Questions_and_Answers_(updated_5_April_2018).pdf

Questions and Answers

Q1: I did not see an area to submit pricing for mobilization and demobilization of tugs and barges with the heavy equipment to get to the USVI. Is there somewhere to submit the mob and de-mob?

A1: Mobilization and demobilization costs should be included in the cost of debris removal per cubic yard, as specified in the Price Breakout Schedule.

Q2: Are there any specific requirements for the sizes of the barges that will be used on the project?

A2: Shipping method is addressed in Sections 1, 4.2.1, and 4.4 of the Statement of Work.

Q3: Can you please provide the water depths at each port where the debris will be picked up and where it will be discharged?

A3: Both the port to be used and the final disposal location are to be specified by the Contractor, as per the Statement of Work.

Q4: Will the port fees, customs fees and stevedore fees need to be handled by the contractor or will these fees be handled by USACE?

A4: The Total Price for your quote should include all of the cost associated with this procurement. This is being awarded as a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order. The Contractor is responsible for covering these cost and invoicing once completed.

Q5: Do we need to have a separate line item for the daily charter of the tugs and barges? Or do we include the cost of the equipment in the cost of debris removal price per cubic yard?

A5: Equipment cost should be included in the cost of debris removal per cubic yard, as specified in the Price Breakout Schedule.

Q6: How many vessels are recommended to complete the project?

A6: As many as is necessary to remove the quantities of debris by the specified date.

Q7: Will contractor have to negotiate with the places who will be receiving the vegetative debris or will

USACE?

A7: The contractor is responsible for coordinating all parts of the final disposal location and method of disposal.

Q8: Will fuel for the vessels be reimbursed to contractor or will they be paid for by USACE upfront?

A8: There will not be any upfront payment for fuel cost.

Q9: Can you please provide maps and pictures identifying debris locations and potential ports for the barges ... at all three locations?

A9: The geographical locations (WGS84, decimal degrees) of the DMS’s are given in paragraph 2.2 of the Scope of Work. Also per paragraph 4.2.1 (Technical Approach and Methodology) #2, it is the responsibility of the contractor to develop a “Shipping method and location (e.g. port) to be utilized.”

Q10: Can you please specify current security needs, so we can assess future security needs at each location?

A10: Contractor is to provide perimeter security around all DMS sites having at least one access control point. This requirement will be added via future amendment.

Q11: Are each of these locations gated?

A11: Presently sites are not gated but unauthorized access is controlled by contractor barriers.

Q12: Will we only need to provide security up until we have removed all debris?

A12: This is correct.

Q13: Please clarify ... we only take over security once reduction is 100% complete at each site?

A13: This is correct.

Q14: What are the weight and width restrictions on the roads on each Island from the DMS sites to the ports?

A14: Per paragraph 3.3, “The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any local, territorial, or Federal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of this work.”

Q15: How far (in miles) are the DMS piles from each Island from the Ports?

A15: The geographical locations of the DMS’s (WGS84, decimal degrees) are given in paragraph 2.2 of the Scope of Work. Per paragraph 4.2.1, the contractor is responsible for determining “Shipping method and location (e.g. port) to be utilized.” From this, the contractor can ascertain the distance.

Q16: How much operational area is there at each DMS pile?

A16: The acreage of each DMS site will be added via future amendment.

Q17: Do the ports have storage capacity for the packaged debris, if so how much at each Island Port?

A17: There are no packaged debris requirements scoped.

Q18: Are there any work hour restrictions at each DMS or traveling on the roads from each DMS?

A18: No. The contractor is required to submit a “Management/Operations Plan” for approval, outlining utilization of personnel. Per paragraph 3.3, “The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any local, territorial, or Federal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of this work.”

Q19: Is the 31 Oct 18 completion deadline firm?

A19: Yes this is a firm date.

Q20: Section 10 states a list of subcontracts is required. Is that required as part of the proposal or after award?

A20: Required with your offer for all large businesses.

Q21: Should an example of a CQC plan or outline of a CQC plan be submitted for the offer, typically a project specific CQC is submitted after award.

A21: Yes, this is a required submittal with your offer.

Q22: If the contractor further processes/treats the vegetative debris at the DMSs, converting it into a pest free product, will transporting the processed/treated product to private land in the USVI be acceptable as fulfilling the goals of this solicitation?

A22: On island disposal in not an acceptable method per Territorial policy.

Q23: Is it possible for upfront payment disbursements to begin operations?

A23: No upfront payments will be given.

Q24: Will this solicitation require the contractor and subcontractors to be registered business entities in the USVI or is there an exemption for this solicitation?

A24: The Prime contractor needs to be registered in the SAM database to be considered for an award.

There is not an additional requirement for the subcontractors to be registered.

Q25: Q6 and A6 on the questions and answers seem to indicate that 31 October is the date all material must be removed from site. Is 31 October the final date for removal or must all the material be disposed of by this date?

According to paragraphs 14.1 and 14. 2, Final shipping and disposition of the vegetative debris to be completed by 31 October 2018.

Q26: Q10 and A10 indicate that security requirements will be specified in a future amendment. The only requirement included seems to be that the contractor takeover access control within 14 days of Notice of Award. Are there other security requirements (e.g. fencing or similar) or will the current contractor barriers remain in place for the removal contractor to utilize?

Security question to be addressed in this amendment in paragraph 2.4.

Q27: Can material be removed concurrently with reduction operations at the Body Slob site on St. Croix?

The large quantity of material at this location as well as the reduction finish date of 30 September and the final disposal date of 31 October may necessitate this from a logistics standpoint.

According to paragraph 2.2 "The Contractor may be required to coordinate and work with other Contractors that are performing other work on the DMS. This coordination may include, but is not limited to, work area and schedules for loading the vegetative debris."

Q28:Who is performing the reduction operations?

There is a separate contract for the reduction of the debris. This information will not be disclosed.

Q29: Is this a Wilmington District project or is this a Louisville District project?

Wilmington District is the lead district, but the Louisville district is providing support for the debris contracts. Contracting personnel could be working on this project from either district

Q30: Is Air Curtain Incineration (ACI) an allowable method?

ACI is not an allowable method. This method of disposal is illegal in USVI under territorial legislation.

Q31: Is this a 100% small business set-aside?

This is a full and open procurement. Both small and large businesses may submit a quote. On any procurement we always list the NAICS classification and what the size standard is in order for a business to be classified as small or large. Statement 1 below does not say it is a small business set aside, it simply states what the standard is for this NAICS.

Q32: Is there a bonding requirement for this Request for Quote?

There is no bonding requirement under this Request for Quote.

Q33: Is it possible for the incoming contractor to include within their quote for a change order to see that the existing contractor grinds the full volume of green waste to 1-2 inches. Or if it is possible for the responding contractor to communicate with the existing contractor about fulfilling this task under the new contract.

Quotes should be based on the Request for Quote as it is. Bid as shown.

Q34: Can you give me the exact location on the Island of St. Croix, where "Body Slob" is?

There is not an exact address for the body slob. It is at the intersection of Queen Mary Highway and Rt.

663. Coordinates are also listed within the RFQ.

Q35: Please confirm all debris removal will be from St. Croix only. St. Thomas and St. John debris will not be part of this RFQ.

Yes, this RFQ will only cover services for St. Croix. See Amendment 0003 posted on 27 March 2018.

Q36: Please clarify the meaning if “regulated asbestos”.

This term "regulated asbestos containing material" came from the definition of C&D for the debris collection portion of work. This material included insulated appliance such as hot water heaters that have been removed from the debris stream prior to grinding and disposal. There will be no special hauling/handling procedures for reduced C&D other than what is specified in EM 385-1-1 as referenced in the Statement of Work.

Q37: Since there are different sizes of mulch particles, will there be change order or addendum to the contract if mulch is more than what is stated in the RFQ?

The RFQ is to award a firm fixed price contract. Should actual quantities differ from what is within the contract, it will be addressed at that time. The quantities listed within the contract are not to be exceeded without a modification to the contract signed by the Contracting Officer.

Q38: Since the 10/31/2018 is establish for complete debris removal, if there is bad weather how does this affect the contract?

See FAR 52.212-4(f). Excusable delays. The Contractor shall be liable for default unless nonperformance is caused by an occurrence beyond the reasonable control of the Contractor and without its fault or negligence such as, acts of God or the public enemy, acts of the Government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, fires, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, unusually severe weather, and delays of common carriers. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing as soon as it is reasonably possible after the commencement of any excusable delay, setting forth the full particulars in connection therewith, shall remedy such occurrence with all reasonable dispatch, and shall promptly give written notice to the Contracting Officer of the cessation of such occurrence.

Q39: Can you advise what the future intention is for the vegetation and other debris on St. Thomas and St.

John will be?

The requested information is not available at this time.

Q40: The answer to question 32 states that this is a full and open procurement. Our company HUBZONE certified, will we receive a price evaluation preference?

Please see FAR 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns.

Q41: Can we get samples of the debris?

We are not allowing sampling at this time.

Q42: Please clarify the status St. Thomas and St. John as being a part of this RFQ.

St. Thomas and St. John are no longer a part of this RFQ as of Amendment 0003.

Q43: Please identify the CONUS receiving location your research has uncovered, just as you did with the info on the DR?

No additional information will be provided. Bid as shown.

Q44: If we provide two options in our bid package and one option is disallowed, will that affect the review and evaluation of our second option?

You cannot have options within your quote. Your quote needs to be one price and method. If you'd like to submit 2 separate quotes, they would need to be received separately and they would be treated as 2 separate quotes in our evaluation process.

Q45: Please specify the invoice approval process. For example, will the measurements occur at STX;

invoicing approval at STX; or will the USACE deploy acceptors to the DR?

See SOW Rev. 5, paragraph 13.0. Bid as shown.

Q46: For transport to CONUS, is any of this material considered "foreign regulated debris" since it is coming from US Territory, plant purposes, compliance agreement?

It is considered "foreign regulated debris". See paragraph 2.0 and paragraph 3.0 within the SOW. Bid as shown.

Q47: Can the key personnel (person) in charge of ADMS also serve in a lead capacity for Quality Control and/or Safety?

See paragraph 4.2.1 Management/Operations Plan in SOW Rev. 5. Bid as shown.