GROUNDWATER SAMPLING CONTRACT - UST

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Underground Storage Tank (UST) Management Division issued a solicitation for groundwater sampling investigation services at regulated UST system facilities. The contract seeks a Certified UST Site Rehabilitation Contractor to perform comprehensive environmental sampling activities, including monitoring well sampling, gauging, potable well sampling, surface water sampling, and air sample collection. Estimated procurement quantities include 300 Site-Specific Work Plans, 75 receptor surveys, 30 comprehensive surveys, 350 personnel mobilizations, and 3,750 groundwater wells to be sampled. Key qualifications require the contractor to maintain DHEC approval for an Annual Contractor Quality Assurance Plan and comply with UST Management Division Quality Assurance Program Plan. Bidders must be registered with the South Carolina Enterprise Information System and perform all work using a South Carolina Certified UST Site Rehabilitation Contractor as defined under Regulation 61-98. The original submission deadline was April 7, 2020, at 2:30 PM ET, with questions due by March 18, 2020, and award notification scheduled for April 13, 2020. The contract period spans one year with two potential one-year renewal options, effectively allowing a maximum three-year term from April 14, 2020, to April 13, 2023.

The solicitation did not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Midlands Environmental Consultants, Inc. of Lexington, South Carolina, was ultimately awarded the contract with an evaluated price of $199,132.75 and a total potential contract value of $600,000.00. Performance requirements include completing a minimum of 20 sites per month with specific due dates established in Notice to Proceed letters, and potential late fees of $25 per day (not exceeding 20 percent of contract total) for delayed report submissions. The contractor is responsible for providing all necessary equipment, materials, labor, and ensuring proper waste disposal in accordance with state and federal regulations. Failure to meet performance standards may result in contract termination and potential suspension from bidding on future UST-related solicitations in South Carolina. The contract was issued pursuant to South Carolina's statutes and regulations under Title 44, Chapter 2 of the 1976 SC Code of Laws, with a State Budget and Control Board exemption for the UST Management Division previously granted in 1995, with amendments in 1996 and 2007.