Analysis of Decachlorobiphenyls (PCB)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Division of Water issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2400000602 to procure laboratory analysis services for Decachlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in drinking water samples using EPA-approved Method 508A. This procurement is being conducted by the state of Kentucky on behalf of Elliott County and is necessary to maintain the state's federal primacy in drinking water oversight and continued eligibility for federal grant funding, as neither of Kentucky's two existing Principal Laboratories—the Environmental Services Branch of the Division of Environmental Program Support and Morehead State University—possess the capacity to perform certified PCB analysis. The successful vendor must provide laboratory services meeting federal regulatory requirements under 40 CFR 142.10(b)(3), with deliverables organized into four tiered options: Tier 1 (results only), Tier 2 (results plus laboratory quality control documentation), Tier 3 (results with benchsheets, calculations, quantitation reports, and chain of custody documentation), and Tier 4 (all instrument output including chromatograms and supporting data). Service delivery must be available at three turnaround intervals: 14-day standard delivery, 3-day rapid delivery, and 1-day emergency delivery, with the laboratory required to be available seven days per week during emergencies. Qualified vendors must maintain current EPA certification or equivalent certifying authority certification, comply with all EPA drinking water certification requirements including annual performance test submissions and 12-year sample data retention, maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, and meet the federal EPA minimum reporting limit of 0.00022 mg/L for PCBs. The procurement will be awarded using a best value methodology with price weighted at 90 points and vendor experience weighted at 10 points, where experience is measured by years performing PCB analysis in drinking water (capped at 50 years for scoring). The solicitation was issued on April 17, 2024, with vendor questions due April 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET and bids due May 1, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. ET, with all submissions required electronically through the Commonwealth's eProcurement system; bidders must be pre-registered in the Kentucky Vendor Self Service System and must submit pricing on a separate bid price sheet while entering $0.01 as the electronic unit price.

Kentucky resident bidders receive reciprocal preference consideration in accordance with KRS 45A.490-494, and additional preference points are available to Kentucky Industries for the Blind and qualified nonprofit agencies serving individuals with severe disabilities meeting employment percentage requirements under 200 KAR 5:410(3). All bidders must submit a Kentucky Tax Registration Application (Revenue Form 10A100), provide an Annual Affidavit attesting to compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, and submit proof of Secretary of State registration for foreign entities. No incumbent vendor information is provided in the solicitation documents, nor is an estimated award value or budget range disclosed. The contract will be awarded to a single laboratory for an initial term of one year from the date of award, with the option for the Commonwealth to extend the agreement for four additional one-year renewal periods at its written discretion. Pricing must be submitted on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis and shall remain firm for 60 days following the bid due date; price increases are prohibited during the first 12 months of the contract, with subsequent adjustments permitted only after 12 months based on documented industry-wide price changes. All bidders must affirm compliance with solicitation terms and conditions by signing the bid documents, and failure to comply with solicitation requirements may result in vendor ineligibility from further participation; the Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if responses exceed available funding.