Merry Xmas, K-Dog!
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The global proliferation of advanced, ultra-quiet diesel electric submarines has prompted a number of responses around the globe, from initial-stage efforts to mimic a shark’s senses in the USA, to the most obvious route of using more powerful active sonars. In Western countries, concerns have been expressed that these sonars may disorient or scare marine mammals, leading to decompression sickness or disruption of their biological sonar navigation systems. This has led to (unsuccessful) lawsuits aimed at curtailing submarine exercises by Western navies.

In December 2007, USN Rear Adm. Lawrence S. Rice, director of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness, discussed some of the measures that are being taken to investigate the issue, and also mitigate any possible effects. In January, a court battle erupted over undersea training off the coast of San Diego, CA, throwing the issue back into the limelight….

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Most people never see services like wastewater management and water distribution. The cost is built into their taxes, or into initial subdivision fees. Military bases have to deal with this, too, and the preference in the USA seems to be moving toward very long-term fixed-price contracts. A pair of recently-announced contracts from the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) in Fort Belvoir, Va. worth over $240 million serve to illustrate. Both are firm-fixed-price contracts with prospective price re-determination, covering a 50-year contract period for ownership, operation and maintenance of water distribution system and wastewater collection systems:

Sept 14/07: American States Utility Services, Inc. in Costa Mesa, Calif. won a $143.8 million contract for the US Army’s Fort Jackson Army Installation and environs in South Carolina. Date of performance completion is December 2057. There were 340 proposals originally solicited, and also web solicited, with 5 responses to the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) in Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-07-C-8251).

Sept 14/07: American Water Operations and Maintenance, Inc. in Voorhees, N.J., won a $98.1 million contract for the US Army’s Fort A.P. Hill Army Installation and environs in Virginia. Date of performance completion is December 2057. There were 340 proposals originally solicited, and also web solicited, with 5 responses (SP0600-07-C-8254).

Small business qualifier Chugach Government Services Inc. in Anchorage, AK received a $9 million firm-fixed-price contract for operation and maintenance of a water and wastewater treatment plant. Work at Fort Meade, MD, which is expected to be completed by Sept. 14, 2012. This was a sole source contract initiated on June 18, 2007. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-07-C-0028).

LHD 5 Harrier launch
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York International Corp. in York, PA received a $47.9 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of up to 40×200-ton DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class destroyer Air Conditioning Plant kits, 19×200-ton CG-47 Ticonderoga Class cruiser Conversion Kits, 9×125-ton LSD-41 Whidbey Island Class amphibious transport Conversion Kits, and 6×300-ton LHD-1 Wasp Class amphibious air/assault ship Air Conditioning Kits, with associated equipment and support services.

Subject conversion kits are required to modify the existing shipboard centrifugal compressor air conditioning plants to operate with non-CFC refrigerant on CG-47, DDG-51, LSD-44 through 52, and LHD-1 Class surface ships. Work will be performed in York, PA and is expected to be complete by August 2010. The contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Ship Systems Engineering Station in Philadelphia, PA (N65540-07-D-0015)

NPOESS (click to view full)

The National Polar-orbiting Observing Satellite System (NPOESS) is a joint program of the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and the NASA that will help develop 3-7 day weather forecasts for civilian and military purposes, replacing less sophisticated satellites that are expected to fail over the next several years. Those forecasts include weather like hurricanes, tornadoes, et. al. Unfortunately, it now appears that NPOESS could be as much as $3 billion over budget, and that it is not expected to be launched until 2012 – 3 years later than even the most recent program plan, and at least 6 years later than earlier projections. Some gaps in coverage are possible during that time, if enough older satellites fail.

In November 2005 testimony given at a House of Congress Science Committee hearing, the Administrator of NOAA and the Undersecretary of the Air Force promised new cost and schedule estimates and policy options, as well as fuller and more rapid information. Nor are these the only changes underway in NPOESS, which was openly described as “a program in crisis”... DID’s updates you with some contract history, and recaps the program’s issues and changes in the wake of a recent $2+ billion contract…

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Global Investment Recovery in Tampa, FL won a maximum $10.9 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity, total set aside contract with an 18 month base and 3 more 12-month options for “electronic equipment de-manufacturing services.” The firm recycles electronics, extracting metals from circuit boards and also providing services like total destruction of disk drives.

Work will be performed in Tampa, FL; Reno, NV, and Salley, SC; and the date of performance completion is February 19, 2009. There were 7 responses to the original proposal by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) in Battle Creek, MI (SP4410-07-D-1007). Which shouldn’t be surprising, as the US EPA named 7 providers in December 2004 for its Recycling Electronics and Asset Disposition with a Government Wide Acquisition Contract, in order to help federal agencies meet requirements of Executive Order #13101, “Greening the Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Acquisition.”

Air Combat Command HQ at Langley Air Force Base, VA has issued a $500 million contract for restoration; performance-based remediation; horizontal and vertical construction, repair and maintenance; demolition; force protection; homeland security; and a full range of operations and services and tasks that support environmental requirements on government installation.

This is a shared program indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract, with various kinds of task orders that can include firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, fixed-price-incentive, time and materials/labor hours and cost-plus-fixed fee. Solicitations began September 2005, negotiations were complete September 2006, and work will be complete September 2016. The companies who can compete for orders under this contract include:

• CAPE, San Antonio, TX (FA4890-06-D-0010)
• CH2M Hill Corp., Herndon, VA (FA4890-06-D-0007)
• Environmental Chemical Corp., Burlingame, CA (FA4890-06-D-0011)
• Innovative Technical Solutions Inc., Denver, CO (FA4890-06-D-0005)
• Kemron Environmental Services Inc., Atlanta, GA (FA4890-06-D-0006)
• Shaw Environmental Inc., Knoxville, TN (FA4890-06-D-0004)
• Tetra Tech Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (FA4890-06-D-0008)
• URS Group Inc., Omaha, NB (FA4890-06-D-0009)
  
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Chemical demilitarization
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Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group in Pasadena, CA received a $154.3 million increment as part of a $1.04 billion cost-plus-award-fee contract for continued chemical agency neutralization operations leading to the closure of the Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility, IN. Work is expected to be complete by May 31, 2009. There were 32 bids solicited on March 9, 1998, and 2 bids were received by the U.S. Army Sustainment Command in Rock Island, IL (DAAA09-99-C-0016).

Our “US Chemical Demilitarization: Expansion and Update” article discussed some of the procedures and contracts at Aberdeen, MD, which is another US Army Chemical Materials Agency site.

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New York and San Francisco have begun using the IAC 1090 Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System (iABS) developed by Intelligent Automation Corporation (IAC) of Poway, CA to protect public drinking water from contamination and potential terrorism incidents. The system is also being used by the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick, MD, a development partner for the system along with the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research (USACEHR), The US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Defense Legacy Program. The key to this whole system? Well, a neural network processor, and… fish.

Bluegill sunfish, to be precise (for Europeans: similar to Bream).

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The TEC, Inc. Joint Venture in Charlottesville, VA received a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for architect-engineer services for environmental planning. The total contract amount is not to exceed $40 million (base year and four options years) with a guaranteed minimum of $56,000. Work will be performed predominantly at Hawaii, Guam, Saipan and various locations under the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific (NAVFAC Pacific), other NAVFAC components, or other governmental agencies for which NAVFAC Pacific is tasked to provide assistance. The exact location of individual efforts will be designated on individual contract task orders, and the contract will expire in May 2007 (May 2011 if all options are exercised.

This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific in Pearl Harbor, HI issued the contract (N62742-06-D-1870).

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