SOW_FY13.docx

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program consists of two projects that are administered by the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) along the Texas-Mexico border. The two projects are located in Texas:

a. USIBWC Clean Rivers Program. In 1998, the USIBWC contracted with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to administer the Texas Clean Rivers Program (CRP) for the Rio Grande Basin (Rio Grande Surface Water Quality Program). Through the CRP, USIBWC collects water quality samples on the mainstem of the Rio Grande and in U.S. tributaries such as Manadas Creek, the Pecos and Devils Rivers. USIBWC field offices in Presidio, Amistad Dam (Del Rio), Falcon Dam, and Mercedes, Texas, participate in the sampling program. Water samples are also collected by CRP partners such as universities, municipalities, state and federal agencies, and organizations located in El Paso, Big Bend State and National Parks, Del Rio, Laredo, and Brownsville, and potentially other sites in Texas. The data generated is used by the CRP and TCEQ to assess water quality in the Rio Grande and will also be published in the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico (IBWC) Water Bulletin Series for the Rio Grande. The list of laboratory methods and parameters for this program is at the Schedule of Supplies/Services. The schedule for this program is at Attachment 1A.

b. USIBWC and Safety of Dams. An on-going Rio Grande Surface Water Quality Program involves the collection of grab samples at various stations Rio Grande Basin by the USIBWC field offices or the USIBWC Environmental Management Division (EMD). The data is used to assess water quality and is published in the IBWC Rio Grande Water Bulletin. The USIBWC EMD may have a need for non-routine water or soil analysis under this contract. Another USIBWC water quality program is the Safety of Dams (SOD) Program, which takes place at Amistad and Falcon International Dams and Reservoirs. Water quality is measured in the reservoirs and below the dams to identify minute changes that could indicate seepage of water through the dams. The list of laboratory methods and parameters for this program is at Schedule of Supplies/Services. The schedule for the SOD program is at Attachment 1B.

The data quality objectives and criteria for analysis of data, sampling methods requirements, and laboratory parameters for these programs are listed in the Texas Clean Rivers Program, Rio Grande Basin Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan (RGBMP QAPP) (Attachment 2). Laboratories must meet ambient water reporting limits (AWRL), as specified in Table A7 of the RGBMP QAPP. (Note: the laboratory’s Limit of Quantitation (LOQ), sometimes referred to as the minimum quantitation limit (MQL), must be at or below the AWRL.) AWRLs not listed in Table A7 are available on the TCEQ website at http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/compliance/monops/crp/QA/awrlmaster.pdf. USIBWC CRP may choose to add parameters not listed in Table A7 if the lab has accreditation and can meet the AWRL for that parameter.

TCEQ Clean Rivers Program has developed additional quality assurance criteria for laboratories analyzing data under the Clean Rivers Program. These Specific CRP Laboratory Requirements are documented in Attachment 3.

All field work and sample collection will be conducted by USIBWC personnel or USIBWC CRP sampling partners.

This contract will not include the laboratory services for samples collected under separate contracts or cooperative agreements with federal and state agencies.

C.2 LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS

a. Under the Texas Clean Rivers Program and the Rio Grande Surface Water Quality and Safety of Dams Program, the Contractor must meet the program requirements listed in the RGBMP QAPP (Attachment 2) to conduct water and sediment laboratory analyses for monitoring purposes as well as any parameters listed in the request for proposal that are not listed in the QAPP. Laboratory quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) (standards, duplicates, spikes, blanks, matrix spikes, and matrix spike duplicates) reports shall be included with all laboratory final reports. The Contractor shall submit a copy of its laboratory quality assurance manual with procurement. To ensure acceptance and adherence to the RGBMP QAPP, a copy of the RGBMP QAPP shall be signed by the Contractor prior to any sample analysis. The RGBMP QAPP shall be renewed every year and may have minor changes throughout the term of the contract, such as adding/ removing monitoring stations or parameters. The Contractor laboratory Program Manager and Quality Assurance Officer shall sign all renewals and revisions to the RGBMP QAPP within a timely manner in order to accept and adhere to the document. If changes to the RGBMP QAPP pose economic burdens to the Contractor, the Contractor must discuss with the Contract Officer to issue a contract modification.

b. The Contractor shall use analytical methods for the various parameters approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under 40 CFR Part 136 or the 20th edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater" (SM) that are listed in the RGBMP QAPP (Attachment 2). Any EPA or SM analytical methods are acceptable as long as the laboratory holds either primary Texas NELAC accreditation in the method and can meet the AWRL in Table A7 of Attachment 2, or listed in the AWRL website noted above.

c. The Contractor shall be responsible for compliance with Federal, State, and local regulations governing: 1) the analysis and proper disposal of contaminated or potentially contaminated surface water, sediment, and associated materials; 2) the appropriate record keeping, documentation, notification, and reporting requirements associated with laboratory procedures and data generated from the analyses; and 3) safety and health to protect its workers, the public, and the property of others.

d. Neither the Contractor nor its representatives (including but not limited to subcontractors), direct or indirect, will release or publish any laboratory results or other information derived from the work performed under this contract without specific written approval of the Contracting Officer (CO).

e. The Contractor, and all subcontractors, shall have National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) certification by the time of contract award and acquire NELAC certification primary through the state of Texas. The Contractor is required to maintain accreditation through the state of Texas throughout the course of the contract with the USIBWC. Texas NELAC certification is required for all parameters listed in Table A7.1 of the RGBMP QAPP (Attachment 2). Contractor shall submit a copy of its Texas NELAC Recognized Laboratory Fields of Accreditation (FOA) with procurement. Contractor shall also submit copies of its most recent NELAC accreditation audit (on-site laboratory assessment) from the State of Texas.

f. The Contractor 's laboratory shall be accessible for the USIBWC or CRP to submit samples collected and to ensure the processing is performed to meet the specified sample holding time(s) on samples collected and submitted. The laboratory must be within a distance that will ensure that shipment of samples will reach the lab from the sample location by the next morning.

C.3 GENERAL WORK REQUIREMENTS

a. The laboratory services shall include, but are not limited to, analysis for the parameters listed in Schedule of Services/Supplies as required by the Texas Clean Rivers Program and the Rio Grande Surface Water Quality and Safety of Dams Program, respectively.

b. Under this contract, the Contractor shall furnish all labor, material, supplies, equipment, and personnel to perform laboratory services for the samples provided by the USIBWC, or CRP partners, to the Contractor's designated laboratory(s). Samples will be collected and shipped to the laboratory by USIBWC personnel or CRP partners, and shipments of coolers back to the laboratory will be paid for by USIBWC. The laboratory will ship the appropriate bottles, including preservation, to the appropriate sampling partner according to the monitoring schedule (Attachment 1A and 1B) by the 3rd day of the month for that month’s scheduled samples. The schedules will be renewed each option year according to the yearly monitoring provided by the USIBWC and the CRP.

c. The Contractor shall provide the appropriate sample containers required (see Attachment 2- Table 4), preservatives (excluding ice), QA/QC samples as required, chain-of-custody forms (COCs) and labels for all samples. USIBWC may choose to supply COCs in lieu of laboratory forms (Attachment 2 Appendix D). USIBWC COCs will be approved in the RGBMP QAPP. The Contractor will be responsible for shipping the appropriate sample containers and coolers to the recipients on the monitoring schedules (Attachment 1A and 1B). Shipping empty sample containers to CRP partners will be paid for by the Contractor.

d. The Contractor shall only charge the USIBWC for the number of acceptable samples received and analyzed. The Contractor shall not analyze parameters out of holding time without USIBWC authorization. For those samples examined but not analyzed for reasons beyond the control of the laboratory or the USIBWC, actual costs incurred and not recovered in the unit pricing of samples shall be submitted in a request for equitable adjustment.

e. The Contractor may use subcontractors as long as subcontractors meet requirements in this scope of work, particularly NELAC requirements specified in C.2.b and e, that the subcontractor sign the RGBMP QAPP and meet parameter holding times, and that collecting entities only ship samples to one laboratory.

C.4 CHANGES

Changes to testing methods or laboratory procedures shall be provided in writing to the CO for approval.

C.5 DELIVERABLES

a. The Contractor (including any subcontract laboratories) shall sign the RGBMP QAPP (Attachment 2) prior to sampling to demonstrate conformance to the standards for performance of this contract as detailed in the RGBMP QAPP. Minor changes may be required to the RGBMP QAPP over the performance period of the contract.

b. The Contractor shall submit original, hardcopies of Chain of Custody forms to the USIBWC Texas Clean Rivers Program (4171 N. Mesa, Suite C-100, Attn: COR (to be named after award of contract), El Paso, Texas 79902) within 45 days of receipt of the samples for analysis by the Contractor.

c. In addition to the original hard copies, the Contractor shall submit the following electronic deliverables to the COR within 45 days of receipt of the samples for analysis by the Contractor:

1. Invoices in pdf format via email to the COR and USIBWC Finance office.

2. Electronic reports in pdf, Word, or similar format must include:

a. Signed laboratory results with analyte/parameter, result, units, LOQ/MQL, dilution factor, date/time analyzed, analytical method, sample location/station ID, date sampled and date received, any data qualifiers, parameter codes specified in the RGBMP QAPP (storet codes), and collecting entity/Field Office (from Chain of Custody form).

b. Analytical Summary/Quality Assurance sheets with standards, duplicates, spikes, blanks, matrix spikes, matrix spike duplicates, and limits of quanititation.

c. Scanned Chain of Custody forms Case Narratives as needed should also be included.

d. Case Narratives, Casualty Reports, and Corrective Actions as needed.

3. Laboratory results as an Electronic Data Deliverable (EDD) in Microsoft Excel format, pipe-delimited text format, or other database-compatible electronic format agreed upon by the contractor and the USIBWC. EDDs should include all information on laboratory results sheets in item 2a above. An example of the EDD is in Attachment 4.

d. Additional costs for rush analyses must be approved by the USIBWC prior to Laboratory performance of analysis.

e. The Contractor shall be responsible for the payment of fines and/or civil penalties levied against the USIBWC as a result of the Contractor's failure to provide the laboratory results within the time frames specified in the contract.

C.6 LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

a. Attachment 1a – Monitoring Schedule of Clean Rivers Program for FY13

b. Attachment 1b – Monitoring Schedule of Safety of Dams Program for FY13

c. Attachment 2 – Pages from the Rio Grande Basin Monitoring Program Quality Assurance Project Plan (RGBMP QAPP). (Includes Appendices)

d. Attachment 3 – TCEQ Specific CRP Laboratory Requirements

e. Attachment 4 – EDD example

f. Attachment 5 – List of Parameters

Summary of Requirements for Contractor to Provide with Solicitation:

1. NELAC FOA

2. Lab QA manual

3. Most recent NELAC audit

4. Price quote for List of Parameters in Attachment 5

5. Statement explaining that lab can meet requirements