AML-Carbondale (Hill) Portals Phase II Construction

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation, is soliciting competitive bids through an Agency Request for Quote (ARFQ DEP25-51) for the AML-Carbondale (Hill) Portals Phase II Construction project located in Fayette County, West Virginia. This construction and reclamation procurement encompasses 23 line items including mobilization and demobilization, construction layout, quality control, site preparation, gravel drive rehabilitation (500 tons using 1-inch crusher run stone), access road construction (200 tons using 3-inch crusher run stone), stabilization fabric installation (850 square yards), temporary pipe installation (40 linear feet), erosion and sediment control measures (300 linear feet of silt fence, 25 tons of stabilized construction entrance, 10 rock check dams, and 1,000 square yards of rolled erosion control products), piezometer abandonment (4 units), wet mine seal installations (10 units with outlet pipes extending minimum 14 feet into the mine), mine seal conveyance pipe (530 linear feet), mine seal stone (3,250 tons), and soda ash briquettes (10 units). The project involves reclamation and sealing of abandoned coal mine portals with tree clearing required between November 15, 2025, and March 31, 2026, for all trees greater than 3 inches in diameter at breast height. Bidders must submit unit prices for each line item with specific cost limitations: mobilization and demobilization capped at 5 percent of total bid, construction layout limited to 3 percent, quality control limited to 3 percent, and site preparation limited to 10 percent. A mandatory pre-bid meeting was held on March 19, 2025, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in both Fayette County and Marion County (with vendors permitted to send multiple representatives to attend both meetings), technical questions were due by 4:00 PM Eastern on March 26, 2025, and sealed electronic bids must be submitted through wvOASIS Vendor Self Service by April 3, 2025, at 10:30 AM. Required qualifications include OSMRE registration, completion of the Contractor Information Form (AVS) within 30 days of submission, submission of a bid bond equal to 5 percent of total bid amount, performance and labor/material payment bonds each equal to 100 percent of contract value, commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate (or $2,000,000 per occurrence for larger contracts), and automotive liability insurance of $2,000,000 with The Kanawha Gauley Coal and Coke Company and The Boone East Development Co., LLC named as additional insureds. Contractors must provide pre-construction cross sections one week prior to excavation and as-built plans in digital (PDF and AutoCAD) and paper formats showing all dimensions and surveyed locations prior to final inspection.

This procurement is subject to federal funding requirements and compliance obligations including Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates, Anti-Kickback Act compliance, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act provisions, Build America, Buy America (BABA) domestic content requirements mandating that all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials be produced entirely in the United States with manufactured products containing at least 55 percent domestic content by cost, Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act compliance, equal employment opportunity standards, and debarment and suspension certifications. The contract becomes effective upon encumbrance and may constitute a fixed period contract requiring a separate notice to proceed before work commencement. The contractor assumes the role of Co-Applicant #1 on the WV/NPDES Storm Water Construction General Permit (No. WV0115924) and bears full responsibility for permit compliance including violations and associated fines. The engineer's estimate for the project is $626,650.00, which serves as a reference for the competitive bidding process. No specific set-asides for disadvantaged businesses, women-owned enterprises, or minority-owned businesses are identified in the solicitation documents. There are no identified incumbent contractors or existing infrastructure requiring integration. Contractors valued over $500,000 must hire at least 75 percent of employees from the local labor market, and for construction contracts over $250,000, the apparent low bidder must submit a subcontractor list for all firms performing more than $25,000 of work within one business day of bid opening. Liquidated damages of $1,000 per working day apply for delays beyond the contract completion time unless winter shutdown or Department-approved extensions apply.