FY18, PKAA, Silver Spades Project

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS) issued a sealed bid invitation (Bid Number 2017-0277) for the Silver Spades Project, an inactive mine site remediation initiative located in Lake County, Colorado, approximately one mile east of downtown Leadville in the historic Leadville Mining District. The primary objective is to safeguard thirty-five hazardous mine openings—thirty-one shafts and four adits—using various closure methods including backfilling, polyurethane foam (PUF), and concrete monolithic plugs. The project scope encompasses removal and disposal of debris, timber management, drainage considerations, equipment installation, and coordination around transmission lines, with detailed specifications provided for 31 features requiring closure installations and three additional features for safeguarding if required. Bidders were required to attend a mandatory pre-bid meeting and site showing held on June 20, 2017, at 9:00 a.m., with sealed bids due by 4:00 p.m. on July 5, 2017, and bid opening scheduled for July 6, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. The construction period was scheduled between August 21, 2017, and October 6, 2017, with a completion deadline of forty-seven calendar days from the Notice to Proceed, including ten days for mobilization. The bid schedule includes eight line items covering mobilization and demobilization, project safety and environmental planning, installation of mine closures (base bid), safeguarding of additional hazardous mine openings (if required), and optional items for additional materials and equipment rental. Evaluation criteria focused on the grand total price and the bidder's capability to meet performance time requirements, with the State reserving the right to award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder; liquidated damages were set at $400.00 per day for delays beyond the completion deadline.

All bidders were required to submit a 5 percent bid guarantee in the form of a bid bond, performance bond, or certified check, with all bid items priced or face disqualification. The project is funded entirely by federal grant money made available through the U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) under Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (CFDA 15.252). Performance and payment bonds for 100 percent of the original contract price are required for bids exceeding $50,000, with retainage of 10 percent withheld for contract amounts between $50,000 and $149,999.99 until project completion and advertisement, and 5 percent retainage applies for contracts of $150,000 or greater. The contract is subject to Colorado state law, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, an eighty percent Colorado labor requirement, and compliance with OSHA safety standards and environmental regulations. Eight contractors attended the pre-bid conference, representing companies including Brannan Construction Co., Mays Construction, Iron Woman Construction, Berry Trucking & Excavating, RM2 LLC, Duran & Lucero Inc., Secure Energy, and Epic Construction & Environmental. No set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions were specified in the available documentation, and no existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements were identified. The contract value was not explicitly stated in the procurement documents reviewed.