SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Characterization & Potential Impacts of Noise Producing Construction & Operation
- Notice Date
- 7/14/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Procurement Operations, MMS Procurement Branch, HQ381 Elden Street, MS 2102HerndonVA20170-4817US
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- M09PS00078
- Response Due
- 7/29/2009
- Archive Date
- 8/28/2009
- Point of Contact
- Bridge, Debra M. 703-787-1814, bridged@mms.gov<br />
- E-Mail Address
-
Bridge, Debra M.
(bridged@mms.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE THAT WILL BE ISSUED. The U. S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS) intends to competitively award, based upon the availability of funds, a contract entitled Characterization and Potential Impacts of Noise Producing Construction and Operation Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 15: Contracting by Negotiation. The Minerals Management Service, Procurement Operations Branch, is the contracting office for this procurement and the resultant contract administration. The anticipated period of performance is 60 months, which consists of a 24 month Baseline Data-Phase I, and a 36 month Option, Phase II. The estimated cost range is between $350,000 and $500,000. The applicable NAICS Code is 541690: Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Service. All potential offerors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) in order to receive Government contracts. The Government intends to award a cost reimbursement type contract for the effort described herein. DESCRIPTION: The renewable energy industry is rapidly evolving in the face of changing energy markets, technologies, and governmental policies. Currently wind is of greatest interest because of its proven technology, however planning for this future cannot be based on past experience alone. Limited ocean-based renewable energy development has occurred world-wide and this has been primarily wind power, located offshore of Europe. Renewable energy projects link to an electricity market that is very different from the petroleum-based industry MMS manages under the OCS Lands Act. These projects will also have very different potential environmental effects and operational needs than do offshore petroleum projects. Based on current expressions of industry interests, MMS expects that most, if not all, renewable energy projects and activities in the foreseeable future will focus on portions of the MMS Atlantic OCS. These are frontier areas with no current renewable energy operations.The construction of offshore renewable facilities will ultimately introduce a considerable amount of noise into the marine environment for some period. To better understand the cumulative effects of noise from renewable construction and development activities on the OCS, the MMS will conduct a study to characterize all aspects of noise-producing activities, such as pile driving, during the construction and operation of an offshore wind facility. The study will characterize both specific sources of noise from MMS-permitted actions associated with the construction and operation of an offshore wind facility, as well as ambient noise measurements on the Atlantic OCS. Major noise-producing activities will be identified, and may include activities in addition to pile driving, and measurements of noise from these activities will be recorded and reported in appropriate units of measurement to estimate the acoustic footprint of the activities duration, frequency, intensity, and relative contribution to ambient noise levels. These data will help quantify the relative contribution to ambient noise levels and consequently, the potential impact(s) to marine resources from the introduction of sound into the marine environment. This study should occur within the next year and would include field work to measure ambient noise levels and then evaluate the sound generated during construction and operation activities. PURPOSE: The objectives of this study are: 1-Baseline Data: Phase I - to identify and characterize the levels and sources of ambient noise (both man-made and natural) in surrounding waters within the areas of concern (to be determined by the MMS) prior to construction of an offshore wind facility; and 2-Option- Phase II to field-measure actual levels of underwater noise generated during the construction and operation of the facility and to estimate the potential impacts (behavior, number of species present during activities, etc.) to the species present in the area as determined from analyses of the ambient acoustic data (Baseline Data). In addition, signal acquisition, detection, processing, and identification would be required for entire project (Baseline Data and Option Phase II). BACKGROUND: The MMS is charged with the responsibility of considering the effects of its actions on significant resources on the OCS of the United States, from state waters to the limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Offshore facilities generate noise during construction and operation. The impacts from pile driving result in substantial noise energy transmission within the water column. The MMS needs to understand the zone of influence from sound generated by these activities as well as measure existing ambient noise levels in order to determine potential impacts (behavior, number of species present during activities, etc.) to marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, and the surrounding habitats. SCOPE OF WORK: The location of the study area will be determined by the MMS but will be in two (2) of the locations below (within the US Exclusive Economic Zone) and within the Atlantic OCS Planning Area Boundaries. The areas for possible collection to be determined by MMS (2 areas minimum): 1) Horseshoe Shoal off the coast of Cape Cod; 2) Offshore New Jersey/Delaware; 3) Offshore Rhode Island; 4) Offshore Georgia; 5) Offshore South/North Carolina; or 6) Offshore Florida. The Contractor shall assume the area to be approximately ten (10) miles offshore of the State coastline. HOW TO RESPOND: If you are interested in participating in this acquisition, please email your organizations name, point of contact, address, telephone number, email address and DUNS number not later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Wednesday, July 29, 2009, to debra.bridge@mms.gov, or send this same information to Debra Bridge, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, MS-2101, Herndon, Virginia 20170. Please reference, in your response, Solicitation Number M09PS00078, Characterization and Potential Impacts of Noise Producing Construction and Operation Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Those organizations responding to this announcement will receive a copy of the full Request for Proposal when it is issued. PHONE CALLS ARE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.
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