B08_Solicitation_FINAL218_docx.pdf

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ADDENDA

ADDENDA

140P2126R0005

See Schedule See Schedule

NPS, NCR - Regional Contracting Acquisition Management Division 1100 Ohio Drive SW Contracting Anne Washington DC 20242-0001

LOCAL TIME

04/03/2026 1700 ES Christina Gingras

0000000000

PCR

541620

$19

03/02/2026

0011285390

DELIVER TO:

NPS, NRSS, Air Resources Div.

12795 W. Alameda Parkway

Lakewood CO 80228 US

IMPROVE Network Operations and Filter Analysis

Continued...

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COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

ACCEPTED,

00010

IDIQ - 5-year ordering period

Firm Fixed Price

Questions due: 03/19/2026 by Close of Business Period of Performance: 07/29/2026 to 07/28/2031

IMPROVE Ops & Filter Analysis

Product/Service Code: B502

Product/Service Description: SPECIAL

STUDIES/ANALYSIS- AIR QUALITY

CS: Christina Gingras;

christina_gingras@nps.gov

CO: Joyce Hongell; joyce_hongell@nps.gov

COR: James Miller; james_miller@nps.gov

PART A – CONTINUATION OF SF 1449

Supplemental Information:

1. This procurement is being solicited as unrestricted under NAICS code 541620 “All Other Professional, Scientific, Technical Services” with a size standard of $19M.

2. The price schedule (Blocks 19-24) applicable to this IDIQ is available in Attachment 1 – Pricing Schedule.

3. The Government will award one (1) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract as a result of this solicitation.

4. The minimum contract value for all orders issued against this contract shall not be less than the minimum contract value stated in the following table. The maximum contract value for all orders issued against this contract shall not exceed the maximum quantity and contract value stated in the following table.

MinimumContract Value

Maximum Contract Value

Task Order Minimum/Maximum

$300,000 $30,000,000.00 $10,000.00 / $10,000,000.00

5. Submitted offers shall be valid for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

Scope of Work

1.0 Introduction and Background

1.1 Introduction

The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for the protection and enhancement of air quality related resources in the areas it manages by ensuring compliance with directives, regulations, and applicable requirements of the NPS Organic Act of 1916 and the Clean Air Act. The Organic Act mandates the National Park Service to “...conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." The Clean Air Act affords special air quality protections to certain national parks and wilderness areas, designating them as mandatory Class I federal areas, and assigns to the Federal Land Managers (FLMs) of those areas "the affirmative responsibility to protect the air quality related values (including visibility)" of Class I lands. It also established "as a national goal the prevention of any future, and the remedying of any existing, impairment of visibility in mandatory Class I federal areas which impairment results from manmade air pollution." The Clean Air Act established a detailed program that provides guidance to the NPS in meeting these mandates.

On behalf of the NPS, the Air Resources Division (ARD) has an air quality program to carry out these responsibilities; this involves a wide range of activities, including air quality monitoring and modeling, technical review of Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit applications, coordination with states and other federal agencies, analyses of air quality related values inventories and effects, and special studies focused on source apportionment, ecological impacts and visibility perception.

The National Park Service administers 48 parks and wilderness areas that are designated Class I, the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) administers 21 Class I wilderness areas, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) administers 88 Class I wilderness areas and there is one international park that is Class I. Of these 158 mandatory Class I federal areas, visibility is considered an important attribute in all but two USFS wilderness areas. Visibility-protected Class I areas are to be protected from air pollution impacts on visibility.

The Regional Haze Rule (RHR) establishes the regulatory framework by which the national visibility goal is to be met [United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1999] and requires monitoring representative of the 156 visibility-protected Class I areas. The monitoring guidance, used to support the RHR, specifies particle sampling and analysis of the major aerosol components using methods patterned after those utilized since 1987 by the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) program [Joseph et al., 1987; Malm et al., 1994]. The IMPROVE program is a cooperative measurement effort managed by a Steering Committee that consists of representatives from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the NPS, the USFS, the FWS, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), four organizations representing state air quality organizations (the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, the Western States Air Resources Council, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association), and three Associate Members: the State of Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Environment Canada, and the South Korea Ministry of Environment. The IMPROVE program is designed to establish current visibility and aerosol conditions in mandatory Class I areas; to identify chemical species and emission sources responsible for existing man-made visibility impairment; to document long-term trends for assessing progress toward the national visibility goal; and with the enactment of the RHR, to provide regional haze monitoring representing all visibility-protected federal Class I areas where practical. The IMPROVE program oversees the RHR monitoring efforts.

The National Park Service manages the IMPROVE monitoring efforts on behalf of the Steering Committee. This solicitation is sponsored by the NPS but covers the monitoring efforts for all mandatory Class I federal areas, as well as other monitoring using the IMPROVE monitoring protocols (described further below). The successful offeror of this solicitation will work through the NPS on all contractual related matters; other agencies sponsoring IMPROVE monitors will work through the NPS to access the resources available through this contract.

1.2 Background

IMPROVE was established as a national visibility monitoring program in 1985. The IMPROVE network initially was funded by the NPS and consisted of 30 monitoring sites primarily located in national parks, 20 of which began operation in 1987. IMPROVE network operations were fully implemented in March 1988. Beginning in 1998 the EPA provided supplemental support to IMPROVE to expand the network to provide representative particle speciation monitoring for all 156 visibility-protected Class I areas, as required under the RHR. In a site selection process, which included input from all interested state air quality agencies, the IMPROVE Steering Committee identified locations for 110 monitoring sites that were deemed representative of the regional haze conditions for 155 of the mandatory 156 Class I areas (the Bering Sea Wilderness is the exception). Additional information about the site selection process is available elsewhere [Malm et al., 2000].

In addition to the IMPROVE network sites that are used to represent Class I areas, several IMPROVE protocol sites are currently in operation, mostly in rural locations, that provide expanded spatial coverage in regions outside of Class I areas. Protocol sites are separately sponsored by state, regional, tribal, and federal organizations and use the same instrumentation, monitoring, and analysis protocols as IMPROVE.

The use of identical samplers and analysis protocols by the same Contractor ensures that data generated by IMPROVE and IMPROVE protocol sites can be treated as directly comparable. In total, there are 148 IMPROVE and IMPROVE protocol monitoring sites. Two of these sites (Lake Tahoe Community College and Fort Collins) are not funded as part of this contract and therefore should not be included in the proposal; rather, technical and cost proposals shall be prepared for 146 sites (107 IMPROVE sites and 39 IMPROVE Protocol sites). These sites are listed in Table 1. Of the 146 sites covered under this contract, there are 146 operating samplers. The Phoenix location remains a single monitoring site with one operating sampler (PHOE1); the previously operated second Phoenix sampler/module (PHOE5) has been discontinued. There are also 11 sites with collocated modules used for QA purposes (Table 1). Most sites are located in rural areas; however, to better facilitate intercomparison and integration of IMPROVE data with EPA’s Chemical Speciation Network (CSN), six sites are collocated with CSN sites. Data from all IMPROVE sites are available on the Federal Land Manager Environmental Database (FED;

http://views.cira.colostate.edu/fed/).

http://views.cira.colostate.edu/fed/

Map of IMPROVE and IMPROVE Protocol Sites as of January 2026.

The RHR specifies that IMPROVE aerosol data be used to calculate the metric for tracking progress toward the goal of eliminating man-made visibility impairment for the visibility-protected Class I areas, with the ultimate goal of reaching natural background conditions by 2064. As a result, it is critical that the IMPROVE aerosol monitoring and data processing procedures produce comparable data over a period of many decades so that credible haze trends can be determined.

Table 1. List of IMPROVE Monitors.

Site Name Collocated Module ACAD1 Acadia - AGTI1 Agua Tibia - ATLA1 Atlanta - BADL1 Badlands - BALD1 Mount Baldy - BAND1 Bandelier - BIBE1 Big Bend National Park - BIRM1 Birmingham Alabama - BLIS1 D. L. Bliss State Park -

BOAP1 Bosque del Apache - BOLA1 Boulder Lake - BOND1 Bondville - BOWA1 Boundary Waters - BRCA1 Bryce Canyon - BRID1 Bridger - BRIG1 Brigantine - BRIS1 Breton National Wildlife Refuge -

CABA1 Casco Bay - CABI1 Cabinet Mountains - CACO1 Cape Cod Natl Seashore - CACR1 Caney Creek - CANY1 Canyonlands -

CAPI1 Capitol Reef - CAVE1 Carlsbad Caverns - CEBL1 Cedar Bluff - CHAS1 Chassahowitzka - CHIR1 Chiricahua National Monument - COHU1 Cohutta - CORI1 Columbia River Gorge - CRLA1 Crater Lake - CRMO1 Craters of the Moon - DENA1 Denali - DINO1 Dinosaur National Monument - DOME1 Dome Land - DOSO1 Dolly Sods - EVER1 Everglades C FCPC1 Forest County Potawatomi Community - FLAT1 Flathead - FOPE1 Fort Peck - FRES1 Fresno - FRRE1 Frostburg Reservoir B GICL1 Gila - GLAC1 Glacier - GRBA1 Great Basin - GRCA2 Hance (Grand Canyon) - GRGU1 Great Gulf - GRRI1 Great River Bluffs - GRSA1 Great Sand Dunes - GRSM1 Great Smoky Mountains - GUMO1 Guadalupe Mountains - HACR1 Haleakala Crater - HAVO1 Hawaii Volcanoes - HECA1 Hells Canyon - HEGL1 Hercules-Glades C HOOV1 Hoover - IKBA1 Ike's Backbone - ISLE1 Isle Royale - JARB1 Jarbidge - JARI1 James River - JOSH1 Joshua Tree -

KALM1 Kalmiopsis - KPBO1 Kenai Peninsula Borough - LABE1 Lava Beds - LAVO1 Lassen Volcanic - LIGO1 Linville Gorge - LOND1 Londonderry - LOST1 Lostwood - LYEB1 Lye Brook - MACA1 Mammoth Cave B MAKA2 Makah Indian Reservation - MAPA1 MacDonald Pass - MAVI1 Martha's Vineyard -

MELA1 Medicine Lake C MEVE1 Mesa Verde A MING1 Mingo - MOHO1 Mount Hood - MOMO1 Mohawk Mountain - MONT1 Monture - MOOS1 Moosehorn - MORA1 Mount Rainier - MOZI1 Mount Zirkel - NEBR1 Nebraska National Forest - NOAB1 North Absaroka - NOCA1 North Cascades - NOCH1 Northern Cheyenne - NOGA1 Nogales - OKEF1 Okefenokee - OLYM1 Olympic - ORPI1 Organ Pipe -

OWVL1 Owens Valley - PACK1 Pack Monadnock Summit - PASA1 Pasayten - PEFO1 Petrified Forest National Park - PENO1 Penobscot - PHOE1 Phoenix - PINN1 Pinnacles - PITT1 Pittsburgh -

PMRF1 Proctor Maple Research Facility A PORE1 Point Reyes National Seashore - PRIS1 Presque Isle - PUSO1 Puget Sound - QUCI1 Quaker City -

REDW1 Redwood - ROMA1 Cape Romain - ROMO1 Rocky Mountain - SACR1 Salt Creek Wilderness - SAGO1 San Gorgonio - SAGU1 Saguaro - SAMA1 St. Marks A SAPE1 San Pedro Parks - SAWE1 Saguaro West - SAWT1 Sawtooth National Forest - SENE1 Seney - SEQU1 Sequoia National Park - SHEN1 Shenandoah - SHMI1 Shamrock Mine - SHRO1 Shining Rock - SIME1 Simeonof - SIPS1 Sipsey -

SNPA1 Snoqualamie Pass - SOGP1 Southern Great Plains - STAR1 Starkey -

STIL1 Stilwell - SULA1 Sula - SWAN1 Swanquarter D SYCA2 Sycamore Canyon - TALL1 Tallgrass - THRO1 Theodore Roosevelt - THSI1 Three Sisters - TONT1 Tonto National Forest - TRCR1 Trapper Creek-Denali - TRIN1 Trinity National Forest - ULBE1 UL Bend - UPBU1 Upper Buffalo - VIIS1 Virgin Islands -

VOYA2 Voyageurs - WEMI1 Weminuche - WHIT1 White Mountain - WHPA1 White Pass - WHPE1 Wheeler Peak - WHRI1 White River - WICA1 Wind Cave D WIMO1 Wichita Mountain - YELL2 Yellowstone Lake Maintenance Building - YOSE1 Yosemite A ZICA1 Zion Canyon -

To collect samples for the speciated particle measurements, the NPS employs a 4-channel (labeled A, B, C, and D) IMPROVE particle sampling system. A description of the current IMPROVE sampler and standard operating procedures can be found on the IMPROVE website (http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/). The PM2.5 (particles <2.5 m in diameter) samplers operate with a nominal flow rate of 22.8 liters/minute (LPM), while the PM10 sampler (particles <10 m in diameter) runs at 16.9 LPM. Both collect samples for a 24-hour time interval, midnight to midnight local time, every third day. Channel A (PM2.5), operated with Teflon filters, is used for determining fine mass, elemental composition, and optical absorption. Elements to be determined from the analysis are given in Table 2, along with measurement detection limits and precision. Channel B (PM2.5) is operated with a nitric acid denuder and a nylon filter. The nylon filter is analyzed for the anions nitrate, nitrite, sulfate and chloride. Channel C (PM2.5), operated using pre-fired quartz filters, is used to determine elemental and organic carbon using the thermal/optical reflectance technique. A complete description of this technique is available in Chow et al. (1993; 2007; 2015). Channel D is operated with a Teflon substrate and PM10 inlet.

The PM10 filters are analyzed for total mass. Laboratory blanks are also utilized for each of the channels, and field blanks are employed to better assess detection limits and potential contaminants in the samples. For further details on all measurements and analysis, see the IMPROVE website, and the pages describing standard operating procedures contained therein (http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/sops/).

http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/sops/

2.0 Objective/Purpose

The purpose of this contract is to (1) assist NPS in operating, maintaining and reconfiguring (where required) the IMPROVE particle monitoring network, which consists of 107 IMPROVE sites and 39 IMPROVE protocol sites; (2) analyze all exposed fine (PM2.5) and total (PM10) Teflon filters for mass concentrations; and (3) analyze PM2.5 Teflon filters for elemental concentrations of select elements (Table 2) and optical absorption; (4) coordinate analysis of nylon and quartz filters for ion and carbonaceous material, respectively0F

1; (5) establish and conduct an internal quality assurance program;

(6) participate in laboratory and field audits; and (7) provide a final, integrated dataset (including ion and carbon data, as well as associated metadata).

The contractor is expected to employ established protocols in operating the IMPROVE network. See the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the monitoring program at the IMPROVE website (http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/particulate-monitoring-network/). As new methods are developed and enhanced quality control measures are defined, through activities funded separately from this contract, the Contractor shall incorporate these new methods into the IMPROVE routine operations through the modification of SOPs, as directed by the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). At the direction of the COR, the Contractor also will ensure that all pertinent information (e.g., data, metadata, laboratory and field logs, etc.) developed by the Contractor for routine operations are available to other organizations as needed for their activities.

1 The two Contractors for ion and carbonaceous materials are currently Research Triangle Institute (Research Triangle Park, NC) and Desert Research Institute (Reno, Nevada), respectively.

3.0 Scope of Work

3.1 Network Operations and Filter Analysis

The period of performance for the IDIQ includes five 1-year ordering periods with an option for an additional six months.

The Contractor shall assist NPS in operating and maintaining the IMPROVE particle monitoring network, as described in detail in Section 3.3 below. This task includes, but is not limited to: training agency personnel to support routine site operations; communicating with site personnel; coordinating shipments of all IMPROVE filters; providing routine preventative service of instruments; maintaining equipment;

purchasing Teflon and nylon filters; coordinating analysis of selected filters for ion and carbonaceous material with the appropriate contractors1; conducting a rigorous quality assurance program; participating in laboratory and field audits; storing Teflon filters for the duration of the contract; reducing the IMPROVE data and submitting to the appropriate databases; maintaining current documentation for the network; participating in the IMPROVE Steering Committee Meeting; and archiving all IMPROVE data for the duration of the contract.

As described in detail in Section 3.4, the Contractor also shall analyze all fine (PM2.5) and total (PM10) Teflon filters for mass concentrations, analyze all fine Teflon filters for elemental concentrations of the species listed in Table 2, and conduct optical absorption on the Teflon filters. For the one-in-three day sampling of the IMPROVE Network, and accounting for QA modules and additional QA filters, approximately 19,000 filters shall be analyzed annually for each of these analyses.

3.1.1 Base Configuration and Option Scenarios

Base Configuration (default). The Base Configuration for this contract is operation of the current IMPROVE network of 146 sites (146 samplers) with one-in-three day sampling and associated filter procurement, shipping, analysis, QA, data reduction, and reporting as described in Sections 3.3 and 3.4.

http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/particulate-monitoring-network/

Option Scenarios (configuration alternates). For proposal pricing purposes, Offerors shall provide separate pricing for the Base Configuration and for each Option Scenario described below. Option Scenarios are alternate configurations of the same work (not additional tasks). If the Government elects an Option Scenario, the Contractor shall perform the requirements of the Base Configuration except as modified by the elected Option Scenario.

Option Scenario A – Reduced Sampling Frequency at 30 Sites

(a) At 30 sites designated by the COR, the routine sampling schedule shall be reduced from once every three days to once every six days.

(b) The Contractor shall adjust filter procurement, shipments, laboratory analysis volumes, data reduction, and database submissions accordingly.

(c) For proposal pricing purposes, Offerors shall assume annual analysis volumes of approximately 17,500 filters each for Task 9a (PM2.5 gravimetric), Task 9b (PM10 gravimetric analysis), Task 10 (elemental analysis), and Task 11 (optical absorption).

Option Scenario B – Reduced Network by 10 Sites and Elimination of PM10.

(a) The Contractor shall operate the IMPROVE network at 136 sites (136 samplers). The COR will designate the 10 sites to be removed from routine operations from the site list in Table 1 by written direction.

(b) PM10 sampling and analysis are eliminated. The Contractor shall not procure PM10 (Channel D) filters and shall not perform Task 9b (PM10 gravimetric analysis).

(c) For proposal pricing purposes, Offerors shall assume annual analysis volumes of approximately 18,000 filters each for Task 9a (PM2.5 gravimetric), Task 10 (elemental analysis), and Task 11 (optical absorption).

3.2 Deliverables

Quality assurance report: a summary report on quality control data shall be provided to the COR twice per year. One of these reports shall be in the form of a presentation at the IMPROVE Steering Committee Meeting and one shall be a written report.

Database and transfers: data from the network should be maintained in a database. ASCII files of valid data should be transferred to the IMPROVE/FED and the EPA AQS databases, or other database as directed by the COR, on a quarterly basis.

System configuration: a description of the network, including all site locations, shall be submitted to the COR upon request.

Analysis software: code associated with data editing and reduction shall be submitted to the COR upon request.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Current SOPs for Network Operations and Analysis shall be maintained and updated on the IMPROVE website.

3.3 Network Operations

The current network of 146 sites (146 samplers) is the default configuration (Base Configuration;

see Section 3.1.1). In addition to the standard samplers, several sites have collocated quality assurance (QA) modules which are used to better assess data quality (Table 1). These QA modules, which replicate the measurements of the IMPROVE samplers, are to be run in a manner identical to that of the IMPROVE samplers.

Task 1. Coordinate operations of all IMPROVE and IMPROVE Protocol particle samplers and QA modules The Contractor shall oversee and carry out all activities needed to ensure the effective collection of samples using the IMPROVE particle samplers and QA modules. Each site’s host agency is generally responsible for:

• Providing a shelter or stand for the IMPROVE sampler, which includes providing necessary power (two 20-Amp circuits) for the IMPROVE samplers;

• Maintaining the IMPROVE shelter in working condition, as outlined in the IMPROVE Standard Operating Procedures 126 (http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/particulate-monitoring-network/);

• Providing a site operator to conduct routine operation of the IMPROVE sampler, which consists of changing IMPROVE filters once per week (typically Tuesdays) and shipping the exposed filters to the IMPROVE Operations Contractor (at the expense of the IMPROVE Operations Contractor);

• Providing a site operator who will serve as a point of contact for the IMPROVE Operations Contractor and network auditors; and

• Basic troubleshooting of the samplers, as needed, with support from the IMPROVE Operations Contractor.

The Contractor's responsibilities shall include:

• Train agency personnel to support routine site operations;

• Provide internet connections at all sites to allow for communication with IMPROVE controllers;

• Communicate with site personnel, send clean filter media for all IMPROVE sampler channels, and receive exposed filter media for PM10 and fine mass, elemental, ion, and carbon concentrations, air flow information and other relevant observations. The Contractor is responsible for all shipping costs to/from the field sites;

• Provide routine preventative service of instruments on a schedule of once every two years at all monitoring sites. This includes field site visits to conduct internal quality assurance audits. Air flow checks shall be performed by at least two independent techniques.

Maintenance procedures are listed in the aforementioned SOPs;

• Provide technical support to site operators, as needed;

• Maintain procedures (e.g., timely repair of equipment, NPS notification of site operator problems, etc.) to help ensure that the Regional Haze Rule data completeness criteria are met for all monitoring sites (see page 2-8 of Tracking Progress Under the Regional Haze Rule: Guidance Document, http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RHRTrackingProgress.pdf); and

• Provide a Safety Plan for Contractor personnel visiting the sites for calibration and maintenance. The Contractor shall also provide guidance on safety for agency personnel responsible for routine operation of the instruments during training. A brief (<2 pages) summary of the Safety Plan, which encompasses both of these activities, should be included in the proposal.

Task 2. Purchase of Filters The contractor is responsible for purchasing the Teflon and nylon filters. The contractor is also responsible for acceptance testing of Teflon filters and coordination with the Ion Analysis Contractor for acceptance testing of nylon filters. The pre-fired quartz filters are received from the carbonaceous aerosol Contractor. The Contractor will purchase a sufficient number of filters for filter acceptance testing, network-wide sample collection, laboratory blanks, field blanks, and all other quality assurance methods. For the current network configuration, for one year of network operation, including filters to be used for QA, this equates to approximately 20,000 filters each for Channels A, B, and D. In the cost proposal, the Offeror shall specify annual filter costs for each module (A, B, and D). For proposal pricing purposes, Offerors shall provide separate annual filter http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/particulate-monitoring-network/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/particulate-monitoring-network/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/particulate-monitoring-network/ http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RHRTrackingProgress.pdf http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RHRTrackingProgress.pdf http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/RHRTrackingProgress.pdf cost pricing for the Base Configuration and for each Option Scenario described in Section 3.1.1, consistent with the filter volume assumptions stated for each Option Scenario.

Task 3. Coordination of Filters for Ion and Carbon Analysis The contractor shall be responsible for procuring the Teflon filters (Task. 2) for Channels A and D, loading them into the filter cassettes for shipment to the field, receiving the sampled filters from the field, and carrying out the associated analysis (see 3.4). Determination of ion and carbon mass are carried out under separate contracts. The contractor shall also purchase the nylon filters (Task. 2), load them into the filter cassettes for shipment to the field, receive the sampled filters from the field, and ship the sampled filters to the Ion Contractor for analysis on at least a monthly basis. Upon receiving blank, pre-fired quartz filters from the Carbon Contractor, The Contractor also shall prepare filter cassettes with quartz filters for shipment to the field, ship filter cassettes to the field, receive the sampled filters from the field, and ship the sampled filters to the Carbon Contractor for analysis on at least a monthly basis. In addition to the filters used for sampling, field blanks shall be shipped to and from the field for analysis for all channels (module A: ~40 per month; module B: ~40 per month; module C: ~30 per month; module D: ~20 per month). Shipping costs for all steps, except shipment of the new quartz filters from the Carbon Contractor, are paid by the contractor. For the quartz filters, the Contractor shall store exposed filters under refrigeration and ship the exposed filters using temperature controlled (cooled) shipping containers to the Carbon Contractor for analysis after receipt from the field on at least a monthly basis.

Task 4. Filter Storage All samples from Teflon filters are to be stored for the length of the contract. All samples shall be stored and archived in a way that will not allow contamination of filter media at detectable levels.

Detectable levels are defined to be consistent with the sensitivity of the proposed analytical technique. The COR may direct the Contractor to conduct additional analysis, or to make the stored filters available to another laboratory to conduct additional analysis. At the end of the contract the Contractor will work with the COR to transfer the filters to an alternate archive. No filters are to be discarded without written approval from the COR.

Task 5. Quality Assurance The Contractor shall follow, and develop where appropriate, strict quality assurance protocols, which are consistent with the Quality Assurance Project Plan for IMPROVE (https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP- Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf). At a minimum, the Contractor shall:

• Follow the established objective criteria, and where not available develop objective criteria, to be applied to all quality control measures and routine data;

• Systematically catalog and track all samples;

• Note any abnormalities observed by the operator and correct problems if any are present;

• Carry out acceptance testing for filter characteristics and analytic suitability, especially trace contamination;

• Validate the results of gravimetric, elemental and optical absorption analysis via formal third- party protocols and routine reanalysis of previous samples;

• Carry out precision and bias analyses on collected samples;

• Document all routine procedures and changes to the procedures; and

• Provide a summary report on quality control data twice per year to the COR and QA Manager at EPA, which will be made publicly available on the IMPROVE website. An example of a QA report can be found at: https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMPROVE_QAReport_Sample_Year_2021.pdf

Laboratory and Field Audits The Contractor shall participate in laboratory and field audits on sample collection and all https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP-Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP-Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IMPROVE-QAPP-Signed_3_2016_updated.pdf https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMPROVE_QAReport_Sample_Year_2021.pdf https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMPROVE_QAReport_Sample_Year_2021.pdf https://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMPROVE_QAReport_Sample_Year_2021.pdf analytical techniques (gravimetric, elemental, and optical absorption), such as the annual audits conducted by the EPA’s quality assurance laboratory.

In addition, an independent IMPROVE auditor (funded separately from this contract) will provide results from technical systems audits for approximately 20 sites per year. The IMPROVE Operations Contractor shall work with the IMPROVE auditor, the COR, the site operators and the appropriate FLM to address problems identified during the audits.

Task 6. Data Reduction and Database Management The Contractor shall be responsible for data reduction and analysis, which includes:

• Reduce all available gravimetric, elemental, ion and carbonaceous mass data to ng/m3 corrected for sample volume, artifacts, and other pertinent factors;

• Submit the data to the NPS FED and EPA AQS databases on a quarterly basis; data should be submitted within 6 months of filter collection;

• Archive all IMPROVE data for the duration of the contract;

• Provide metadata associated with all field, laboratory and data processing procedures;

all metadata necessary to properly interpret the delivered routine data must accompany the measurement data, including those by the Ion and Carbon Analysis Contractors;

• Maintain the total temporal record for all species at all monitoring sites past and present and relevant metadata, including chain of custody for filters, analysis spectra and flow rate data;

and

• Provide data flags for all measurements, with descriptions of potential problems where appropriate.

Task 7. Network Documentation The Contractor shall maintain up-to-date documentation of:

• System configuration of the monitoring network;

• Analysis software and code utilized in data editing and reduction;

• Database software for archiving data;

• Detailed inventory of all government owned property associated with the IMPROVE program that includes the locations, serial numbers and conditions of all samplers and other government owned property;

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all IMPROVE field, laboratory and data processing tasks; and

• Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). The contractor shall contribute to the IMPROVE QAPP as it is updated, as required by the U.S. EPA for all EPA monitoring programs.

All documentation must be made available upon request from the COR. The Contractor shall obtain written approval from the COR before any changes to the system configuration occurs.

Task 8. Steering Committee Meetings

The Contractor shall attend and provide technical and scientific progress reports at IMPROVE Steering Committee Meetings, held annually. For pricing purposes, Offerors shall provide costs for both in-person and virtual attendance. In-person attendance shall assume a two-day meeting located at Mount Rainier National Park, with travel, lodging, per diem, and related expenses included in the proposed cost. Virtual attendance shall assume a two-day full-day videoconference, with all technical presentations, reporting, and deliverables identical in scope and quality to those required for an in-person meeting. The Government may select either option in any given year at its discretion.

3.4 Filter Analysis

Task 9. Gravimetric Analysis The Contractor shall perform:

Task 9a. Gravimetric analysis on the Teflon filters for the PM2.5 samples.

Task 9b. Gravimetric analysis on the Teflon filters for the M10samples.

Note: Under Option Scenario B (Section 3.1.1), Task 9b is not required and shall not be performed (PM10 filters are not procured and PM10 gravimetric analysis is not conducted).

The desired minimum detectable limit for sample mass deposited on both the PM2.5 and PM10 filters is 10 µg or less. The anticipated upper limit for aerosol mass on the filters is 10,000 µg; this equates to ambient concentrations of ~400 µg m-3, sampled for 24 hours from the total (PM10) aerosol module. All gravimetric measurements shall be made in a temperature and relative humidity (RH) controlled environment. A mean temperature between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius and a mean RH between 30% and 40% should be maintained; temperature and RH shall be monitored to ensure a stable measurement environment. The Contractor's responsibilities shall include:

• Pre-weigh Teflon filters prior to sending to sites; including field blanks;

• Post-weigh Teflon filters upon receipt, including field blanks, and determine gravimetric mass from PM2.5 and PM10 Teflon filters to a precision of ± 3µg;

• Perform routine measurements of laboratory blanks to assess short-term (<1 day) and long- term stability and performance of the instruments;

• Perform routine measurements using one or more certified calibration standards;

• Perform sufficient replicate weight analysis to determine measurement precision;

• Report metadata related to the laboratory procedures and equipment.

Task 10. Elemental Analysis

The Contractor shall perform non-destructive elemental analysis of filters by any of several equivalent techniques. Elemental mass shall be reported for fine mode Teflon filter samples for all of the elements listed in Table 2. Special consideration will be given to sensitivity levels of the following elements: Na, Mg, Al, Si, Cl, K, Ca, V, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Pb. In addition to reporting elemental mass for each species, the Contractor shall:

• Characterize the sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the analytical technique;

• Perform replicate analyses on the network filters at a rate sufficient to establish measurement precision;

• Routinely analyze laboratory and field blanks;

• Document any changes to the analytical techniques or equipment;

• Apply and document matrix corrections for all particle size and loading effects; and

• Archive and make available all metadata associated with the laboratory, field and data processing procedures needed to properly interpret and understand the quality of the delivered analytical data.

The method currently used to determine elemental composition is X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF).

Other, equivalent techniques may also be proposed. Technical proposals should address the suitability of the proposed analytical approach to determine masses for all elements listed in Table 2.

Sensitivities also shall be indicated for each of the elements in Table 2. Quantitative and operational definitions shall be provided for the following quantities: accuracy, precision, and minimum detectable limit.

Because a primary goal of the IMPROVE network is to generate data that are suitable for long-term trends assessment, a proposal utilizing techniques other than XRF must address the issue of equivalence of data that would be generated by the proposed analytical systems to the data from the current analytical systems. NPS may require a demonstration of equivalence (i.e., results agreeing within specified uncertainties) on up to 50 IMPROVE network filter samples (reimbursed by NPS at posted commercial rates). The current analytical system’s precision and minimum detection limits (MDL) are given in Table 2. In the table, the analytical MDL is based on three times the standard deviation of 100 analyses of a single field blank filter. The analytical precision estimates are based on the root mean square sum of the standard deviations from 10 analyses of 18 different samples. Of the 18 samples used for the precision estimates, 16 were PM2.5 samples from the IMPROVE network and 2 were multi-element calibration reference filters. For each sample, an element was only included in the precision estimate if the mean loading on the sample was greater than three times the detection limit, except for Zr, where the criterion was lowered to greater than the detection limit due to very low sampled masses.

Table 2. Detection limits and precision for elements to be analyzed based on the current IMPROVE analytical method of XRF. Precision is based on sample loadings >3 × MDL, except for Zr, which is only >MDL.

Element (Symbol) Atomic

Number Minimum Detection Limit

(μg/cm2) Re-analysis Precision

Sodium (Na) 11 0.04 5% Magnesium (Mg) 12 0.05 16% Aluminum (Al) 13 0.02 3% Silicon (Si) 14 0.008 2% Phosphorous (P) 15 0.002 21% Sulfur (S) 16 0.0006 2% Chlorine (Cl) 17 0.002 14% Potassium (K) 19 0.001 1% Calcium (Ca) 20 0.003 3% Titanium (Ti) 22 0.002 6% Vanadium (V) 23 0.001 13% Chromium (Cr) 24 0.002 12% Manganese (Mn) 25 0.004 8% Iron (Fe) 26 0.001 2% Nickel (Ni) 28 0.001 12% Copper (Cu) 29 0.002 10% Zinc (Zn) 30 0.002 5% Arsenic (As) 33 0.002 3% Selenium (Se) 34 0.003 8% Bromine (Br) 35 0.002 15% Rubidium (Rb) 37 0.004 8% Strontium (Sr) 38 0.003 15% Zirconium (Zr) 40 0.02 12% Lead (Pb) 82 0.008 24%

Task 11. Optical Absorption Measurements

The Contractor shall perform optical absorption measurements on the PM2.5 Teflon filters. The current method to determine optical absorption is the Hybrid Integrating Plate/Sphere (HIPS; White et al., 2016). Other, equivalent techniques may also be proposed. If an alternate technique is proposed, the proposal must address the issue of equivalence of data that would be generated by the proposed analytical systems to the data from HIPS.

The Contractor's responsibilities shall include calculation of absorption coefficients of the collected samples. For the current system, the minimum detectable limit is 0.34 x 10-6 m-1 and the precision of the measurement is 0.15 x 10-6 m-1. MDL and precision estimates should be included for all proposed systems.

3.5 Network Modifications and Support

The IMPROVE network occasionally requires changes to accommodate new monitoring needs, address site or equipment issues, or provide additional operational support. These tasks describe activities that may be performed on an as-needed basis during the period of performance to expand, repair, decommission, or supplement the network. While not part of the routine operation or analysis tasks, they ensure the Program can adapt to logistical challenges and evolving monitoring requirements.

Task 12. Establishment of New Monitoring Site The Contractor may be asked to install an IMPROVE sampler at a new site. The Contractor must consider siting criteria and SOPs for IMPROVE, as described on the IMPROVE webpage (http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/sops/), and will be responsible for the following tasks for each additional site identified by the COR:

• Assist in selection of appropriate monitoring sites;

• Purchase, if necessary, and install necessary sampling structure for instrument installation;

• Purchase, if necessary, and install monitoring instruments and maintain them in operable condition; and

• Train agency personnel responsible for routine operation of instruments;

Spare IMPROVE samplers are available in the contract-maintained inventory which can be used for new sites. The Contractor will inform the COR when the number of spare samplers is below the number deemed sufficient to maintain the network so that additional samplers may be procured.

For the purposes of the cost proposal, assume three (3) new monitoring sites will be installed each year of the contract, not including the option period, for a total of fifteen (15) new monitoring sites during the five (5) year period of performance. Assume the monitoring shelter, including all electrical and communication connections needed for the IMPROVE sampler, will be provided by the host park. Also assume that all hardware will be provided by the IMPROVE Program and do not include travel costs; i.e. only include labor costs.

Task 13. Repair or Replacement of site due to malfunction, safety concerns or loss.

The Contractor may be asked to repair or replace an IMPROVE sampler which has been damaged or destroyed. The Contractor must consider SOPs for IMPROVE, as described on the IMPROVE webpage (http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/Improve/sops/), and would be responsible for the following tasks for each site identified by the COR:

• When practical, repair components of damaged IMPROVE samplers and/or sampling structures;

• As necessary, purchase and install necessary sampling structure for instrument installation; and

• As necessary, purchase and install monitoring instruments and maintain them in operable condition.

For the purposes of the cost proposal, assume three (3) sites are in need of repair each year of the contract, not including the option period, for a total of fifteen (15) sites during the five (5) year period of performance. Assume all components of the sampling systems need to be replaced.

Assume that all hardware will be provided by the IMPROVE Program and do not include travel costs; i.e. only include labor costs.

Task 14. Decommissioning Current Monitoring Stations

The Contractor may be asked to decommission one or more sites, as directed by the COR. The Contractor would be responsible for the following tasks at any site that is designated by the COR to be decommissioned:

• Arrange for a final calibration and document the condition of the site and equipment;

• Arrange for the removal of the IMPROVE sampling equipment, to be maintained as spare equipment or parts for possible use elsewhere;

• Arrange for the removal of site documentation (field logs); and

• As necessary, arrange for the removal of the site sampling structure.

For the purposes of the cost proposal, assume three (3) sites will be decommissioned each year of the contract, not including the option period, for a total of fifteen (15) sites during the five (5) year period of performance. Do not include travel or shipping costs; i.e. only include labor costs.

Task 15. Purchase samplers, instrumentation, associated equipment, spare parts.

The Contractor may be asked to purchase or develop samplers, instrumentation or associated equipment/parts. Efficient operation of the network requires that an adequate supply of backup modules and all associated equipment be kept on hand. The Contractor shall inform the COR about the need for purchase of equipment and supplies that fall outside of the base Network Operations and Filter Analysis contract.

For the purposes of the cost proposal, assume that all components needed for two (2) IMPROVE samplers (all IMPROVE sampling modules and the control module) must be purchased and assembled each year of the contract, not including the option period, for a total of ten (10) samplers during the five (5) year period of performance. Include both hardware costs and labor for assembly.

Task 16. Site operators.

Most sites are operated and maintained by state and federal agency personnel. Some sites may not have that provision. In such situations the COR may task the Contractor to obtain the services of an on-site operator.

For the purposes of the cost proposal, assume a site operator is needed for five (5) IMPROVE sites each year of the contract, including the option period. Provide costs to pay and manage the site operator.

4.0 Government Owned Property

All particle samplers are government-owned property. In total, there are 175 IMPROVE samplers.

This total includes all samplers that are in the field, samplers that are used for testing, and spare samplers used for replacements when repairs are needed.

REFERENCES

Chow, J. C., J. G. Watson, L. C. Pritchett, W. R. Pierson, C. A. Frazier, and R. G. Purcell, 1993. The DRI thermal/optical reflectance carbon analysis system: description, evaluation, and applications in U.S. air quality studies, Atmospheric Environment, 27(N8): 1185-1201, June 1993.

Chow, J.C., Watson, J.G., Chen, L.W.A., Chang, M.C.O., Robinson, N.F., Trimble, D., Kohl, S., 2007.

The IMPROVE-A temperature protocol for thermal/optical carbon analysis: maintaining consistency with a long-term database. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 57, 1014-1023.

Chow, J.C., Wang, X.L., Sumlin, B.J., Gronstal, S.B., Chen, L.W.A., Trimble, D.L., Kohl, S.D., Mayorga, S.R., Riggio, G., Hurbain, P.R., Johnson, M., Zimmermann, R., Watson, J.G., 2015. Optical Calibration and Equivalence of a Multiwavelength Thermal/Optical Carbon Analyzer. Aerosol and Air Quality Research 15, 1145-1159.

United States Environmental Protection Agency,…