Recycling of Waste Containing Mercury

The City of Tucson is seeking a contractor for RFP No. 230060 to provide comprehensive recycling services for waste containing mercury from various city departments, including Transportation, Fire Department, and Household Hazardous Waste Program. The procurement aims to establish an annual requirements contract for collection, transportation, recycling, and disposal of mercury-containing materials, with a strong emphasis on recycling and reuse over disposal. The estimated annual quantities include 400 Low Pressure Sodium lamps, 1,950 High Pressure Sodium lamps, 350 Compact Fluorescent Lamps, and numerous other mercury-containing items across multiple categories. Evaluation criteria will focus on contractor qualifications, experience, method of approach, and price proposal, with the city prioritizing vendors who can provide detailed information about recycling processes, safety procedures, and material disposition. Key requirements include compliance with Universal Waste regulations, provision of safety equipment, and comprehensive documentation. The pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for May 23, 2023, with proposals due on June 13, 2023, and the initial contract term set for one year with potential renewals for up to four additional one-year periods.

While the RFP does not explicitly mention specific set-aside designations, the contract incorporates Section 3 requirements, which prioritize employment and economic opportunities for low- and very low-income persons. The city reserves the right to award the contract to one or multiple offerors based on the best interests of the city. Contractors will be required to maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including environmental and hazardous waste liability, and must be prepared for potential facility audits. Although no specific budget range is provided in the documents, the pricing page includes a detailed unit pricing structure for various mercury-containing items, with costs to cover transportation, profiling, lab analysis, bulking, staging, repacking, and disposal. Deep well injection is explicitly prohibited, and the city strongly emphasizes maximum recycling and minimal disposal. The contract will require electronic tracking, individual manifest numbers, and comprehensive documentation for each city department involved in the mercury waste recycling process.