Sources Sought (SS) Notice 12905B25SS0001 for USDA ARS Pacific West Area Hazardous Waste Removal

Background and Site Description

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Our job is finding solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day from field to table.

The performance of these activities results in the generation of diversified chemical and biological wastes of varying quantities and toxicities. Wastes may contain pyrophoric, explosive, reactive, or toxic substances and compressed gases. Some of the chemicals are dangerous due to their sensitivity to shock, friction, or pressure; other are reactive or unstable for a variety of reasons. The ARS recognizes its responsibilities to ensure facilities are following existing regulations imposed upon entities which generate, transport, store, treat, and dispose of hazardous chemical wastes. The Agency has a need for hazardous waste disposal services, as well as non-hazardous waste disposal services. With 47 research units at 21 locations, and several additional worksites, where ARS employees are located throughout eight states (Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arzona and Utah), the Pacific West Area (PWA) is the largest and most diverse of the eight Areas in ARS. For more information on the PWA go to https://ars.usda.gov/pacific-west-area/.

Description of Work

This requirement would be for an area-wide Hazardous Waste Indefinite Delivery – Indefinite

Quality (IDIQ) contract. Fixed-price task orders would be issued off this contract for Hazardous Waste Disposal throughout the PWA service area. The contractor shall provide hazardous waste disposal services. Following is only an example of what types of waste would be included under coverage of the IDIQs:

• Waste flammable liquids, corrosive
• Waste corrosive liquid, acidic, organic
• Waste corrosive liquid, basic, inorganic
• Environmentally hazardous substance, liquid, n.o.s. (benzyl benzoate, dibutyl phthalate)
• Waste toxic, liquids, organic
• Waste flammable liquids, toxic
• Waste toxic solid, inorganic
• Waste hydrogen sulfide
• Waste organometallic substance, liquid, pyrophoric, water-reactive
• Waste phosphorus oxychloride
• Waste sodium borohydride
• Waste toxic by inhalation liquid, flammable, corrosive
• Waste toxic by inhalation liquid, flammable
• Waste water-reactive liquid, corrosive
• Air, compressed (lecture containers)
• Batteries, dry containing potassium hydroxide solid
• Batteries, wet, filled with acid
• Batteries, wet non-spillable
• Carbon dioxide (lecture containers)
• Compressed gas, n.o.s. (calibration gas/lecture containers)
• Ethane (lecture containers)
• Nitrogen, compressed (lecture containers)
• Non-hazardous waste, solid
• Oxygen, compressed (lecture containers)
• Propane (lecture containers)
• Universal waste (electrical waste)
• Universal waste (fluorescent lamps)
• Universal waste (spent light bulbs)
• Any costs associated with high hazardous waste (chemist, research classification, opening, testing, reduction, stabilization)

The resultant contract could cover the entire area or be divided into geographical areas. Multiple IDIQs could be awarded and task orders competed among contract holders. The results of this sources sought will help determine the best geographical acquisition strategy and small business set-aside, if any. The anticipated ceiling of the entire IDIQ is $5,000,000.00 for five one-year ordering periods.

This is a Sources Sought (SS) Notice Only. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This SS is issued for information and planning purposes only as part of USDA ARS market research and does not itself constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). This requirement is covered under NAICS code 562112. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified sources; Small Businesses; HUBZone small business; service-disabled veteran-owned small business; 8(a) small business; veteran-owned small business; woman-owned small business; small disadvantaged businesses; or large businesses. It will also serve to ascertain the ability of Hazardous Waste Removal companies to serve the entire PWA or parts of it. Responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible.

The Government does not intend to make an award based on responses to this inquiry. This notice does not constitute a commitment by the Government.

Capability Statement

All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary, and the Government will not pay for information requested, nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. Business concerns that possess the capabilities necessary to undertake this work should submit complete documentation of their capabilities to the Contracting Officer. Capability statements shall include the Contractors contact point to discuss their response.

The capability statement should include:

1. Acknowledgement the company is legally licensed to provide hazardous waste removal services.
2. Indication of their size standards in accordance with the Small Business Administration.
3. At least three previous requirements that were performed within the PWA that are within the scope of this requirement; include a discussion of the contract type, delivery method, duration, etc.
4. Indicate which of the eight states, if not all, that encompass the USDA ARS PWA that the company’s legally able and willing to perform services in.
5. Include the firm’s SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI) number and cage code.
6. Any other information considered relevant to this requirement.
7. The Government requests that no proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in the response.
8. Responses are limited to one digital pdf submission not to exceed ten (10) pages. Please use the email subject line “Sources Sought USDA ARS PWA Haz-Waste Removal Services IDIQ”.

Any Contractor responding to this notice should ensure its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine their qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provided feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After review of the responses received, a solicitation may be published on SAM.gov depending on the responses received.

All responses to this SS must be received by the notice’s POC by the deadline in order to be considered. Responses may not be returned. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this inquiry. Do not submit pricing information in response to this SS.

The notice POC is Theodore Blume: theodore.blume@usda.gov