The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.
BACKGROUND
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requires specialized services for the safe, compliant, and efficient processing and disposal of Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) generated from its scientific and operational activities. All LLRW subject to this requirement falls within the regulatory thresholds defined under Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 61.55, Class A, indicating that the waste contains relatively low concentrations of radioactivity and is suitable for near-surface disposal.
NIST operates under stringent regulatory oversight and maintains two active licenses issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC):
- Special Nuclear Material License (SNM-362): Authorizes the possession and use of special nuclear material, including by-product material, in any chemical or physical form.
- Reactor License (TR-5): Governs the operation of NIST’s research reactor and associated activities involving radioactive substances.
These licenses enable NIST to conduct advanced research and development involving radioactive materials, necessitating a robust and compliant waste management program. The selected contractor must demonstrate expertise in handling, packaging, transporting, and disposing of Class A LLRW in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including those enforced by the USNRC, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the following essential requirements:
SPECIFIC TASK REQUIREMENTS
- General Requirements: The contractor shall provide guidance and services for the transportation, processing, and disposal of LLRW, including:
- Packaging, Processing, and Shipping: The contractor shall provide recommendations on packaging, volume reduction, processing, and shipping, as well as the preparation of end-burial documents. This includes transportation to the burial site and actual burial.
- Transportation: The contractor shall arrange for transportation to the burial and processing sites. This includes all shipping, truck, and container transport charges, as well as any costs related to the contract carrier, including driver expenses, overnight costs, and demurrage where applicable.
- Waste Processing Method: The contractor shall propose a waste processing method that meets the waste site acceptance criteria and complies with 10 CFR 61.55 and 10 CFR 61.56. The NIST Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) reserves the right to refuse the proposed disposal method.
- Shipping Agent: The contractor shall arrange for a shipping agent at NIST during shipments to certify compliance with all transportation requirements.
- NRC Forms/Manifests: The contractor shall complete all required NRC Forms and manifests (e.g., NRC-540 “Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest”) using data provided by NIST. These details must be verified at least one week before the shipment date.
- Regulatory Compliance: The contractor shall adhere to all federal, state, and local regulations for the shipment, processing, and disposal of LLRW.
- Coordinate of Shipment Details: Shipment dates and times must be coordinated with NIST, the contractor, and shipping agents.
- Documentation of Qualifications: The contractor shall provide documentation of qualifications for any personnel involved in the preparation and transport of LLRW, including DOT hazmat training certifications, commercial driver’s licenses, and medical certifications.
- Shipping Papers: The contractor shall provide completed shipping papers, including emergency response plans, security plans, and required labels and forms per U.S. DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR 171-180).
- Placards and Labels: The contractor shall affix all required placards and labels to the transport vehicle and packages as required by 49 CFR 171-180.
- CDL and Safety Training Verification: The contractor shall allow NIST to verify and copy the driver’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) and current safety training certification card before the shipment leaves the facility.
- Waste Types and Characteristics - The contractor will process and dispose of various types of LLRW, which may include:
- Dry Activated Waste (DAW):
Waste may include contaminated personal protective gear, absorbent paper, labware, activated samples, and contaminated equipment. The maximum on-contact dose rate is less than 100 mR/hr.
- High Dose DAW:
Waste may include contaminated personal protective gear, absorbent paper, labware, activated samples, and contaminated equipment. The maximum on-contact dose rate is between 100 mR/hr and 5,000 mR/hr. Drum shields may be provided upon request to maintain compliance with DOT regulations.
- Metals:
Waste may include metals that are contaminated and activated. The maximum on-contact dose rate is less than 100 mR/hr.
- Aqueous Liquids:
Waste may include aqueous liquids that have been neutralized to a pH of 6-8, with an on-contact dose rate of less than 100 mR/hr.
- Dewatered Bead Resin:
Waste from ion exchange columns with a dose rate of 100 mR/hr to 5,000 mR/hr. Drum shields may be provided upon request.
- Various Aqueous Radioactive Material Samples:
These may include glass ampoules and plastic containers with various nuclides, including Sr-90, Co-60, Cs-137, I-129, I-125, Ra-226, C-14, and H-3. Some materials may require special handling and disposal due to their mixed radioactive waste nature.
- Low-Level Radioactive Sources:
Disposal of sources will be discussed between the contractor and the COR to determine the appropriate disposal method.
DELIVERABLES AND DUE DATES
Documentation: The contractor shall provide completed shipping papers, NRC forms, emergency response plans, security plans, shipment survey forms, and other required documentation prior to shipment departure.
Shipment Receipt Acknowledgment: Within one week of receipt of the shipment, the contractor shall provide a copy of NRC Form 540/541 with Block 9 signed by the consignee, acknowledging receipt of the LLRW.
Processing and Disposal Status Updates: The contractor shall provide quarterly updates until all LLRW has been processed and disposed of. These reports may be submitted electronically.
Final Disposition Notification: Within 30 days of completing the disposal, the contractor shall provide a final notification to the COR. This should include a letter or memo from the final disposal facility, along with any additional NRC Forms 540/541 if the material was shipped to multiple facilities.
HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE
In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response: Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice. Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.
- Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
- Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice. For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
- Manufacturer name
- Model number
- Technical specifications
- If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)
- Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements. Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
- Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.
- Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why. Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.
- State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.
- Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.
- For the NAICS code listed in this notice:
- Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
- If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.
- Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.
- Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services. Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.
- State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services. Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company. Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.
- State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services.
- If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.
- Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment. Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.
- Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
- State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE
Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.
IMPORTANT NOTES
This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time.
This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.
NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.
Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.
Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.
After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).
Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request!
