J--NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD A SOLE SOURCE

NAICS Code: 811219 The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, intends to issue a sole source purchase order to Thermo Electron Spectroscopy for a comprehensive service agreement for the following instruments and associated accessories for the period October 1, 2002 - September 30, 2003: TJA 61 ICP, TJA Trace ICP and VG Plasmaquad 3 ICP-MS. This acquisition is conducted under FAR Part 12. This notice constitutes the only solicitation; a written solicitation will not be issued. The three (3) instruments listed above shall be serviced at the EPA's Edison, NJ facility. Interested parties may respond to this requirement by providing documentation that your firm posesses historical access to replacement parts and successful performance in servicing the referenced Thermo Jarrell Ash and VG Elemental instruments. The information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination to not compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the EPA. Please refer to numbered note 22.