Expressions of Interest for a site to be used for an Underground Safety Research Facility

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST The General Services Administration (GSA), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requests Expressions of Interest for a site to be used for an Underground Safety Research Facility. The Government will consider sites to be sold or donated to the Government at an agreed-upon price. The Government is seeking expressions of interest from fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives. The expression of interest is for the SITE ONLY. This site evaluation is being conducted pursuant to 40 U.S.C. § 3304. The Government will review submitted sites against the minimum requirements set forth in this advertisement and eliminate from further consideration those sites which do not meet, or are not readily capable of meeting, such requirements. The Government reserves the right to eliminate from consideration any remaining sites based on the additional criteria stated in this advertisement, among others, and to select the site (including sites other than those offered in response to this advertisement) that the Government believes are the most advantageous to the Government, all factors considered, without regard to 41 U.S.C. § 251 et seq. This request for expressions of interest shall not be construed in any manner to create an obligation on the part of the Government to enter into any agreement, nor to implement any of the actions contemplated herein, nor to serve as the basis for any claim whatsoever for reimbursement of costs for efforts expended in preparing a response or participating in the selection process. The Government may eliminate all sites from consideration if federally owned land is identified for this site requirement. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Delineated Area: Sites offered shall be located within the contiguous United States (all States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, but including the District of Columbia). Size: • Minimum site size of 316 acres to a maximum site size of 600 acres, generally rectilinear in shape with a minimum width of 3000 linear feet and a minimum length of 4600 linear feet. Land Use: • If the proposed site has existing or previous surface or subsurface mining: o The site shall contain an undisturbed rock mass that is a minimum of 600 linear feet x 1800 linear feet x 18 vertical linear feet adjacent to the existing mine o The extraction ratio in any existing mine shall not exceed 75% o The existing mine shall not have any active or inactive hydrocarbon (oil and/or gas) wells o The mine and undisturbed rock mass shall contain no sinkholes o The undisturbed rock mass shall have a Rock Mass Rating (RMR) value of 70 or greater and a Rock Quality Designation (RQD) value of 80 or greater. o No more than 10% of the surface area of a mine shall exhibit roof falls o There will be no previous undermining within 1000 ft. of the undisturbed rock mass • If the proposed site does not have any existing or previous mining activity: o The site shall contain an undisturbed rock mass that is a minimum of 600 linear feet x 1800 linear feet x 18 vertical linear feet o The undisturbed rock mass shall not have any active or inactive hydrocarbon (oil and/or gas) wells o The undisturbed rock mass shall contain no sinkholes o The undisturbed rock mass shall have a Rock Mass Rating (RMR) value of 70 or greater and a Rock Quality Designation (RQD) value of 80 or greater. • The undisturbed rock and subsurface formation will be the target formation used for constructing an underground laboratory. Under either of the above scenarios, the undisturbed rock formation must: o Be located at least 100 feet below the ground surface o Extend no further than 500 feet from the ground surface to the bottom of the rock formation. o The target formation shall not have a slope exceeding 7 degrees. ADDITIONAL CRITERIA: The Government may select the site, if any, which meet the minimum requirements, set forth above and which are considered to be most advantageous to the Government for development of an Underground Safety Research Facility. Additional criteria that the Government will consider are listed below: • Sites located in closer proximity to CDC's Bruceton Research Center located at 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15236 are preferred. • Sites with closer proximity to fire and emergency management services are preferred. • Sites adjacent to or in close proximity to a two-lane paved road are preferred Ownership: • The site offered must be unencumbered by any easements, agreements, and/or severed estates (mineral or other estates) that would materially affect the use and enjoyment of the site for its intended purpose. • The site shall have unencumbered road access at all times. Energy and Utilities: • Sites offering more reliable access to public utilities are preferred. • Power- Utility source shall have the capacity to handle a load of 2,500 KVA at 480Y/277 Volts. • Natural Gas- Availability and capacity to be provided by a municipal source. • Demand of 10 pounds per square inch (PSI) for fire suppression building. 3000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) at low pressure for underground research facility. • Utility infrastructure- No underground gas lines, oil transmission lines, overhead power transmission lines, or radio, television, cellphone or other similar type towers shall be located above, below, or within 1,000 linear feet of the undisturbed rock target formation. Environmental: Sites will be evaluated in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (in addition to other applicable laws and regulations). As such, sites on which the proposed development would significantly impact the human and natural environment in ways that could not be reasonably mitigated (as determined by the Government), will be evaluated less favorably and, depending on the nature and potential severity of the impact(s) (as determined by the Government), may be eliminated from further consideration. Accordingly, preference will be given to sites with developable areas that avoid or minimize impacts to regulated or protected environmental resources, including but not limited to: • Floodplains: o Sites that contain/impact floodplains may be eliminated from further consideration if the Government determines there are practicable alternatives. • Environmental contamination: o The Government should receive all available existing documentation regarding past use of the property and environmental contamination. • Wetlands and other water resources • Threatened and/or endangered species • Protected land-uses (i.e. parks, preservation areas, open space, agriculture, environmental easements, etc.) • Cultural (archaeological and historic) resources • Preference will be given to sites with compatible surrounding land uses. Land Use: • The site would preferably be an existing underground mine, but could include undisturbed rock formation. • If the proposed site has existing or previous surface or subsurface mining, it is preferred that no more than 20% of the existing mine contain standing water. • The site should generally be clear of discontinuities such as faults, significant fracture patterns or any type of sink hole Proximity to Hazards: • Sites that are within close proximity to continuous or infrequent hazards may be evaluated less favorably and, depending on the nature and severity of the hazard may be eliminated from consideration. Hazards include but are not limited to: o Influx of flowing or liquid hydrocarbons o Detectable toxic or explosive gas in the target formation or within the existing facility Acquisition and Development Cost: • Sites which, in the Government's estimation, provide opportunities to lower overall development costs for an Underground Safety Research Facility are preferred. • All site conditions which may impact project schedule will be considered, including but not limited to: schedule for acquisition, design, and/or construction. External factors that may impact schedule will also be considered, including infrastructure and utility improvements, relocation costs, zoning impact, and local planning objectives. In addition to these factors ("additional criteria"), the Government may consider other attributes of a site. No one criterion listed above is considered to be more important than any other, as a general matter. However, in the context of its evaluation of an individual site, with each site having unique attributes, the Government may treat some criteria as being more important than others. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives shall provide all documentation of ownership (title work, deed, etc.) including entitlement to the property. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives shall provide all existing environmental and geotechnical information available regarding the submitted property. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives shall state the current zoning of the property as well as any applications that may have been submitted to change the zoning of that property to a different intended use. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives shall provide a topographical map, and metes and bounds survey of the offered area. If the site contains an existing mine, a mining plan shall be provided. To verify the rock mass rating (RMR) of the existing mine workings are greater than 70, the fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives shall provide a recent core log, geological map or some other suitable means to verify the rock mass strength. Information related to geological characteristics can be obtained from the U.S. Department of the Interior - Geological Survey (USGS) or the appropriate state geological organization. The USGS website is www.usgs.gov. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives should show on a drawing the distance from the property lines and the availability of public utilities (natural gas, water, sewer, and electric). Provide utility sizing and/or capacity information if known. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives must indicate on the drawings what roads constitute access to the property. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives should also list all Federal, state and county maintained roads within ¼ mile of the property. The fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives shall indicate the requested price per acre for the offered site as well as the offered price for the entire site. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any expenses associated with responding to this advertisement. Fee title owners, or their duly authorized representatives, are invited to submit expressions of interest, specifying the address, and legal description of the property: Luann Caruso Real Property Acquisition Officer Real Estate Acquisition Division/South Branch U.S. General Services Administration The Dow Building 100 South Independence Mall West, Suite #415 Philadelphia, PA 19106 Or [email protected]