PRF77 RFP - PFAS Investigation and Mitigation Assessment.docx

Statement of Work – Request for Proposal

RFP Title: DCR-DWSP PFAS INVESTIGATION & MITIGATION ASSESSMENT Statewide Contract# PRF77 Professional Environmental and Consulting Services

Commbuys Bid #: BD-26-1020-DCRWS-DC700-123907

Description or Purpose of Procurement need Summary: The Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Water Supply Protection (DCR) is seeking proposals from eligible vendors on OSD Master Agreement PRF77 for an analysis of impacts to the Quabbin Reservoir water supply resulting from potential PFAS migration from a known AFFF release site in the watershed, as well as recommendations on potential mitigation strategies.

Commonwealth Eligible Entity Engaging a Vendor:

This Request for Proposal (RFP) does not commit DCR to approve a Statement of Work (SOW), pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a bidder’s response to this RFP, or to engage for products or services. DCR reserves the right to accept or reject any and all quotes received as a result of this RFP and to contract for some, all, or none of the responding vendors as a result of this RFP. DCR further reserves the right to negotiate with any or all responding vendors or to cancel this RFP, in part or in its entirety, if it is in the best interest of the agency to do so.

Estimated Duration of Project: January 26, 2026 – June 1, 2026

Estimated Value of Procurement: $5,000

Deadline for Completion of Project: June 1, 2026

A. BACKGROUND

The Town of Shutesbury, Massachusetts Fire Department (SFD) conducted firefighting training exercises at its 42 Leverett Road station headquarters using PFAS-containing aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), this practice occurred for several decades and led to the release of PFAS compounds to soil and groundwater, the detection of PFAS compounds in exceedance of drinking water standards in nearby water supply wells, and the issuance of Release Tracking Number (RTN) 1-21340 by MassDEP.

The SFD release Site is located within the Quabbin Reservoir watershed in the upper reaches of Atherton Brook, a tributary to the Reservoir. DCR is concerned about potential impacts to Quabbin Reservoir from hydrogeological PFAS migration from the Site and is requesting proposals to conduct a preliminary investigation and assessment on the potential for PFAS compounds to enter the Atherton Brook subbasin - and ultimately the reservoir itself. DCR is also seeking recommendations on potential mitigation strategies if PFAS from the SFD Site is deemed likely to migrate to DCR lands.

The selected vendor will be responsible for the following tasks and providing the listed deliverables:

B. SCOPE OF WORK

DCR will provide the vendor with information on and access to DCR-owned land and water resources downgradient of the SFD release Site in the Atherton Brook subbasin. Information on the release Site (RTN-1-21340) is publicly available via MassDEP’s Reportable Release Lookup.

The selected vendor will be responsible for the following services. The agency may use some or all of these services:

B.1. PFAS Migration Assessment: This portion of the assessment will consist of two (2) parts:

Independent Characterization of the SFD PFAS Release: The Town of Shutesbury has enlisted the services of a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) to evaluate the SFD Site and to provide regulatory compliance assistance on behalf of the Town. DCR seeks an independent characterization of the SFD Site from the perspective of potential risk of contamination to the Atherton subbasin and to the Quabbin Reservoir water supply as a whole.

For the identified study area, the awarded vendor is required to provide:

a. An analysis of the likelihood of PFAS compounds migrating to Quabbin watershed resources from the SFD Site, and the likely spatiotemporal impacts of the release within the watershed. DCR is also interested in an evaluation of the probability that SFD Site PFAS contamination has already impacted DCR lands.

b. Sampling recommendations for environmental media (soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water) on DCR lands designed to identify 1.) The concentration of total PFAS detected; 2.) The specific PFAS compound at a given sampling site, based on chain length partitioning and other factors; 3.) Specific locations for optimized sampling.

B.2. Mitigation Assessment: This portion of the assessment will consist of two (2) parts.

Evaluation of Potential Mitigation Strategies: DCR seeks recommendations on potential mitigation strategies to limit or preclude PFAS contamination migration to the water supply via Atherton subbasin, should a scenario exist where PFAS compounds are detected on DCR lands in concentrations sufficient to warrant remedial actions.

For the identified study area, the awarded vendor is required to provide:

a. A comprehensive analysis of potential mitigation strategies appropriate to the Atherton Brook subbasin based on hydrogeology and contaminant fate and transport, access and permitting considerations, cost vs. benefit, and other relevant factors.

b. Recommendations for ongoing monitoring procedures should the assessment find minimal risk of migration under current conditions.

B. 3. Deliverables: The awarded vendor must be able to and shall provide the following:

1. Models & Maps: A graphical representation(s) of a conceptual site model (CSM) for the SFD release Site in relation to the Atherton subbasin via soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water transport dynamics. This will include a File Geodatabase depicting the CSM, including all existing and recommended environmental media sampling locations, and will be editable by DCR staff as new information emerges.

2. A written report summarizing the methods and results of the PFAS Migration and Mitigation Assessment.

3. A virtual summary presentation to relevant DCR staff outlining the findings and recommendations identified in the PFAS Migration and Mitigation assessment.

4. Confidentiality Statement: Because of the potentially sensitive nature of the information produced by the assessment specified in this RFP, DCR-DWSP requires strict confidentiality from the awarded vendor.

B. 4. Geospatial Deliverable Specifications and Requirements:

All GIS layer deliverables should be delivered as a feature class within a file geodatabase, accompanying FGDC-compliant metadata (per layer) and layer file (per layer). See below for geospatial deliverable specifications and requirements.

All products produced by and for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are required to comply with Executive Order 614 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II (ADA Title II) requirements. The Executive Order and ADA Title II both point to the international guidelines, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 Level AA, as the technical standard for all digital content and digital services used, shared, created, and procured by state and local government.

All reports and other deliverables produced through this contract must meet these standards. Microsoft has information regarding their Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software.

B. 4. 1. Spatial Reference The primary datum used in Massachusetts for statewide data is North American Datum 1983 (NAD83). The data are registered to the Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone (Fips zone 2001). Units are meters. The EPSG (European Petroleum Survey Group) code for this coordinate system is 26986.

The Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone meters is defined as follows:

Projection: Lambert Conformal Conic Spheroid: GRS 80 Central Meridian: -71.5 Reference Latitude: 41 Standard Parallel 1: 41.71666666667 Standard Parallel 2: 42.68333333333 False Easting: 200000 False Northing: 750000 B. 4. 2. Preferred Data Types The following list includes preferred data types that are supported by GIS professionals within the Commonwealth, and at DCR-DWSP. When possible, please attempt to ensure that raw and/or derived products are delivered in one or more of these formats.

· Vector Data:

· File Geodatabase (version 10.1)

· Shapefile

· Elevation Data:

· Classified LAS (preferred)

· Classified LAZ

· IMG

· GeoTIFF

· Mosaic Dataset

· Imagery Data:

· JP2

· GeoTIFF

· Mosaic dataset B. 4. 3. Data Deliverables

· Completed, FGDC-compliant, metadata should be submitted with all data acquired or derived through a contract.

· Raw and processed data must be delivered in the specified formats within agreed-upon timelines.

· Intermediate deliverables (e.g., control points, processing reports) must be included.

B. 4. 4. Data Ownership and Use Rights

· All data collected under this contract will be the property of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

· Vendors must ensure that DCR retains full rights to modify, distribute, and use the data for any lawful purpose.

· Collected data must be stored securely and shared only with authorized DCR-DWSP personnel.

· All data must comply with Massachusetts Public Records Law and retention requirements.

Please separate and itemize the cost of data analysis in the bid sheet.

C. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Responses will be evaluated according to the following criteria.

1. Cost.

2. Meets specifications.

3. Completeness of proposal, including the vendor’s commitment to supply all the identified deliverables listed above by the contract deadline.

4. Experience investigating, modeling, and mapping PFAS release sites (preferably AFFF sites).

5. Experience designing and implementing PFAS mitigation/remediation strategies with successful outcomes.

D. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Responses: Responses (bids/quotes) are to be submitted to DCR electronically via the “Create Quote” function contained in Commbuys system.

For questions on submitting quotes in Commbuys, please refer to the vendor job aids located in Commbuys at http://www.mass.gov/doc/how-to-create-a-quote-in-commbuys/download. Additional assistance is available from the OSD Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197.

This Request for Proposal is being sought under PRF77. Contractors shall comply with all pricing, terms and conditions of OSD’s Master Agreement PRF77 contract.

The Response shall include:

1. Cost estimates should be provided for each of the Tasks as well as the whole project. Using the same tasks outlined in B.1. and B.2., please provide a quote including a spreadsheet breaking out your consultant team’s budget and labor hours by task and position, including direct expenses.

2. Detailed summary of data analysis process.

3. Number of days from order to delivery completion.

4. A brief statement and project descriptions describing three projects completed by your firm showcasing PFAS/AFFF site assessment and mitigation. Include completion dates.

5. All proposals shall be submitted digitally to Commbuys.

E. PROCUREMENT CALENDAR

Questions are Due by: 10:00 AM (EST), Tuesday, January 13, 2026. All questions should be emailed to Daniel.Harris@mass.gov Answers to Questions will be submitted by: 10:00 AM (EST), Thursday, January 15, 2026. All questions and answers will be published on Commbuys by the stated deadline.

RFQ Responses are due by: 10:00 AM (EST), Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Estimated Award Date: January 26, 2026 image1.emf image10.emf