Navajo Area - Abandoned Mines Response and Construction Services

Pre-Solicitation Notice Amendment for Navajo Area Abandoned Mines Response and Construction Services II (AMRCS II).

This is a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the attached Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP). The DRFP is being released for COMMENT ONLY.
This is not a synopsis proceeding the issuance of a solicitation. It is market research issued solely for information purposes - it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or any other solicitation. This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is not seeking proposals at this time. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay any cost incurred in response to this notice. All costs associated with responding to this notice will solely be at the interested parties' expense. Any information provided by industry to the Government as a result of this notice is voluntary. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation. It is recommended that interested parties monitor the FEDCONNECT website (https://www.fedconnect.net) for any information that may pertain to this notice. The information provided in this notice is subject to change and is not binding on the Government.

The purpose of this RFI is to Request Comment on the DRFP for this requirement; which includes potential evaluation criteria for Navajo area- Abandoned Mines Response and Construction Services (AMRCS). To ensure the formal solicitation is executed in the most effective manner possible, we are posting the DRFP to offer an opportunity for industry to provide feedback. Your questions and input will be used to further refine, improve, or clarify these requirements.
All Information and documentation posted under this notice are preliminary in nature and may be updated or amended prior to the release of the formal solicitation.

NOTICE INFORMATION
1. SOLICITATION NUMBER: 68HE0926R0006
2. TITLE: Navajo Area- Abandoned Mines Response and Construction Services (AMRCS)
3. PRODUCT SERVICE CODE: F108- Hazardous Substance Removal, Cleanup, and Disposal Services
4. NAICS CODE: 562910- Environmental Remediation Services- Environmental Remediation Services
a. Size Standard: 750 Employees
5. ANTICIPATED RFP RELEASE: Fall 2026
6. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TYPE: Single award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
7. DESCRIPTION
a. Background:
Under the authority of Section 104 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Super fund of 1980, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA); Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recover y Act (RCRA) and pursuant to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) (40 CFR Part 300); and in accordance with any reauthorizations or amendment s to any of the above named statutes and new response legislation, the EPA has been delegated the responsibility to undertake response actions with respect to the release or threat of release of hazardous substances, or pollutants and contaminants, that pose an actual or potential threat to human health or welfare, or to the environment.
b. Navajo Area Uranium Mines (USEPA Region 9)
The Navajo Nation encompasses more than 27,000 square miles, spread amongst the Four Corners Region of the USA (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona). The unique geology of the region makes the Navajo Nation rich in uranium, a radioactive ore in high demand after the development of atomic power and weapons at the close of World War II in the 1940s. Approximately four million tons of uranium ore were extracted during mining operations within the Navajo Nation from 1944 to 1986. Many Navajo people worked the mines, often living and raising families in close proximity to the mines and mills.
Uranium mining and milling activities no longer occur on Navajo lands, but the legacy of these activities remains, including more than 500 abandoned uranium mine claims with thousands of mine features such as pits, trenches, holes, etc., and homes and drinking water sources with elevated levels of uranium, radium and other radionuclides. Uranium and other elements (selenium, arsenic, etc.) associated with mine and mill sites also occur naturally at elevated levels in rock, soil, surface water, and groundwater across the Navajo Nation and the broader Four Corners region.
USEPA maintains a strong partnership with the Navajo Nation and, since 1994, the USEPA Superfund Program has provided technical assistance and funding to assess potentially contaminated sites and develop a response. In August 2007, the USEPA Superfund Program compiled a Comprehensive Database and Atlas of all known uranium mines on the Navajo Nation.
In October 2007, at the request of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, EPA, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Indian Health Service (IHS) developed a coordinated https://www.epa.gov/navajo-nation-uranium-cleanup to address uranium contamination in consultation with Navajo Nation EPA.
d. Region 9
The primary hazardous substance on all the sites referenced in the requirement’s Statement of Work (SOW) is radiological mine and mine related waste; therefore, a significant knowledge base of radiological material handling, environmental data interpretation, and data collection will be required to perform the activities within this SOW.
The terrain to access site locations is rough, water is scarce, and the weather is often extreme in most areas. The trails and/or roads to the sites are not improved or maintained. To reach the site locations, 4-wheel drive vehicles (capable of drives over rough dirt/rocky roads) and/or hiking long distances is required. Roads can become impassable in wet weather, and conditions can change quickly.
In summer, the conditions are hot and dry; in winter, elevations make them subject to severe cold and high winds. Due to the quick changes in the weather, be aware of the danger of flash floods. While this danger is greatest during the summer monsoon season (July through September), flash floods can occur at any time of the year.
e. Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of the Navajo Area Abandoned Mines Response and Construction Services (AMRCS) contract is to provide cleanup, response, and construction services to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), primarily at former uranium mining-related sites on or within the Navajo Nation (within EPA Region 9 in Arizona and New Mexico).
7. DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION REQUESTED:
The USEPA is seeking comments on the attached DRFP. The Government will consider all comments, questions, and issues raised by all prospective offerors in formulating requirements for any resultant solicitation document. The information contained here reflects the Government's anticipated requirements as of the date on this posting. The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments regarding a possible acquisition. The issuance of this notice is designed to gather as much information as possible to ensure that the Government's requirements are clear and concise; and possibly improve the requirements based on industry best practices and lessons learned, which may be stated in a future solicitation.
SUBMITTAL INFORMATION
A cover page and an executive summary may be included in the response, but is not required. All interested parties may respond. At a minimum, responses should include the following:
a. Business name, SAM Unique Entity ID, business address, size and type of business (e.g., Large Business, Small Business, 8(a), HubZone, Woman Owned Small Business etc.) pursuant to the applicable NAICS code, and the name, telephone number, mailing address, and email address of a point of contact having authority and knowledge to discuss responses with Government representatives.