing services at a Government site, the Contractor shall abide by all rules and regulations of the Government site.

The Contractor shall be appropriately and adequately insured and bonded for the duration of this contract.

2.11 Post-Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings:

The Contractor shall attend any post award conference or subsequent performance/progress meetings as requested by the KO/COR. At these meetings, the KO will provide feedback on Contractor performance and the Contractor will notify the Government of any issues preventing performance. The Contractor shall take appropriate action to resolve outstanding performance issues. The Government will conduct these meetings remotely and the meetings will be at no additional cost to the Government.

2.12 Key Personnel:

The Contractor shall designate a contract manager who will be responsible for the performance of the PWS requirements. The Contractor shall provide the name and contact information (including best telephone number for contact) for this person and an alternate person to the KO/COR in writing within seven (7) calendar days after contract award. The contract manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all matters relating to this contract. The Contractor shall provide the best telephone numbers of the contract manager and the alternate at which the Government can reach the contract manager or alternate, to the Government upon award.

2.13 Contractor Travel:

The Contractor will be reimbursed for all travel and expenses incurred as a result of services performed in support of tasks within the PWS, unless otherwise stated in this PWS.

2.14 Organizational Conflict of Interest:

Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may not receive, have access to, or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications, or work statements, etc.) or perform services that may create a current or subsequent organizational conflict of interest (“OCI”) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5.

The Contractor shall notify the KO immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the KO to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor’s mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the KO, and in the event the KO unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the KO may affect other remedies as the KO deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements that may be affected by the OCI.

2.15 Monthly Status Reports:

The Contractor shall submit written monthly reports detailing the status of the services to the KO/COR. These reports shall coincide with invoice submission and shall be uploaded as attachments to the invoice in Wide Area Work Flow (“WAWF”).

2.16 Acceptance:

The Government will inspect all deliverables from the Contractor within 30 calendar days of receipt for compliance with all requirements described in this PWS. The KO/COR will notify the Contractor of acceptance or rejection of Contractor’s deliverables. This notification, and not the government’s payment on the services, will represent the acceptance of Contractor’s deliverables.

3. REQUIREMENTS/PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

3.1 Sampling operations at Government locations:

3.1.1 Requirement:

The Contractor shall submit a sampling plan, including particle size analysis if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days from the Government’s issuance of a Call for the service. The Contractor shall cite national or international standards applied to their sampling plan, where appropriate, and/or industry sampling standards. The Contractor’s sampling plan shall include the estimated duration of their sampling operations and estimated sample size, if the Government does not specify sample size in the Task Order. The Government will advise the Contractor of acceptance of their sampling plan within seven (7) calendar days of the Government’s receipt of the sampling plan.

The Contractor shall travel to the government-designated sampling locations.

The Government will reimburse Contractor personnels’ travel expenses, not to exceed $200,000.00 per call, in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulation

(“JTR”):

The Contractor shall be required to travel to the government-designated sampling location for sampling operations. Only CONUS travel by the Contractor is acceptable. The Government will authorize Contractor travel expenses consistent with the substantive provisions of the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) and the limitation of funds specified in this contract. All Contractor travel requires Government approval/authorization and notification to the COR prior to travel.

The Government will supply common infrastructure needs (water, restroom facilities, electricity, parking, garbage disposal areas, etc.) to the Contractor. The Government will stage material in a manner that facilitates sampling operations.

The Contractor shall sample material in accordance with their submitted sampling plan. The Contractor shall open containers in a manner that does not damage the container or the function of the container. The Contractor shall reseal/re-close each container they opened such that the container is returned to its original configuration and function before the Contractor opened the container.

The Contractor shall label each container the Contractor opened, if the material is in containers, with an indelible (i.e. paint stick) “S” followed by the date, or as advised by depot personnel. The Contractor shall ensure their indelible label is large enough for an average person to see at 15 feet without vision enhancements other than corrective eyewear lenses.

The Contractor shall collect a set of four equivalent samples which are correlated to and representative of each lot of material. The Contractor shall leave two samples of the lot’s set of samples with the Government. The Contractor shall maintain chain of custody of the two remaining samples for each lot – one as the Contractor’s analytical sample and one as the Contractor’s reserve sample.

The Contractor shall perform particle size analysis for each lot of material, if required.

The Contractor shall comply with Section 2.8 Environmental and Safety of this PWS during all Contractor operations at the Government depot.

The Contractor shall comply with direction by Government depot personnel that does not compromise the independent nature of the Contractor’s sampling operations. The Government reserves the right to demand the Contractor cease activities at the Government location at any time due to safety, security, or other urgent Government requirements.

If the material described in the Call is in both the physical and legal custody of the Government, the Government will relax scheduling and have more generous deadline requirements, or as otherwise described in the Call.

If the Government does not require the Contractor’s laboratory services, the Contractor shall leave all four samples of each lot’s sample set with the Government.

The Government depots do not permit foreign nationals on-site.

3.1.2 Performance Standard:

The Contractor shall advise the KO/COR of their intent to begin sampling operations at the depot ten (10) calendar days before the Contractor’s requested start date for sampling. The Contractor shall coordinate with the KO/COR for mutually acceptable dates for the sampling to take place. The Contractor shall comply with all rules and regulations while on Government property including the depots’ ESOHMS Orientation Guides, Depot Onsite Rules, and ORPP (Appendix A). The Contractor shall follow all instructions (e.g., designated staging area(s), safety/security instructions, etc.) from depot personnel while on depot property.

The Contractor shall collect four equivalent samples for each lot of material that are representative of each lot of material and distribute the samples as described in Section

3.1.1 of this PWS.

The Contractor shall perform all requirements in Section 3.1.1 of this PWS.

3.1.3 Acceptable Quality Level:

The Contractor shall submit a sampling plan, including particle size analysis if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days from the Government’s issuance of a Task Order. The Contractor shall cite national or international standards applied to their sampling plan, where appropriate, and/or industry sampling standards. The Contractor’s sampling plan shall include the estimated duration of their sampling operations and estimated sample size, if the Government does not specify sample size in the Task Order.

The Contractor shall travel to the government-designated sampling locations.

The Government will reimburse Contractor personnels’ travel expenses, not to exceed $200,000.00 per call, in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulation

(“JTR”).

The Contractor shall sample material in accordance with their submitted sampling plan. The Contractor shall open containers in a manner that does not damage the container or the function of the container. The Contractor shall reseal/re-close each container they opened such that the container is returned to its original configuration and function before the Contractor opened the container.

The Contractor shall label each container the Contractor opened, if the material is in containers, with an indelible (i.e. paint stick) “S” followed by the date, or as advised by depot personnel. The Contractor shall ensure their indelible label is large enough for an average person to see at 15 feet without vision enhancements other than corrective eyewear lenses.

The Contractor shall collect a set of four equivalent samples which are correlated to and representative of each lot of material. The Contractor shall leave two samples of the lot’s set of samples with the Government. The Contractor shall maintain chain of custody of the two remaining samples for each lot – one as the Contractor’s analytical sample and one as the Contractor’s reserve sample.

The Contractor shall perform particle size analysis for each lot of material, if required.

The Contractor shall comply with Section 2.8 Environmental and Safety of this PWS during all Contractor operations at the Government depot.

The Contractor shall comply with direction by Government depot personnel that does not compromise the independent nature of the Contractor’s sampling operations.

If the Government does not require the Contractor’s laboratory services, the Contractor shall leave all four samples of each lot’s sample set with the Government.

The Contractor shall not send personnel who are foreign nationals to the Government depots.

3.2 Sampling operations at material vendor locations or commercial locations:

3.2.1 Requirement:

When the Government requires upstream sampling operations from the Contractor, the Contractor shall collaborate with both the Government and the material vendor in planning upstream sampling operations that are acceptable to the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor. The Contractor’s collaboration efforts may include teleconferences or video conferences with the Government and the material vendor. These conferences are at the Contractor’s expense.

If the Government determines a planning site visit to the material vendor location for a joint sampling planning meeting among the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor is necessary, the Contractor shall attend the joint sampling planning meeting. The Government will reimburse Contractor’s travel expenses, not to exceed $10,000.00 per call, in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulation (“JTR”):

At Government discretion, the Contractor shall be required to travel to the material vendor location for joint sampling planning meeting among the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor. The Government, material vendor, and the Contractor will determine a mutually agreeable schedule for the joint meeting. Only CONUS travel by the Contractor is acceptable. The Government will authorize Contractor travel expenses consistent with the substantive provisions of the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) and the limitation of funds specified in this contract. All Contractor travel requires Government approval/authorization and notification to the COR prior to travel.

The Contractor shall travel to the government-designated sampling locations – material vendor or commercial location. The Government will reimburse Contractor personnels’ travel expenses, not to exceed $200,000.00 per Task Order, in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulation (“JTR”):

The Contractor shall be required to travel to the government-designated sampling location for sampling operations. Only CONUS travel by the Contractor is acceptable. The Government will authorize Contractor travel expenses consistent with the substantive provisions of the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) and the limitation of funds specified in this contract. All Contractor travel requires Government approval/authorization and notification to the COR prior to travel.

In the case where upstream sampling is required, the Contractor shall submit a sampling plan, including in processus particle size testing if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days of the conclusion of the final joint sampling planning meeting. The Government will advise the Contractor of acceptance or rejection of the Contractor’s sampling plan within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the sampling plan.

The Contractor shall agree to an upstream sampling schedule that is acceptable to the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor.

In the case where sampling operations will take place at a commercial location, the Contractor shall submit a sampling plan, including particle size testing if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days of the conclusion of the final joint sampling planning meeting. The Government will advise the Contractor of acceptance or rejection of the Contractor’s sampling plan within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the sampling plan.

The Contractor shall agree to a sampling schedule that is acceptable to the Government.

While the Contractor is performing upstream sampling operations at the material vendor site, or sampling operations at a commercial site, the Contractor shall abide by all areas of Section 2.8 Environmental and Safety of this PWS that are applicable to a non-government location. The Contractor shall also comply with safety and environmental requirements the material vendor or commercial site imposes.

The Contractor shall perform sampling operations at the material vendor site, or the commercial site, in accordance with Contractor’s sampling plan. The Contractor shall collect a set of four (4) equivalent samples that are representative of each lot of material, for each lot of material. The Contractor shall secure, in a tamper-proof manner, the two samples for the Government to a container of material, or to the bulk material, for travel with the material during the material vendor’s shipment of the material to the Government. If the Contractor is performing sampling operations at a commercial site, the Contractor shall ship the two (2) Government samples to the designated Government depot.

The Contractor shall perform in processus particle size analysis for each lot of material, as required. The Contractor shall perform particle size analysis, if required or applicable, depending on particle size analysis technique the Contractor determines appropriate for the particle size analysis, during sampling operations at a commercial location.

The Contractor shall open containers in a manner that does not damage the container or the function of the container. The Contractor shall reseal/re-close each container they opened such that the container is returned to its original configuration and function before the Contractor opened the container. The Contractor shall seal each container of material it opens, the re-closes after sample collection, with a tamper-proof seal. The Contractor shall label each container that was opened for sample collection with an indelible (i.e. paint stick) “S” and the date it was sampled. The Contractor shall ensure the indelible markings are large enough for an average person to see at 15 feet without vision enhancements other than corrective eyewear lenses.

The Contractor shall maintain and document chain of custody of the two remaining representative samples of each lot – one for Contractor analysis and one for Contractor reserve.

If the Government does not require the Contractor’s laboratory services, the Contractor shall deliver or ship all four samples of each lot’s sample set to a designated Government location.

3.2.2 Performance Standard:

The Contractor shall advise the KO/COR of their intent to begin sampling operations at a commercial location or upstream sampling operations at the material vendor location a minimum of ten (10) calendar days before the Contractor’s requested start date for sampling. The Contractor shall coordinate with the KO/COR and the commercial location or material vendor for mutually acceptable dates for the sampling or upstream sampling to take place. The Contractor shall comply with all environmental and safety requirements the commercial location or material vendor imposes. The Contractor shall comply with Section 2.8 Environmental and Safety of this PWS, in areas of that section that are applicable to non-government locations.

The Contractor shall collect four equivalent samples for each lot of material that are representative of each lot of material and distribute the samples as described in Section

3.2.1. The Contractor shall distribute samples in accordance with the requirements in Section 3.2.1.

The Contractor shall perform all requirements in Section 3.2.1.

3.2.3 Acceptable Quality Level:

When the Government requires upstream sampling operations from the Contractor, the Contractor shall collaborate with both the Government and the material vendor in planning upstream sampling operations that are acceptable to the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor.

If the Government determines a planning site visit to the material vendor location for a joint sampling planning meeting among the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor is necessary, the Contractor shall attend the joint sampling planning meeting. The Contractor shall comply with the JTR.

The Contractor shall travel to the government-designated sampling locations – material vendor or commercial location. The Contractor shall comply with the

JTR.

In the case where upstream sampling is required, the Contractor shall submit a sampling plan, including in processus particle size testing if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days of the conclusion of the final joint sampling planning meeting.

The Contractor shall agree to an upstream sampling schedule that is acceptable to the Government, the material vendor, and the Contractor.

In the case where sampling operations will take place at a commercial location, the Contractor shall submit a sampling plan, including particle size testing if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days of the conclusion of the final joint sampling planning meeting.

The Contractor shall agree to a sampling schedule that is acceptable to the Government.

While the Contractor is performing upstream sampling operations at the material vendor site, or sampling operations at a commercial site, the Contractor shall abide by all areas of Section 2.8 Environmental and Safety of this PWS that are applicable to a non-government location. The Contractor shall also comply with safety and environmental requirements the material vendor or commercial site imposes.

The Contractor shall perform sampling operations at the material vendor site, or the commercial site, in accordance with Contractor’s sampling plan. The Contractor shall collect a set of four (4) equivalent samples that are representative of each lot of material, for each lot of material. The Contractor shall secure, in a tamper-proof manner, the two samples for the Government to a container of material, or to the bulk material, for travel with the material during the material vendor’s shipment of the material to the Government. If the Contractor is performing sampling operations at a commercial site, the Contractor shall ship the two (2) Government samples to the designated Government depot.

The Contractor shall perform in processus particle size analysis for each lot of material, as required. The Contractor shall perform particle size analysis, if required or applicable, depending on particle size analysis technique the Contractor determines appropriate for the particle size analysis, during sampling operations at a commercial location.

The Contractor shall open containers in a manner that does not damage the container or the function of the container. The Contractor shall reseal/re-close each container they opened such that the container is returned to its original configuration and function before the Contractor opened the container. The Contractor shall seal each container of material it opens, the re-closes after sample collection, with a tamper-proof seal. The Contractor shall label each container that was opened for sample collection with an indelible (i.e. paint stick) “S” and the date it was sampled. The Contractor shall ensure the indelible markings are large enough for an average person to see at 15 feet without vision enhancements other than corrective eyewear lenses.

The Contractor shall maintain and document chain of custody of the two remaining representative samples of each lot – one for Contractor analysis and one for Contractor reserve.

If the Government does not require the Contractor’s laboratory services, the Contractor shall deliver or ship all four samples of each lot’s sample set to a designated Government location.

3.3 Verification testing/analysis laboratory services

3.3.1 Requirement:

The Contractor shall submit a verification testing plan for chemical properties of the Government’s material, including particle size analysis and other physical property tests, if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days from the Government’s issuance of a Task Order. The Contractor shall include standards and brief descriptions of method for each test in its verification testing plan. The Government will advise the Contractor of acceptance of their verification testing plan within seven (7) calendar days of the Government’s receipt of the verification testing plan.

The Contractor shall perform all verification tests/analyses required for the Government’s material as described in the Task Order for the services. The Contractor shall report the results to the Government in the format described in Section 2.8 COA of this PWS. The Contractor shall submit the COA/Analytical report to the Government, as directed by the KO/COR, via email for each sample it tests. The Contractor’s COA/Analytical report shall be in PDF format and be attached to the email to the Government.

The Contractor shall comply with all certifications and accreditations it possesses and other Quality Assurance requirements for the Contractor’s industry. The Contractor shall comply with their QSP, IMS, IMP, and SOP, described in Sections 2.1 through 2.3 of this PWS.

The Contractor shall deliver COAs to the Government, as directed by the KO/COR, within 21 calendar days from the date the Contractor collects the analytical samples of the material.

3.3.2 Performance Standard:

The Contractor shall test each lot’s sample and deliver COAs for each sample to the Government as described in this PWS and in Section 3.3.1. The Contractor shall deliver the COAs for each sample to the Government within 21 calendar days after the Contractor collects the sample. The Contractor shall comply with all Quality Assurance requirements for their certifications and accreditations.

The Contractor shall comply with the IMS, IMP, SOP, and QSP they submitted to the Government.

3.3.3 Acceptable Quality Level

The Contractor shall submit a verification testing plan for chemical properties of the Government’s material, including particle size analysis and other physical property tests, if required, to the Government within 14 calendar days from the Government’s issuance of a Task Order for the service. The Contractor shall include standards and brief descriptions of method for each test in its verification testing plan.

The Contractor shall perform all verification tests/analyses required for the Government’s material as described in the Task Order for the services. The Contractor shall report the results to the Government in the format described in Section 2.9 COA of this PWS. The Contractor shall submit the COA/Analytical report to the Government, as directed by the KO/COR, via email for each sample it tests. The Contractor’s COA/Analytical report shall be in PDF format and be attached to the email to the Government.

The Contractor shall comply with all certifications and accreditations it possesses and other Quality Assurance requirements for the Contractor’s industry. The Contractor shall comply with their QSP, IMS, IMP, and SOP, described in Sections 2.1 through 2.3 of this PWS.

The Contractor shall deliver COAs to the Government within 21 calendar days from the date the analytical samples of the material are collected by the Contractor.