Attachment_1_-_QATS_PWS.docx

SOL-HQ-14-00018 ATTACHMENT 1

ATTACHMENT 1 –

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

I. Purpose The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) requires environmental data of known quality and of a level of quality sufficient to support investigation, decision-making and enforcement activities under the mandates of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), commonly referred to as Superfund.

The EPA OSRTI Analytical Services Branch (ASB) is a primary provider of analytical data of known and documented quality, through the Contract Laboratory Program (CLP). The CLP is a network of EPA-contracted, commercial environmental laboratories that perform chemical analyses utilizing standardized analytical methods, with specified quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures and data reporting formats.

The purpose of this procurement is to provide quality assurance technical support to ensure that the analytical data generated through the CLP meets the technical and analytical needs of OSRTI and Superfund. Other EPA Program Offices, as well as customers outside the Agency, that have similar analytical data needs may also use services under this procurement.

This contract will provide Quality Assurance Technical Support (QATS) in the following Task areas:

Task I. Performance Evaluation Materials, for accurate analyte identification and quantitation.

Task II. Data Package and Electronic Media Review, for contract compliance and technical acceptability.

Task III. On-Site Audits, for inspecting facilities and equipment, and for compliance with technical contract requirements.

Task IV. Methods and Guidelines Evaluation, to assure the use of effective, up-to-date procedures.

Task V. Logistical and Administrative Support, for maintaining overall laboratory and facility-related operations including quality control, progress reports, database development, document archiving, training, and other support.

II. General Requirements Facilities and Equipment The contractor shall provide adequate laboratory and office facilities to fulfill the requirements of the Tasks listed in this Performance Work Statement (PWS), Section V. Facilities and Equipment, and as specified in the Task Orders (TOs).

Equipment and software shall be provided by the contractor. The contractor shall provide, from its own inventory, any additional general purpose equipment, furniture and supplies required for performing all administrative and operational functions of the contract, including, but not limited to personal computers and computer software. Any equipment for administrative purposes is considered general purpose and will not be supplied by the Government either as additional Government Furnished Equipment or as Contractor Acquired Property. However, acquisition for equipment for new technologies may be provided, if EPA deems it necessary.

Personnel The contractor shall provide qualified professional, technical scientific personnel as necessary for contract performance, as listed in Section L.2.b.2 of this solicitation.

Tasks The contractor shall perform work in the Task areas described in the SOW, Section IV. Task Descriptions, as ordered through EPA-issued Task Orders (TOs), as described in the Contract Schedule, and in accordance with any written technical direction provided by the EPA Contract-Level Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Task Order Contracting Officer’s Representative (TOCOR).

In order to successfully complete work under certain Task areas:

1. The contractor shall perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of organic chemical compounds employing: Gas Chromatography (GC), Gas Chromatography/Electron Capture Detector (GC/ECD), Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detector (GC/FID), Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and other organic analytical techniques.

2. The contractor shall perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of inorganic chemical compounds employing: Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES); flame, flameless and Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAA); Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS); and other inorganic analytical techniques.

3. The contractor shall perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of tetra through octa Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (CDDs) and Chlorinated Dibenzofurans (CDFs) by High Resolution Gas Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS).

4. The contractor shall perform qualitative and quantitative analyses to characterize samples which can include chemical, physical, biological, and ecological parameters.

5. The contractor shall perform analyses on the following media: air; liquids (aqueous, organic, and multi-phase); soils; solids; sediments; biological tissues; and other media.

6. The analytical methods used by the contractor may vary from those needed to perform qualitative screening to state-of-the-art quantitative methods that are needed to obtain well-documented data of known quality for regulatory, enforcement, or legal purposes.

7. The contractor shall perform these methods over a wide range of concentrations (percent to parts per trillion) in an environment free of interfering background/laboratory contamination.

8. The contractor shall also address issues related to asbestos, radiochemistry, explosives, perchlorate, metals speciation, wet chemistry methods, or other non-routine related chemistry parameters.

Quality Assurance (QA) From the start of the contract, the contractor is advised that the American National Standard Institute/International Organization Standardization/American Society for Quality (ANSI/ISO/ASQ) 9001:2008 (ISO 9001:2008) certification is required. The contractor will be required to maintain a current ISO certification while under contract. The contractor shall, at a minimum, adhere to the EPA-approved Quality requirements for solicitations and contracts during the solicitation. The quality system documentation shall meet the requirements outlined in American National Standard, Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs (ANSI/ASQ E4). The quality system documentation will be modified, as needed, during contract performance. Contractor Technical and Price Proposal prepared in response to EPA-issued TOs shall include a discussion of the quality assurance procedures and applications necessary for carrying out the TO activity. EPA quality assurance policies and standard operating procedures are described in the U.S. EPA Requirements for Preparing Quality Management Plans (QA/R-2) and ANSI/ASQ E4. The quality documentation required by ISO 9001:2008 meets the requirements required by the QA/R-2 system and ANSI/ASQ E4.

Standard Operating Procedures The contractor shall write and implement a complete set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which include, but are not limited to: standard traceability; sample receipt, log-in, storage and security; chain-of-custody; instrument logbooks; prevention of cross-contamination; QA/QC guidelines; and good laboratory practices (GLP). The contractor shall submit these SOPs within 30 days following the effective date of contract for EPA review and approval. All SOPs developed under, or used for this contract become the property of the EPA and must be approved by the Agency before implementation.

Chain-of-Custody Chain-of-Custody procedures must be maintained for all samples (unless directed otherwise in writing by the EPA COR), as described in the NEIC Multi-media Investigation Manual, Revised March 1992 (EPA-330/9-89-003-R), or updates thereto. Chain-of-Custody records become property of the EPA.

Record Keeping The contractor shall be certified by ANSI/ISO/ASQ (e.g., ISO 9001:2008 or equivalent). Certification is required to add a high level of quality documentation essential for achieving and maintaining the highest quality in standard industry practices. Documents required under an ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System (QMS) include: Quality Policy, Quality Manual, Quality Operational Procedures, Standard Operating Procedures, work instructions, and Quality Records (e.g., logbooks, production records, standard certifications, etc.). All QMS documents become records and property of the EPA.

Bound, serially numbered laboratory notebooks must be used to record data and observations made during laboratory studies and site visits, and at all other times during performance of contract tasks. All analyses and studies must be documented, as specified by TOs, to include: identification of assumptions and clear explanations of their validity and limitations; calculations, supported by sufficient data and explanation to permit cross-checking; raw data for projects, documented in a manner that can be easily interpreted by a technical person, to facilitate review and/or completion by alternate technical persons; and, clearly presented investigative procedures. Maintenance and analytical logbooks for all major equipment recording analysis of all standards and samples shall be maintained.

The contractor shall not release any information gathered as a result of this contract to anyone other than the EPA COR or TOCOR for a specific TO, unless prior written approval has been granted by the EPA COR and Contracting Officer (CO).

Health and Safety The contractor shall provide for the health and safety of its employees during contract performance, whether such performance is at a government or contractor-controlled facility. The contractor must ensure that appropriate safety precautions are observed and that personnel involved in the sampling, analysis and characterization of actual or simulated toxic and hazardous waste materials will not be endangered.

To help ensure worker safety, the contractor shall comply with provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard, Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories, which includes a provision for the development of a Chemical Hygiene Plan (Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.1450). The contractor must assume full responsibility and all risk for the safety of its employees.

Material Handling/Disposal The contractor must ensure that samples, standards and reference materials shipped from its laboratory facility are shipped safely and within the required time schedule, as specified in the TOs.

The contractor must comply with all relevant Department of Transportation, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), OSHA and other regulations governing the handling, shipment and disposal of hazardous waste/materials. Failure to follow all Federal regulations may be grounds for terminating the contract for default. This includes the packaging and labeling of the samples and sample containers, and obtaining the required permits and documentation for their shipment. The contractor must safely store and dispose of all materials handled or generated under this contract, including excess samples of the wastes being studied. Disposal shall be at approved disposal facilities and done in compliance with all applicable Federal (e.g., CERCLA/SARA, RCRA, and/or TSCA), State and local regulations. Shipment shall be in compliance with all Federal, State and local regulations. Other special shipment and disposal requirements shall be specified in TOs.

Interaction The contractor shall be required to interact (e.g., coordinate Performance Evaluation Samples (PES) shipment, transmit information, or schedule on-site laboratory audits) with various EPA programs and contract organizations, such as, but not limited to: Contract Laboratory Program’s contract laboratories; contractors providing sample and data management, administrative, and technical support to EPA’s Analytical Services Branch; and the Office of the Inspector General performing audits, evaluations, and investigations of EPA and its contractors, to promote economy and efficiency, and to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse. Contractor interaction with these and other Agency groups shall be determined by the EPA COR or CO. Such interaction is for the purpose of communicating information or coordinating activities only, and does not include the provision of direction or the receiving of direction to or from other EPA offices or contractor.

III. Program Structure The EPA Contract-Level Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), located in the Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) in the Washington, D.C. area will monitor overall contractor technical performance. The EPA Task Order Contracting Officer’s Representative (TOCOR) will monitor the technical performance on individual Task Orders (TOs). All work shall be ordered through EPA-issued Task Orders (TOs) issued by the EPA Contracting Officer (CO).

The contractor shall designate a Program Manager located on-site at the contractor’s laboratory facility. The Program Manager shall be responsible for the performance of work in accordance with the terms of the TOs. The Program Manager shall provide information on the status and progress of activities to the COR and TOCOR, as required by the TOs. Financial Reports are to be reported to the CO, COR and TOCOR, as required by the TOs. Contractor Technical and Price Proposals and other contract-required status are to be reported to the CO and COR, as required by the terms of the contract.

The Program Manager shall notify the COR or TOCOR regarding any problems encountered in the performance of work that will affect work quality or schedule, and shall implement written direction in the resolution of problems. The Program Manager shall not deviate or approve deviation from an approved Contractor Technical and Price Proposal without prior written approval from the CO, or from a COR without prior written approval from the CO.

The Program Manager shall be responsible for maintaining technical and financial integrity in performance of assigned activities in accordance with the TOs, and contract terms and conditions. The Program Manager must monitor each TO and ensure that all Task activities are conducted within the scope, budget, and schedule specified in the EPA-approved Contractor Technical and Price Proposal and in accordance with the TOs, the Performance Work Statement of the contract, and the established costs of the contract.

IV. Task Descriptions The EPA may order work within any of the following task areas at any time during the contract period of performance.

Task I. Performance Evaluation Materials

1) The contractor shall design, develop, test, produce and ship Performance Evaluation Samples including, but not limited to, organic, inorganic, asbestos, and dioxin, in accordance with Task Orders (TOs). Prior to the production of PESs, the contractor must communicate with the EPA Contract-Level Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or the EPA Task Order Contracting Officer’s Representative (TOCOR) to obtain instructions and formulas. The contractor shall obtain PESs from authorized commercial sources only as directed by the COR or TOCOR.

2) The contractor shall characterize/develop, test, produce and ship real-world matrices from environmental or synthetic sources to be used as Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Reference Materials (RMs). Prior to the production of RMs, the contractor must communicate with the EPA COR or TOCOR to obtain instructions and formulas. The contractor shall obtain RMs from authorized commercial sources only as directed by the COR or TOCOR.

3) The contractor shall develop and maintain an inventory of multi-matrix, multi-analyte, multi-level PESs and RMs. The contractor shall respond to orders for the delivery of such materials, in accordance with TOs. The contractor shall develop and maintain an inventory control system to facilitate and track the inventory, orders and distribution of these materials. The inventory and inventory control system become property of the EPA.

4) The contractor shall perform referee analyses of QA/QC RMs and PESs. These referee analyses shall be performed in accordance with designated Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) protocols, applicable equivalent protocols (i.e., Statements of Work from relevant Superfund or other contracts), or other analytical methods approved for use under the Superfund Program or other Program Office, unless otherwise specified by the TO. The analyses will be used in a quality assurance function to verify analyte presence and concentration.

5) The contractor shall score PESs using Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provided by EPA, or developed by the contractor and approved by EPA. The contractor shall maintain and service the web-based scoring application. The scoring procedure and application become property of the EPA.

6) The contractor shall provide technical support in developing new or modifying existing algorithms for scoring RMs and PESs.

7) The contractor shall be responsible for support in the development and update of SOPs to be applied internally in its development, use and handling of PES and RMs, based on guidelines and materials provided by the Agency. These shall include, but not be limited to SOPs for standard traceability, sample receipt, log-in, storage and security, chain-of-custody, instrument logbooks, prevention of cross-contamination, and good laboratory practices. The contractor shall provide technical support in the development of QA/QC guidelines to be applied in the development, use and handling of PESs and RMs.

8) The contractor shall maintain an organized compilation of PES and RM evaluation data for the purposes of trend analyses for monitoring performance of laboratories, summarization and report preparation. All evaluation data are to be delivered at the end of the contract period in a format to be determined by the EPA COR.

9) The contractor shall maintain proper Chain-of-Custody on all RMs and PESs which shall include, but not be limited to, the requirement that RMs and PESs be held in a secure room with restricted access.

10) The contractor shall develop and maintain procedures to assure the quality and integrity of PESs and RMs that includes, but is not limited to: proper storage and stability testing.

Task II. Data Package and Electronic Media Review Periodic, routine, non-routine, and special investigative in-depth audits shall be conducted on data packages and electronic media deliverables submitted by Contract Laboratory Program (CLP), Superfund contractors, and other analytical laboratory contractors, as specified in the Task Orders (TOs).

The purpose of these audits are:

1) To identify contractual technical/reporting deficiencies with the deliverables provided by CLP/Superfund contractors/other laboratory contractors.

2) To identify weaknesses in the present CLP Statement of Work (SOW) technical/reporting requirements and provide recommendations to the COR.

3) To provide tracking, data validation, and data verification support of parameters as needed to include, but not limited to: organics, inorganics, asbestos, etc. including accommodations of project samples.

4) To monitor for contractual and technical non-concordances which may indicate poor laboratory practices or potential fraudulent activities by a CLP, Superfund contractor, or other laboratory contractor.

During the audit, an item-by-item review is conducted, which cross compares the information reported on the data package and electronic media deliverables. Examples of items to be checked are: instrument parameters/wavelengths, integration/quantization procedures, calculations, accuracy of analyte identification, recoveries, analytical sequence requirements, detection limits, standard concentrations used, flagging of results, chromatography, calibrations, readability/completeness of electronic media and adherence to quality control requirements.

The tasks to be performed during the data package/electronic media review include, but are not limited to:

1) The contractor shall prepare schedules for data package/electronic review, as specified by TOs. Schedule development is based on, but not limited to: routine activities, EPA Regional review information, contract compliance screening (CCS) reports, exception/trend reports, and/or Performance Evaluation Samples (PESs) performance.

2) The contractor shall review data packages and electronic media files, from all analytical services (to include, but not be limited to: organics, inorganics, dioxin, asbestos, particulate, and radiological data), for contract reporting completeness and technical compliance, as well as overall data integrity, using Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provided by the EPA, or developed by the contractor and approved by EPA. Data to be reviewed may support State, local, and other government agencies, CLP analytical services, field analytical data, and other EPA activities.

3) The contractor shall review electronic media files from CLP laboratories and other laboratories which supply analytical data via electronic media to support Superfund activities or in support of local, state or other government agencies. Electronic media shall include Staged Electronic Data Deliverable (SEDD) files, data system processed files, and raw (unprocessed) instrument files including system-generated audit trail and other files. These media shall be reviewed for characteristics such as readability and file structure; contract completeness including instrument tuning and overall system performance; initial calibration; continuing calibration; user-generated libraries; analyte identification and quantitation; system contamination; compliance with contract requirements as well as good laboratory practices for documentation, ethical conduct, and data integrity.

4) The contractor shall provide technical support in the development of SOPs for data package and electronic media reviews, based on guidelines and materials provided by the Agency.

5) The contractor shall develop and/or maintain an organized compilation of data package and electronic media review information for the purposes of trend analyses for monitoring performance of CLP and other laboratories, summarization and report preparation.

6) The contractor shall maintain proper Chain-of-Custody on all data packages and electronic media deliverables which shall include, but not be limited to, the requirement that data packages and electronic media deliverables be stored in a secure room or server with restricted access.

Task III. On-site Audits The contractor shall provide technical support to the Agency in performing pre-award, post-award monitoring, and special investigative on-site audits for the Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) and other contracted analytical laboratories or facilities (e.g. asbestos, radiological, air monitoring) for compliance with contract and technical requirements. These audits may include State, local, and other government agencies, CLP laboratories, or other laboratories that generate analytical data to support EPA activities, as specified in the Task Orders (TOs).

1) These activities shall be performed in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provided by the EPA, or developed by the contractor and approved by EPA. During such activities, the contractor shall at all times be in the presence of an EPA-designated representative who is involved in conducting the audit. Contractor personnel shall be identified as contractors, which includes the wearing of identification badges. The contractor shall refer contractual questions to EPA-designated representative involved in the audit. The contractor shall not provide any specific direction or recommendation to the auditee.

2) The contractor shall use prepared standardized checklists provided by the EPA, or developed by the contractor and approved by EPA, to record observations made during laboratory studies and site visits.

3) The contractor shall prepare schedules and information material packages, as specified by TOs, to be used for on-site audits by EPA audit teams. Schedule development is based on data reviews, electronic media reviews, EPA Regional review information, contract compliance screening (CCS) reports, exception/trend reports, Performance Evaluation Sample (PES) performance, and/or special requests from EPA officials. Information packages are based on data submitted by the analytical laboratory to be visited. Each report should identify problems with the submitted data, recommend potential corrective actions and be prepared in accordance with format and reporting criteria provided by the EPA.

4) The contractor shall provide technical support in the review of Quality Management Plans (QMPs), Quality Assurance Plans (QAPs), and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of CLP and other laboratories which supply analytical data to support Superfund and other relevant EPA activities that are subject to the on-site audits. This review shall be based upon objective audit criteria only, from guidance and materials provided by the EPA.

5) The contractor shall provide technical support in the development of Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) guidelines to be applied in its performance of on-site audits.

6) The contractor shall develop and maintain an organized compilation of on-site audit data and information for the purposes of trend analyses for monitoring performance of CLP and other laboratories, summarization and report preparation.

7) The contractor shall prepare program reports summarizing on-site audit findings. On-site audit summary reports shall be clear, concise and timely, and in accordance with format and reporting criteria provided by the Agency.

Task IV. Methods and Guidelines Evaluation The contractor shall provide technical support in methods evaluations and methods guidelines, as specified in the Task Orders (TOs).

The main functions under this task include:

1) Develop new analytical procedures/methods and compare field and laboratory analytical methods.

2) Revise, modify and/or evaluate EPA methods, other Federal agency methods, State methods, or methods published in commercial or scientific literature.

3) Test and evaluate new equipment, instruments and/or techniques for use in analytical methods.

4) Design and conduct experiments to evaluate and document new and current method performance.

5) Develop organic and inorganic modified analyses from existing Contract Laboratory Program (CLP) Statements of Work (SOW).

6) Test and evaluate software applications that support overall Quality Assurance (QA).

7) Design, test and evaluate appropriate Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures to be incorporated in existing analytical methods.

The tasks to be performed include, but are not limited to the following:

1) The contractor shall develop and evaluate all aspects of field and laboratory analytical methods. This involves conducting single and multi-laboratory studies to support methods development and validation.

a) Method aspects to be included are: preservation of samples; holding times; sample preparation; sample analysis; result reporting; and the associated QA/QC. The evaluation shall include: a determination of the probable concentration ranges of analytes of interest and interferences occurring in real-world samples that will be analyzed by the method; an assessment of the clarity, efficiency and accuracy of the methods and protocols; and, laboratory and field tests of new methods. The contractor shall recommend data documentation based on existing EPA documentation requirements.

b) For existing new or un-validated methods, such as field and screening methods, the contractor shall research and evaluate the methods to ensure that equipment, supplies, techniques and procedures cited are accurate, that the methods would provide effective performance and that identified Quality Control (QC) parameters and criteria are accurate and achievable. Where deficiencies are found, the contractor shall identify and recommend improvements.

c) The contractor shall also develop protocols for the evaluation of methods according to Agency-defined requirements. Evaluation criteria for methods, including detection limit requirements, accuracy, precision, and other parameters will be provided by the Agency.

2) The contractor shall statistically evaluate data and conduct studies for data assessment and methods development, monitoring and improvement. The contractor may be required to develop optimal experimental designs and to analyze and interpret study data (e.g., variance components, test power for statistical inferences).

3) The contractor shall investigate the use of new instruments (may be provided by EPA, if required) and analytical techniques through their application in CLP or other analytical protocols, in the analyses of samples, Performance Evaluation Samples (PESs), or Reference Materials (RMs).

4) The contractor also shall evaluate and demonstrate the applicability of instruments and techniques that are not classified as new, but are not routinely applied to sample analysis, as well as expand and improve environmental applications of instruments and techniques routinely used for sample analysis.

Task V. Logistical and Administrative Support Tasks to be performed include, as specified in the Task Orders (TOs):

1) The contractor shall provide technical instruction courses on subjects to include, but not be limited to: Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures; conducting on-site laboratory evaluations; audits on data generated by analytic instruments such as Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) data audits; and the use of Performance Evaluation Samples (PESs).

a) The contractor will be required to prepare the curricula and to prepare course materials including, but not limited to: manuals, handouts, slides, etc. All materials and lectures shall be pre-approved by EPA before presentation.

b) The contractor also shall conduct the courses which may be required at remote locations.

2) The contractor shall provide conference support to the EPA, including the Analytical Services Branch (ASB), Regions, and/or ASB clients. Conference support includes, but is not limited to, logistics support (including electronic registration), presentation support, developing training materials (e.g., QA Report Review, On-Site or Electronic Media Audit Reviews, etc.) and conducting training/orientation sessions.

3) The contractor shall provide expert witness testimony in support of the information gathered or duties performed under this contract, including, but not limited to: data packages and electronic media audits, and on-site audits. Such witness services may be required before hearings, boards, or in judicial proceedings.

4) The contractor shall maintain records and files generated or utilized in support of all tasks under this contract Performance Work Statement (PWS), including, but not limited to: data packages, Staged Electronic Data Deliverables (SEDD) files, and electronic media files.

5) The contractor shall maintain records and files generated or utilized in support of an Inspector General (IG) investigation including, but not limited to: data packages, SEDD files, and electronic media files.

6) All data, including but not limited to: data packages, SEDD files, electronic media files, and Performance Evaluation Sample documents are considered to be records and therefore subject to the laws and disposition schedules of the Federal Government, as directed by the EPA COR.

V. Specified Facilities and Equipment Requirements

1) The contractor shall provide office facilities sufficient to support the administrative functions required under the contract. These facilities shall include a conference room suitable for meetings between EPA and contract personnel.

2) The contractor shall provide a full-service, analytical laboratory facility suitable for the performance of chemical analyses ranging from trace analyses to percent levels for the required analyses listed in Section II, Tasks, of this Performance Work Statement. Analyses are conducted to characterize samples regarding chemical, physical, biological, and/or ecological parameters.

a) The storage, handling and disposal of materials that can present chemical, physical, and/or biological hazards require that the facility design conform to all applicable Federal (e.g., OSHA, EPA, DOT), State and local regulations.

b) Developed in accordance with applicable safety and health design requirements, the contractor laboratory facility shall have the following:

1. Adequate sample receipt/storage areas; wet chemistry/sample preparation areas equipped with appropriate fume hoods;

2. Sufficient utilities for the installation and operation of all analytical instruments and equipment listed as Government Furnished Property;

3. Sufficient instrument laboratory space to segregate: volatile organic analyses; semi-volatile analyses; inorganic analyses; high concentration sample preparation and analyses; and, low-level drinking water-type analyses;

4. Area(s) designed for: safe handling of high concentrations of hazardous materials (including pure toxic chemicals; preparation of field samples collected from hazardous waste sites; handling/preparation of dioxin and other highly hazardous performance evaluation materials; and in an environment that will not contaminate the remainder of the laboratory or the surrounding environment.