SSSB_Industry_Day_Questions_and__Answers.pdf

SSSB Questions and Answers

Q1. Please consider releasing a Draft Request for Proposals (DRFP). This will allow interested parties to thoroughly review the DRFP and provide comments, questions, suggested changes, and feedback.

A1. NAVSEA will release a Draft RFP.

Q2. Please establish a documents library in advance of the DRFP or Final RFP.

A2. NAVSEA will make an extensive set of documents and information available to potential bidders no later than the time of release of the Draft RFP. Some of the information will be Unclassified Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information (U-NNPI) and will require an approved security plan before these documents are provided to potential bidders. Information with no restriction will be provided to all potential bidders. Since the security provisions for viewing and reading U-NNPI are less difficult to comply with than the requirements for possessing and storing such documents, NAVSEA will make arrangements with potential bidders for U.S. citizens representing the potential bidders to review and study U-NNPI documents that are part of this document set.

Q3. Please consider requiring offerors to provide a detailed resume for each proposed key person in the Management Approach section. The resume should describe the key person’s education, relevant experience, accomplishments, and other information supporting the individual’s qualifications and suitability for the proposed position.

A3. Such information would be appropriate at the stage of contract execution where the contractor would be requesting NRC to recommend approval of transfer of SSSB custody. For the purpose of evaluating potential bids, NAVSEA will not require each potential bidder to identify specific candidates by name. Rather, NAVSEA would expect qualified potential bidders to provide sufficient information on their company’s experience and available talent to provide assurance that the company awarded the contract could successfully achieve an NRC recommendation to transfer custody of the SSSB.

Q4. With a Firm Fixed Price evaluation and award under consideration along with a 20-percent performance bond requirement, we believe 25 percent retention is excessive. Please consider reducing the retention to no more than 10 percent.

A4. NAVSEA agrees that a substantial retention of 25% and a substantial performance bond of 20% are both aimed at the same objective of ensuring contract performance. Given the performance bond requirement, a 10 percent retention is sufficient.

Q5. Please consider allowing offerors to describe their key milestones, logic ties, activity durations, and critical activities to complete the required PWS elements for the SSSB.

A5. NAVSEA will include key milestones and percentage progress payments for these milestones in the Draft RFP.

Submit Decommissioning Work Plan to NRC for review: 10%

NRC Recommends custody transfer: 10%

Transport SSSB to dismantlement site: 10%

Remove water processing system and radioactive equipment 10% in the dry pit, heavy equipment ship and hot tunnel:

Remove the wet pit and associated shielding: 15%

Receive NRC recommendation that the remainder of the 15% SSSB can be released from further radiological regulatory oversight:

Complete all SSSB material recycling and disposal: 15%

Receive NRC recommendation that dismantlement site 10% can be released:

Certification of completion – release holdback: 5%

Q6. Please consider including a technical representative from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(NRC) on the SSSB procurement Source Evaluation Board. Please ask the NRC to screen the submittals for accuracy against the Notional Framework requirements.

A6. It would be inappropriate for NRC to be involved in selection of the successful bidder for the SSSB.

NAVSEA expects to be able to request and receive advice from NRC on specific questions that might arise during evaluation of proposals.

Q7. We request NAVSEA to provide nuclear indemnity through invocation of Public Law 85-804 or some other means as we are prohibited from obtaining commercial nuclear liability insurance.

A7. NAVSEA does not consider that the risks involved with handling the relatively small amount of radioactivity in the SSSB warrants indemnification through Public Law 85-804. Based upon input received from industry in response to the SSSB RFI, NAVSEA does not intend to require commercial nuclear liability insurance for this project since it might not be available. NAVSEA would expect potential bidders to self-insure if such insurance is not available or the bidder elects not to purchase such insurance if the insurance is available.

Q8. Please consider requiring each offeror to include with their proposal a copy of their Radiological Protection Program (RPP) and previous experience applying that program.

A8. The Draft RFP will identify the work to be done as well as the basis for evaluation of the proposals.

Q9. If the NRC is not able to participate in the evaluation of proposals, NAVSEA should consider hiring a third-party company with experience in NRC-regulated work that could assist NAVSEA in evaluating proposals consistent with the Notional Framework.

A9. NAVSEA anticipates that NRC support provided though interagency an agreement with NAVSEA will be sufficient, so a third-party company will not be needed. As noted above, NRC participation in the contractor selection process is inappropriate.

Q10. Who will eventually own the “waste” generated from this dismantlement and disposal?

A10. As individual parts of the SSSB are disassembled and either disposed of as wastes or recycled, the Navy-owned vessel/material will reduce in volume. The Contractor would be responsible for preparing and shipping waste to properly authorized treatment and/or disposal sites. Once the SSSB is completely dismantled and disposed of, there will not be any remaining material or waste.

Q11. Will a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license be required for performance of work?

A11. SSSB dismantlement and disposal will not be performed under NRC license. However past experience and performance conducting radiological dismantlement and disposal under NRC or Agreement State license will be an important part in determining whether a potential bidder has presented a technically qualified offer.

Q12. Will the Navy indicate what specific regulations the NRC would anticipate enforcing on the proposed work?

A12. The NRC’s presentation at the Industry Day provided extensive information on the specific regulations the NRC would consider in making their recommendations to NAVSEA. Consistent with this NRC presentation, the Draft RFP will identify the applicable NRC regulations with analogs in the notional framework.

Q13. Would the Navy consider a pre-qualification process for vendors in order to ensure that efforts expended for this proposal are focused only on qualified vendors and to potentially save some firms from submitting proposals that may not be accepted as compliant with proposal nor other factors involving qualifications to perform the work.

A13. NAVSEA will not conduct a pre-qualification process. However, the requirements that will be included in the Draft RFP for what information will be required in offers, as well as the substantial performance bond and corporate guarantee requirements in the Draft RFP should be sufficient to ensure that NAVSEA can readily identify qualified offers. Potential bidders can decide for themselves whether their ability develop an acceptable proposal is sufficient to warrant preparation of an offer.

Q14. Will the proposal evaluation criteria and grading system be provided as part of the RFP?

A14. The Draft RFP will identify the work to be done as well as the basis for evaluation of the proposals.

Q15. Will the Navy provide support for Public Meetings that are held prior to and during the actual decommissioning?

A15. No. As the SSSB can be moved to any suitable coastal location, NAVSEA expects qualified bidders to employ their experience and expertise to choose the most advantageous location for the work. This would include determining a location where the contractor has confidence that the work would be welcome. NAVSEA does not intend to advise or influence such selection. Evidence of consultation with local and state officials about the proposed dismantlement location will be one of the requirements in the Draft RFP for evaluating proposals.

Q16. Would it be acceptable for a company or team to submit alternative proposals? Example: One proposal meeting all the requirements of the RFP. Additional proposals that might have viable alternative options for review and consideration.

A16. NAVSEA intends for the Draft RFP to include sufficient specificity for the work to be performed and how proposals will be evaluated that there would be no need to prepare more than one proposal.