DEM The Paddlocks Project

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) is issuing a Request for Quotation (RFQ26006370) for the Paddocks Project, a site remediation effort at 651 Narragansett Park Drive in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. This procurement seeks vendor quotes for soil excavation, loading, transportation, and off-site disposal services at a 9.847-acre property (Plat 41, Lot 391) formerly used as the Narragansett Racetrack and industrial park. The scope of work is limited to soil disposal activities only, with an estimated 3,500 tons (approximately 2,500 cubic yards) of contaminated soil containing Total Arsenic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exceeding RIDEM residential and industrial/commercial direct exposure criteria to be removed to a maximum depth of two feet. Bidders must submit unit pricing for soil disposal per cubic yard, documentation of transportation logs, and disposal weight tickets, and the successful contractor will be responsible for arranging facility payments and providing certificates of insurance and comprehensive health and safety plans. The contract period runs from July 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026, with substantial completion targeted for August 1, 2026, representing a single mobilization anticipated to last no more than eight weeks. The solicitation opened on March 16, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. EDT with a submission deadline of April 13, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. EDT; vendor questions are accepted through April 3, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and a non-mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for March 24, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the project site. Required qualifications include valid Rhode Island contractor registration certificates and comprehensive insurance coverage including general liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), workers' compensation ($100,000), automobile liability ($1,000,000), and environmental/pollution liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate).

The procurement includes mandatory Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) set-aside requirements, with a minimum of 15 percent of the total dollar value required to be awarded to MBE/WBE contractors in compliance with Rhode Island General Laws 37-14.1. Bidders must submit a bid surety bond equal to 5 percent of the cost proposal or a certified check, and the successful contractor must furnish 100 percent payment and performance bonds prior to purchase order issuance. Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) will be responsible for soil pre-characterization, site preparation, permitting, grading, backfilling, and other remedial actions under a separate RIDEM Remedial Approval Letter dated August 7, 2024, while the soil disposal contractor works independently on removal and off-site disposal. The contract includes three cost allowances totaling $25,000 for unforeseen conditions: $10,000 for underground storage tank identification, $10,000 for unidentified utility strikes, and $5,000 for coordination efforts, with liquidated damages set at $100 per day for delays beyond substantial completion. Vendor responses must be submitted electronically through Ocean State Procures, and a 0.33 percent contract administrative fee applies to the total annual contract value. The project is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and while specific budget ranges are not disclosed, the scope of work for approximately 2,500 cubic yards of soil disposal provides a basis for competitive bidding.