THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), South Carolina District has a requirement for a non-competitive award for "Total Mercury" and "Methyl Mercury" analyses. This project is being done in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). Data-quality objectives and analytical requirements for this project are that the contract laboratory has met the FY 2004 requirements for National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation (NELAC) approval of low-level mercury and methyl mercury methods based on detection limit, precision, and accuracy described in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) method 1630 (low-level methyl mercury) and method 1631 (low-level mercury) in sediment. Because of late project start up and immediate project end date (9/30/2004), the contract laboratory should currently meet the requirements of the Laboratory Evaluation Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Branch of Quality Systems (BQS) and be listed as approved in FY 2004 to allow the entry of the analytical results into the USGS National Water Information System. Frontier Geoscience Inc. is the only laboratory currently meeting the above requirements. The USGS anticipates awarding this to Frontier Geoscience, Inc. on or about September 2, 2004. NAICS Code is 541690. Questions pertaining to this announcement and it's current requirement ONLY shall be submitted via e-mail to:
[email protected] by 9/1/2004. THE SUBJECT LINE OF ALL EMAILS MUST CONTAIN THE WORDS "04ER20-NoSolicitation" No additional synopsis will be published. Analytical laboratories interested in bidding for future projects requiring low-level mercury and methyl mercury analysis in water and sediment should meet the above method and approval requirements. Guidance for NELAC approval is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/nerlesd1/land-sci/nelac/index.html). Guidance on applying to the USGS BQS for verification and listing as a NELAC-approved laboratory for the analytes of interest (low-level total mercury and methyl mercury) is provided at the following web site: http://bqs.usgs.gov/lep/ and described below: For a LABORATORY to be approved by USGS: 1. If a laboratory is NELAC certified, the USGS requirements for general documentation are satisfied and the laboratory is approved providing: a. The laboratory is certified for similar analyses as those of interest to the USGS; b. The list of deficiencies found by the NELAC accrediting authority is either resolved or in an acceptable state to the USGS; and c. There have been no significant changes in performance or operation that would change any previous findings. 2. To verify that the laboratory of interest is acceptable to USGS, we will require an amended list of documents for laboratory approval. a. The complete NELAC deficiency log from the NELAC on-site laboratory inspection. Include the laboratory response and corrective actions report. b. The NELAC proficiency sample results for at least two consecutive test periods. c. The requested analytes and concentrations ranges that need to be covered for the USGS project. d. SOPs of analyses for which the laboratory is NOT NELAC accredited. For approval of SPECIFIC ANALYTES from a USGS approved Laboratory: 1. Approval for specific analytes are USGS approved if they are NELAC accredited under the correct program. a. NELAC accreditation can be under either the Clean Water Act (CWA) or the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for USGS approval. b. USGS cannot accept accreditation under the CAA (Clean Air Act) for water samples. c. USGS cannot accept accreditation under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA - commonly known as Superfund) for USGS analyses at ambient concentrations unless the ability to provide appropriate results in the expected concentration range and the appropriate matrix is proven. 2. For NELAC accredited Inorganic analyses, participation in the USGS standard reference (SRS) project is still required. 3. For NELAC accredited Organic, Radiochemical, Physical Measurements, and Biological analyses, participation in the USGS standard reference (SRS) project is not required if proficiency test samples are acceptably analyzed. 4. If a laboratory has NELAC accreditation and USGS requires proof of proficiency for analytes that are not within the scope of its NELAC accreditation, the laboratory must provide appropriate SOPs to the USGS, and prove that these other analyses remain under the general Quality System accredited by NELAC audit. Once a laboratory is approved by USGS, the specific analytes of interest must remain in an acceptable status as determined by performance on SRS and/or appropriate proficiency test samples. NELAC laboratory approvals are based on a 12-month period, and must be maintained in order to extend beyond 12 months. USGS approvals are good for three years or until NELAC accreditation is revoked or performance is unacceptable and deemed irreparable in an appropriate time frame. USEPA, 1996, Method 1631: Mercury in water by oxidation, purge and trap, and cold vapor atomic fluorescence (CVAFS). EPA 821-R-96-012 USEPA, 1997, Method 1630: Methyl mercury in water by distillation,aqueous ethylation, purge and trap, and cold vapor atomic fluorescence (CVAFS). Draft method.