PWS 04 03 2024.docx

Agricultural Research Service

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Southeast Area Office Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit Asset ID: 640200L000 Stoneville, MS

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Testing Services

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 The mission of the Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit (WARU) is to develop technologies that improve the efficiency, profitability, and sustainability of fish farming in the United States. WARU research is performed at two facilities on the Stoneville campus. The WARU hatchery facility contains tanks for fish rearing, a sample processing laboratory, and office space. The WARU also maintains forty seven 1/10 acre ponds, twenty 8 acre ponds, fourteen 1 acre ponds, and five 2 acre earthen ponds.

1.2 The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging pollutants into a water of the United States unless they have an approved National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. An NPDES permit specifies acceptable pollutant levels in discharges and allows Permittees to choose technologies to achieve those levels.

1.3 During the course of its daily operation, the WARU has a wastewater discharge and, as a result, an NPDES permit.

2.0 SCOPE

2.1 The Contractor must complete monthly NPDES permit testing services in accordance with 40 CFR Part 136 and all laws, regulation, standard practices for the WARU located at 141 Experiment Station Road Stoneville, MS.

2.2 The Contractor must possess required licenses and certifications for on-site sample collection and testing as required for the NPDES permit; specifically, hatchery discharge samples and testing from the WARU.

2.3 The Contractor must meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality requirements.

2.4 The Contractor will perform monthly testing in order for WARU reporting as directed by the table in Attachment A.

3.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFIC TASKS

3.1 Testing. The contractor must successfully perform testing and timely report to WARU with no more than four (4) missed deadlines over the life of the purchase order. To meet reporting requirements, samples must include (1) the exact place, date, and time of sampling; (2) The dates the analyses were performed; (3) The person(s) who performed the analyses; (4) The analytical techniques, procedures or methods used; and (5) The results of all required analyses.

STANDARD. The contractor must successfully perform testing and timely report to WARU with no more than four (4) missed deadlines over the life of the purchase order.

3.2 Re-Testing. Any needed re-testing needed due to contractor performance will be performed at the contractor’s expense. Re-testing that is needed due to normal operating conditions and/or considered normal under industry standards, laws, or regulations, will be paid for on an as required basis.

STANDARD. TBD

4.0 PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

4.1 The term of the purchase order is anticipated to be 12-months from award and include four (4) 12-month option periods. The Government maintains the right to exercise option years at its discretion.

4.2 HOURS OF OPERATION: Work hours are 7:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., Monday through Friday; excluding federal holidays.

4.3 The work is located at 141 Experiment Station Rd, Stoneville, MS; see location map below.

5.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, MATERIALS, AND INFORMATION

5.1 No Government property or equipment will be provided to the Contractor.

6.0 CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

6.1 The Contractor must provide and pay for all labor, materials, equipment, tools, travel, supervision, and all other items to successfully complete the work required. The Contractor is responsible for all licenses and certifications required to successfully perform the services required.

6.2 Utilization of Bio-Based Products: The contractor shall utilize products and material based from bio-based materials to the maximum extent possible without jeopardizing the intended end use or detracting from the overall quality delivered to the customer. All supplies and materials must be of a type and quality that conform to the applicable Federal Specifications and Standards. All supplies and materials to be used in the performance of work described herein are subject to the approval of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). Products can be found at: https://www.biopreferred.gov

7.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY TABLE (PRST)

The following table summarizes the tasks, the performance standard, monitoring method, and incentives/disincentive for not meeting performance standards.

2) Missed tasks completed at Contractor’s expense.

3) Payment deductions as specified in Section 8.

8.0 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

8.1 The COR will be identified by a separate letter. The COR monitors all technical aspects of the purchase order and assists in contract administration. A letter of designation issued to the COR, a copy of which will be provided to the Contractor, states the responsibilities and limitations of the COR, especially regarding changes in cost or price, estimates or changes in delivery dates. The COR is not authorized to change any of the terms and conditions of the resulting purchase order.

9.0 GOVERNMENT REMEDIES

9.1 All work shall be subject to inspection, approval, and acceptance by the Government. The Government will compare the Contractor's performance to industry standards and will not exclude common sense considerations as applied by the COR. The Contracting Officer (CO) will follow the requirements of FAR Clause 52.212-4 for the Contractor’s failure to correct nonconforming services. The Government will consider work incomplete when any one of the following conditions exits:

• The Contractor did not perform any or all of the tasks successfully and timely.

9.2 If the performance of any required service is unsatisfactory, and poor performance is clearly the fault of the Contractor, the Government may reduce the purchase order price to reflect the reduced value of defective services if the Government gives the Contractor a written Purchase Order Discrepancy Report prior to executing such payment deductions.

9.3 The CO will determine the payment deduction amount by calculating the percentage of acceptable services performed by the Contractor. The Government will use the total number of deficiencies found to determine the percentage found unacceptable. The percentage found unacceptable subtracted from 100 percent will determine the percentage acceptable.

10.0 POINTS OF CONTACT

Contracting Officer’s Representative Contract Specialist Scott Feutz Amanda Somerville USDA, Agricultural Research Service USDA, Agricultural Research Service scott.feutz@usda.gov amanda.somerville@usda.gov image1.jpeg image2.jpeg