Elementor #33095

LETTERS OF INTEREST (LOI)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE

BROWNFIELDS COMMUNITY WIDE ASSESSMENT GRANT

FOR HAZARDOUS AND PETROLEUM SUBSTANCES

          1.      Project Title:                            Business Development Corporation Community Wide Assessment Project for Hazardous Substances and Petroleum

          2.      Funding Agency:                     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)

          3.      Issuing Agency:                       Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle (BDC)

          4.      Contact Person:                       Jacob Keeney Assistant Executive Director

         324A Penco Rd
         Weirton WV 26062
         Phone:       (304) 748-5041
         Fax:            (304) 914-4687
         E-Mail:       jkeeney@bhbdc.com
         Web Site:   www.bhbdc.com

          5.      Copies of LOI:                           Interested consultant services must submit by e-mail one (1) copy of the LOI in Portable Document Format (PDF).

          6.      Proposed Budget:                   The BDC will negotiate an overall budget for both hazardous substances and petroleum upon the selection of a preferred consultant service(s).

          7.      US EPA Grant Amount:           The contractual grant amount is $422,500.

          8.      Submittal Deadline:                September 7, 2023, postmarked or delivered no later than 1:00 PM. Mail or hand delivery to Contact Person and address as listed above.                   Electronic submissions in Portable Document Format (PDF) are acceptable when emailed with Delivery Receipt to jkeeney@bhbdc.com.

          9.      Consultants Selection Date:    September 15, 2023. The BDC is not conducting face-to-face interviews.

          10.  Anticipated Award Date:          September 2023.

          11.  Anticipated Completion Date:      October 2028

          Note:   The BDC reserves the right to reject any or all LOIs.

          Requirements for Submitting the Letter of Interest and Selection Process

          A.   Instructions for Preparing and Submitting a Letter of Interest

          2.      Letters of Interest shall be limited to ten (10) 8½” x 11″ single sided pages.

                       3.      Please adhere to the following requirements in preparing and binding letters of interest:

                  a.      Please use a minimum font size of 12-point and maintain margins of 1″ on all four sides.

                  b.      Center the page numbers at the bottom of each page.

                  c.       Use 8½” x 11″ paper only.

                 d.      Bind letters of interest by stapling at the upper left hand corner only. Do not utilize any other binding system.

                 e.      Do not provide tabbed inserts or other features that may interfere with machine copying.

          Key Components of the Letter of Interest (LOI)

          A.    Content of the LOI:
                1.   Team Approach – Not to exceed five (5) pages

               a.      Identify the qualifications of your firm to perform the tasks described below according to the regulations of the US Environmental Protection Agency                                     Brownfields Assessment Program, and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP).

              b.      List significant subconsultants, their current prequalified categories, and percentage of work performed by subconsultants.

              c.       List the Project Manager and other key staff members; including key subconsultant staff. Include project engineers for important disciplines and staff members                     that will be responsible for the work.

        2.   Experience – Not to exceed three (3) pages

             a.      Describe the capacity of your staff and their ability to perform the work in a timely manner, relative to present workload, and the availability of the assigned staff.               Address the experience of the key staff member on similar projects, and the staff qualifications relative to the selection subfactors noted.

                     3.     Project Approach – Not to exceed two (2) pages
                          a.      Provide a description of your Project Approach, not to exceed two pages. Address your firm’s technical approach, understanding of the project, innovative ideas                                     and any other relevant information concerning your firm’s qualifications for the project. Address your firm’s project specific plan for insuring increased quality
                                 and reduced project delivery time.
 

          Consultant Selection Rating Form

          Exhibit 1 – Consultant Selection Rating Form Notes 

            1.   The selection will rank the proposed project manager for each consultant service with the highest scoring project manager receiving the greatest number of points, and                  lower ranked project managers receiving commensurately lower scores. The basis for each project manager’s ranking and score is experience on similar projects and past              performance for a the BDC or other outside agencies that the consultant service may have or have not documented in the LOI. 

            2.   The selection team will score and rank the consulting firm’s experience and strength of the assigned staff, including subconsultant staff as noted for Number 1 above. 

            3.     The selection team will rank the consultant’s workload and availability of qualified personnel, equipment, and facilities on a relative differential scoring type basis. The                    selection team shall consider an equitable distribution of work to all qualified firms submitting a LOI.

            4.     The selection team shall rank and score the consultant’s past performance on similar projects using a relative, differential scoring type basis, with the highest ranked                             consultant receiving a commensurately greater number of points. The selection team should consider WV DEP of OEPA performance ratings if available, and consult
                   other agencies as appropriate.

           Note: The Selection Team is the representative employees of the BDC. The BDC may contact any outside agencies, clients, or other references that the consultant service may                        have or have not documented in the LOI.

                                                                                                                                            SCOPE OF SERVICES

            Task 1 (Phase I ESAs): Will complete between ten (10) and twelve (12) sites prioritized by the BDC, but not assessed with funds received from previous EPA assessment grants. The consultant             will perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) on selected sites following the ASTM E-1527 standard. The consultant will use Phase I ESA results to develop scope(s) of work for               targeted Phase II ESAs at selected sites.  

           Task 2 (Phase II ESAs): Will complete five (5) Phase II ESAs following the approved US EPA previously approved a quality assurance project plan. The consultant will develop a               sampling and analysis, and site-specific health and safety plan for each site. The BDC and consultant will prioritize sites based upon the results from the completed Phase I                   ESAs, the property owners’ continued cooperation, and the potential for redevelopment. Further evaluation will also consider site eligibility for future cleanup and                                 revitalization funding and potential assistance through the West Virginia Voluntary Remediation Program. The Phase II ESAs will include targeted sampling of soil,                                   groundwater, surface water and various waste materials that may require disposal. Where appropriate, the consultant will use cost-saving techniques (e.g., field screening                   technologies) to minimize investigation costs. The results of these targeted Phase II ESAs will provide information to perform preliminary risk evaluations and to develop                       preliminary remedial action plans and related cost estimates. 

           The environmental firm contracted to perform work through this project will be a WV Licensed Remediation Specialist (LRS). The LRS will oversee the Brownfields inventory;               conduct the Phase I and Phase II ESAs, and work with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) to develop remedial options for each site. 

           Task 3 (Reuse and Remedial Planning): This activity involves remedial and reuse planning for up to eight (8) targeted sites with land use planning and funding evaluation activities that will                   result in a sustainable approach to cleaning up and redeveloping the targeted properties. Broader regional economic development objectives and property-specific determinations of optimal            reuses given market information, the availability of funding and incentives, and estimated cleanup costs will guide reuse and remedial planning activities.. This multifaceted approach will help            ensure that the BDC will allocate EPA funds and other resources on properties that have the highest likelihood for cleanup and redevelopment.

           Task 4 (Community Outreach): The consultant, in coordination with the BDC, will continue to meet them on a regular basis to provide up-to-date information and receive feedback. The
           consultant is responsible for planning and organizing up to two (2) public meetings annually, with assistance from the BDC, in the targeted communities. The purpose is to keep the                                 community  breast of activities. The consultant a will also use a variety of public involvement activities that may include but not limited to public announcements, newsletters, email                               distributions, web pages, and other social media techniques as approved by the BDC. Creative Community Outreach techniques are encouraged. 

          Task 5 Program Implementation: The consultant will assist the BDC in the preparation of the required quarterly reports. Prior to initiating the project, the consultant will prepare a final                        approach statement to assure that the consultant, BDC, and the US Environmental Protection Agency understand and agree to an overall approach and expectations.