Noble County: Ohio Department of Development Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program

Update: The deadline for this RFQ has been extended to 1:00 p.m. May 27, 2025

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The Buckeye Hills Regional Council is soliciting a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in the format outlined herein, and intends to contract for environmental consulting services in connection with Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Grant on behalf of the Noble County Board of Commissioners that is funded, in part, through a Grant Agreement with the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD).

As required by the Ohio Revised Code Sections 153.65-71, responding firms will be evaluated and ranked in order of their qualifications. Following this internal evaluation, Buckeye Hills Regional Council will enter into contract negotiations with the most highly qualified firm or firms.

 

RFQ Issue Date:	April 28, 2025
RFQ Title:	Buckeye Hills Regional Council Requesting Statement of Qualifications for Environmental Assessment Work to be Conducted under the 2024 Grant Agreement with the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) for Noble County
Issuing Agency: Staff Contact:	Buckeye Hills Regional Council 1400 Pike Street Marietta, Ohio 45750 Phone: 740-376-7660 Fax: 740-374-8038Kate Dunn kdunn@buckeyehills.org

 

REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Buckeye Hills Regional Council seeks to contract with Environmental Consulting Firms that have an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) Voluntary Action Program (VAP) Certified Professional (CP) on staff, that meet the qualifications under Ohio Administrative Code 3745- 300-05 and have a current certificate issued by the Director of the Ohio EPA, and that have documented prior work experience with the State of Ohio’s VAP (Ohio Revised Code 3746 and the rules promulgated there under). The firm may not subcontract or partner with other firms for personnel to meet these minimum qualifications. To be evaluated for consideration under this RFQ, meeting the Required Minimum Qualifications is mandatory. Environmental Consulting Firms should also have experience with providing guidance with Building Demolition and Site Revitalization projects. Services would include providing assistance with contaminate sampling, reports, and pre-demolition removal and the creation of bid specifications for demolition contractors. The chosen Environmental Consultant will supervise contaminate removal and demolition of the property and inform Buckeye Hills Regional Council staff of all project updates.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Copies Required: Applicants are required to submit one (1) digital copy through e-mail and may additionally submit one (1) hard copy if they so choose. If the applicant chooses to additionally submit their response via hard copy, each response must be submitted on letter- size (8.5″ x 11″) paper. Applicants who do not follow these guidelines or who do not provide comprehensive information will not considered. Responses must be sealed and identified if submitting through hard copy. The email subject line must say: “BHRC RFQ for Noble County Demolition Grant.”

 

Due Date & Time:	On or before 1:00 p.m. on May 27, 2025
Anticipated interview date for invited firms:	3 weeks
Submission Delivery Location:	kdunn@buckeyehills.org Buckeye Hills Regional Council Attn: RFQ for Noble County Demolition Grant 1400 Pike Street Marietta, Ohio 45750

 

All proposals must be submitted directly to Buckeye Hills Regional Council. Proposals reaching Buckeye Hills Regional Council after the closing deadline will not be considered and will be returned unopened to the sender. All submissions will become the property of Buckeye Hills Regional Council and will not be returned.

Questions

Questions concerning any aspect of this RFQ must be submitted by electronic mail to Kate Dunn, Program Manager for this ODOD Grant at kdunn@buckeyehills.org. All questions must be received by 10:00 a.m. on May 12, 2025. All oral communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on this agency. Please call 740-516-0370 regarding any questions concerning the receipt or delivery only of the specifications of this RFQ document. A single response to all questions will be sent electronically to all interested parties. All questions or requests for clarifications must be directed to Kate Dunn. Any attempt to contact any other Buckeye Hills Regional Council employee OR Noble County Board of Commissioners employee regarding this RFQ may be grounds for disqualification as a contractor.

REQUIREMENTS

Firms seeking to participate in this ODOD Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant are expected to adhere to the following conditions:

Incurred Costs

Buckeye Hills Regional Council shall not be liable for any costs, including any travel, incurred by the Firm prior to award of the contract. Total Liability of Buckeye Hills Regional Council is limited to the terms and conditions of this request and any resulting contract.

Award of Contracts/Rejection of Proposals

Firm(s) selected to work on this grant will be those deemed the most qualified and responsive. The decision will be made by the Buckeye Hills Regional Council after a review and recommendation of the firm’s ability to provide the required services. This contract will require completion of the work pursuant to these documents.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals and to waive any irregularity in the proposals received, whenever such rejection or waiver is in Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s best interest. The firm(s) to whom the award is made will be notified at the earliest possible date.

CONTRACT

Buckeye Hills Regional Council will execute a contract with selected firm(s). Payments to the selected firm(s) for services rendered will be governed by the terms outlined in a Form of Task Order for each project. Payment for services provided will be limited to the amount of funds available under the current ODOD grant and future funding sources. The contract will require compliance with all State and Federal EPA laws, rules and regulations listed in Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s ODOD grant, including but not limited to, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) 31.36.

Contract Duration

This contract will be from the date of contract execution until the grant agreement end date or the end date of any potential grant extensions. Contract is subject to the availability of grant funds as well. The Contract shall not be considered executed unless signed by Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s Executive Director.

Insurance

The selected firm will be responsible for providing certificates of insurance to Buckeye Hills Regional Council which prove the firm has not less than $1,000,000 coverage for COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL LIABILITY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE and proof of WORKER’S COMPENSATION INSURANCE AND EMPLOYER’S LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Comprehensive General Liability and Property Damage certificate shall name Buckeye Hills Regional Council its officers, employees, agents and representatives as additionally insured, without exceptions, and shall carry a thirty (30) day written Notice of Cancellation. The Limit for the Workers’ Compensation Insurance and Employer’s Liability Insurance shall be the Statutory Limits of Ohio. Proof of the insurances stipulated above shall be provided to Buckeye Hills Regional Council within ten (10) working days of a firm receiving notice from Buckeye Hills Regional Council of an intent to enter into a contract. The acceptance of any such certificate by Buckeye Hills Regional Council shall in no way relieve the Consultant of obligations to provide and to cause its subconsultants and subcontractors to provide the insurance herein referenced.

The Consultant and all subconsultants and subcontractors shall, at their own expense, obtain and maintain AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY insurance such that it will protect against liability imposed by law for loss or damage, including personal injuries and death arising from the ownership, use or operation of any motor vehicle as specified below:

1. Coverage that complies with the requirements of the State of Ohio for automobile liability insurance.
2. Coverage for Owned, Hired, and Non-owned vehicles.
3. Residual liability coverage with a combined single limit of at least $2,000,000 for both Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

The consultant shall also provide proof of PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE which shall insure against acts which are in the nature of professional services performed by architects and engineers. If a contract is entered into, the consultant shall maintain such during the life of the contract. Professional Liability Coverage shall be provided in an amount not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate.

If the selected firm neglects or refuses to provide any insurance required herein, or if any insurance is canceled, Buckeye Hills Regional Council may, at its option, terminate its contract with the firm.

Notwithstanding anything appearing to the contrary in the Contract Documents, in the event any damages are incurred by the Parties during the work pertaining to this request, Buckeye Hills Regional Council and the Consultant agree to initially proceed against such insurance to the extent that it is available and results in payment of such damages and to waive their respective rights of subrogation against each other to the extent valid insurance covers the damages incurred; provided, however, that if any such damages are not insured and/or do not result in payment of such damages, the same shall not affect the liabilities of the Parties as otherwise provided in the Contract.

HOLD HARMLESS

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Consultant shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Buckeye Hills Regional Council its officers, agents, employees, appointed officials and volunteers from and against any all claims, losses or liability, occasioned by any act, omission or failure of the Consultant any of its officer’s, agents, employees, and volunteers in satisfying the terms required by this contract.

TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND EXCEPTIONS

Buckeye Hills Regional Council does not create any obligation, expressed or implied, of any kind or description in issuing this RFQ or receiving a response. Neither this RFQ nor the response shall be considered as a legal offer.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council reserves the right to alter, amend, or modify any provision of this RFQ, or to withdraw the RFQ, at any time prior to the award of a contract pursuant thereto, if it is in the best interest of Buckeye Hills Regional Council to do so.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council reserves the right to reject any and all responses without cause, waive irregularities or informalities in procedures related to the RFQ, and make inquiries as deemed necessary of Firms and their references and clients regarding qualifications and information submitted as part of their responses.

Some or all of the work performed under this ODOD Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant will be subject to federal contractual and cross-cutting provisions. Buckeye Hills Regional Council hereby notify the Firm(s) that a successful award may be contingent upon the agreement and ability of the selected Firm to comply with these required contractual provisions, including, but not limited to minimum wage rates (e.g., Davis-Bacon Act, DBE utilization, etc.).

In the event the selected Firm(s) does not enter into the required agreement to carry out the purposes described in the RFQ; Buckeye Hills Regional Council may commence negotiations with another Firm.

By submitting a response to this RFQ, each Firm waives all rights to protect or seek remedies whatsoever regarding any aspect of this RFQ, the selection of a Firm or Firms with which to negotiate a contract, the rejection of any or all offers to negotiate, or a decision to terminate negotiations.

ADDITIONAL FIRM QUALIFICATIONS

In addition to having an Ohio EPA VAP CP on staff, who meets the qualifications under Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-05, Buckeye Hills Regional Council will only consider environmental consulting firms that include the following documentation:

• Demonstration of the attainment of BUSTR NFA status on at least two project sites.
• Demonstration of the attainment of Ohio VAP Covenant Not to Sue (CNS) status on at least two project sites.
• Demonstration of experience in complying with U.S. EPA policy (as detailed in Appendix A of this RFQ) to meet the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE).
• Demonstration of successfully supervising an abatement project and communicating with project sponsors.
• Demonstration of successfully supervising a demolition project and communicating with project sponsors.

CONSTRAINTS

All selected firms must make a good faith effort to comply with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)/Women Business Enterprise (WBE) standards under the U.S. EPA’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) policy (40 C.F.R. Section 33) and make reasonable attempts to solicit DBE eligible subcontractor services.

All selected firms must utilize forms currently used by ODOD and/or as amended from time to time to guarantee that all subcontractors properly report their good faith efforts to use disadvantaged businesses for all contracts awarded by Buckeye Hills Regional Council for projects funded by ODOD. Buckeye Hills Regional Council will approve all subcontractors providing services on properties funded by this grant.

Work will be performed and completed at locations determined on a project-by-project basis. All projects will be located within Noble County, Ohio. Buckeye Hills Regional Council will not provide workspace for the contractor.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The following is a list of the types of services typically requested of the selected firm(s).

Hazardous Substance Assessments

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) will satisfy, at a minimum, the requirements for “All Appropriate Inquiry” (AAI) under the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act and any regulations promulgated there under 40 C.F.R. Part 312, which are generally conducted in accordance with ASTM E1527-13 “Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessment: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.” Depending on the parameters of the project, Buckeye Hills Regional Council may request a Phase I Property Assessment prepared in accordance with the Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program as specified in the Ohio Revised Code §3746.04(B)(3) and the Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-06. This request may include a VAP Eligibility Analysis in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-02.

Eligible Phase II ESA activities include performing partial or complete Ohio EPA VAP Phase II Property Assessments under Ohio Administrative Code §3746.04(B)(4) and Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-07. Other Phase II ESA-related activities may include: asbestos surveys, lead-based paint inspections, risk assessments, regulatory file reviews, and the preparation of remedial action plans, in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations.

Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Guidance

Environmental Consulting Firms should have experience with providing guidance to contractors performing demolition work in the case of Building Demolition and Site Revitalization projects. Services would include providing assistance with contaminate sampling, reporting, and pre-demolition removal and the creation of bid specifications and any potential remedial planning for demolition contractors. Firms will be expected to be on hand to answer any questions that the contractor may have before, during, and after demolition. Firms will also be expected to be able to answer any questions regarding utilities to demolition sites. 

Petroleum Product Assessments

Phase I ESAs will satisfy, at a minimum, the requirements for “All Appropriate Inquiry” under the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act and any regulations promulgated there under 40 C.F.R. Part 312, which are generally conducted in accordance with ASTM E1527-13 “Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessment: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.” Depending on the parameters of the project, Buckeye Hills Regional Council may request a Phase I Property Assessment prepared in accordance with the Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program as specified in the Ohio Revised Code §3746.04(B)(3) and the Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-06. This request may include a VAP Eligibility Analysis in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-02. Eligible Phase II ESA activities include performing partial or complete Ohio EPA VAP Phase II Property Assessments under Ohio Administrative Code §3746.04(B)(4) and Ohio Administrative Code §3745-300-07. Additional activities under the petroleum-funded assessments may include: risk assessments, regulatory file reviews, BUSTR Tier I and Tier II evaluations, underground storage tank removals, and the preparation of closure reports and/or remedial action plans, in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations.

Expectations

In performing any and all of the aforementioned environmental activities, each firm may be required to participate in the following activities on a per project basis:

• Provide and maintain necessary coverage on firm/individual insurance certificates, licenses or other contractual documentation as described in the section labeled “Insurance.” Updated documentation of coverage must be sent to Buckeye Hills Regional Council over the grant period.
• Review all provided materials, including any previously conducted environmental reports prior to preparing a proposal of work.
• Attend outreach and informational meetings, if necessary, with Buckeye Hills staff, local government, and clients/property owners.
• Attend public or project-specific meetings with Buckeye Hills staff and/or officials from federal, state, and local regulatory agencies during assessment of projects, as needed.
• Prepare project-specific proposals to Buckeye Hills, which would include a chart showing the names, titles, and responsibilities of personnel to be assigned to the project; a chart showing the fee range for all possible professional services to be conducted along with a detailed budget of costs to be proposed for each task including both DBE and non-DBE subcontractor costs.
• Execute a contract with Buckeye Hills Regional Council for each project.
• Provide project management, implementation and/or technical oversight as needed.
• Provide professional advice regarding environmental issues associated with building demolition and other related matters.
• Provide professional advice regarding environmental issues associated with land reuse, redevelopment and other related matters.
• Evaluate and design Remedial Action Plans (RAP) pursuant to the VAP or other applicable standards.
• Prepare health and safety plan and Phase I Environmental Assessments.
• Communicate with Buckeye Hills Regional Council staff on a regular basis regarding project-specifics.
• Provide updates to Buckeye Hills Regional Council on all currently active assessment projects on a monthly basis via e-mail.
• Attend close-out meetings with Buckeye Hills staff at the completion of each environmental service contract, if requested.

Form of Task Order and Deliverables

Firm(s) will be required to submit a detailed project quote to Buckeye Hills Regional Council for review and approval prior to executing a project-specific contract with Buckeye Hills Regional Council. All quotes must include detailed tasks, detailed budgets for each task proposed, the personnel rate schedule, labor hours, and a list of personnel and subcontractors assigned to each project. A DBE Subcontractor Utilization Form (6100-4 or equivalent) must be provided for each project. The contract will be prepared by Buckeye Hills Regional Council on a project-by-project basis prior to commencing assessment activities. Each project-specific contract requires the approval of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council prior to the commencement of work.

Other project specific requirements include: bi-monthly updates to the program manager on all active projects; preparation of reports/letters/forms and submit all supporting information to Buckeye Hills Regional Council for review and use. All final reports and supporting information shall be submitted to Buckeye Hills Regional Council in e-mail form. Copies may also be submitted via hard copy and must be sent alongside hard copies of the response to this RFQ. Reports may also be requested for federal, state or local regulatory agencies or other third parties.

Work Schedule

The work schedule is determined on a project-by-project basis. The contract time period will be from date of contract execution until the end of the grant period as described in the grant agreement with the Ohio Department of Development, any potential future sources of funding, and dependent on any potential grant extensions.  All work schedules will be agreed upon and defined in the project proposal.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Buckeye Hills Regional Council has been awarded an Ohio Department of Development Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant on behalf of the Noble County Board of Commissioners to demolish blighted and abandoned sites throughout Noble County. Project sites were predetermined in the grant application. Approximately $40,000 will be spent on pre-demolition related activities, $400,000 on demolition related activities, and $10,000 on post-demolition costs. The remaining $50,000 is reserved for general administration of the grant, all sites included on the grant application that go through demolition must be thoroughly examined for contaminants prior to any demolition activities and a removal/remediation plan must be created if needed. Potential services that will be required of the chosen Environmental Consulting firm include:

• Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
• Remedial planning and design
• Assistance with community outreach, if needed
• May include planning activities to initiate brownfield revitalization and activities to repair your brownfield site for redevelopment.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council plans to hire a minimum of one (1) environmental consultant to perform the work for the ODOD Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant on behalf of the Noble County Board of Commissioners. Buckeye Hills Regional Council will contract directly with the environmental consultant(s). All work will be completed under the direction of an Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program Certified Professional and will conform to the standards set forth under the Ohio Voluntary Action Program. The selected firm(s) will be subject to federal contract requirements, including, but not limited to, Minority Business Enterprise/Women’s Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) standards, project certification process and minimum Federal (Davis-Bacon) wage rates, where applicable.

The selected firm(s) will be asked to enter into an agreement with Buckeye Hills Regional Council to provide environmental consulting services. All Hazardous Substances Assessments will be conducted under the standards of the Ohio EPA’s Voluntary Action Plan (VAP) using State of Ohio Certified Voluntary Action Program (VAP) Rules (Ohio Administrative Code rule 3745-300-01 through 3745-300-14. All Petroleum Environmental Assessments involving underground storage tanks will be conducted using American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) industry accepted protocol and adhere to the regulatory standards of the State of Ohio’s Department of Commerce, Division of State Fire Marshall, Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulations (BUSTR). The designated environmental firm(s) will be knowledgeable and proficient in conducting both Hazardous Substances and Petroleum Assessments.

ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

Each response to this RFQ should be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward concise description of the respondent’s ability to meet the requirements of the RFQ. Decorative bindings, colored displays, promotional material, etc. will receive no evaluation credit. Emphasis should be on the completeness and clarity of the content.

The following Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) information must be provided in the order listed below.

Section I – Introduction (No Points)

Cover page

1. Firm’s name, email address, business postal address, telephone and fax numbers (please include the address of a local division or office if firm is not based in Ohio), contact person, and telephone/e-mail for this person.
2. Federal I.D. number
3. Ohio Tax I.D. number
4. The firm’s legal formation (e.g., corporation, sole proprietor, etc.) and state of incorporation, if applicable
5. Firms’ status as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), if applicable (provide a valid certificate)
6. Workers Compensation Certificate

Cover letter

The cover letter should include the date the RFQ is being submitted.  All statements must confirm that the organization will comply with all the provisions of this RFQ. The firm must provide a brief description of the organization including history, number of years the organization has been in business, type of services this firm provides, and legal status of the firm. A representative, authorized to make contractual obligations on behalf of your firm, must sign the cover letter.

Table of Contents

Organize your document so that reviewers can easily locate all of the important elements. Organize the document to follow the format of all sections listed in this request. Identify each section of your response and provide page number references.

Executive Summary

Provide an overview of your firm’s approach to providing environmental assessment services. Please highlight the distinguishing characteristics of your proposal along with the importance of this project to your overall operation. Provide an explanation of why your firm is uniquely- qualified to address the needs of Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s Building Demolition and Site Revitalization program.

Section II – Firm Capacity (10 Points)

Project Understanding, Capacity to Perform Proposed Scope of Work and Deliverables

Please provide the following information:

1. Your firm’s understanding of this project’s purpose and scope. Please include the methods your firm will use to perform requested services and provide solutions for pertinent issues and potential problems.
2. Describe your firm’s ability to prepare required reports, for all services noted in Section II above, to the required governmental or industry standards.
3. Your firm’s ability to assist the project sponsor in managing an abatement and demolition schedule for a demolition project.

Section III – Approach (20 Points)

1. Describe the methods you will use to carry out a project and the reasons for this approach. Describe the tasks to be undertaken.
2. Buckeye Hills Regional Council will execute a Contract for work on each property that will last for a specified period of time, as agreed upon by the selected firm. Describe how your firm is in a position (i.e., location, staff, capital, equipment, prior experience) to provide the requested environmental assessment activities within a short timeframe.
3. Describe how your firm would handle an unusually heavy workload, both as a result of your responsibilities to other clients and in the event of several concurrent projects from Buckeye Hills Regional Council.
4. Provide an estimated percentage of the total personnel hours on a typical project that will be billed by the Certified Professional assigned to Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s grant.

Section IV – Project Management (20 points)

Describe your project management approach including:

1. How will your firm manage this contract? Describe the organizational structure that will be used for this project detailed by reporting levels and lines of authority. Include an organizational chart depicting all personnel who could be potentially assigned to accomplish the work requested.
2. Describe in detail the project control steps your firm will take (time, quality, etc.).
3. Describe how you will report project status updates and the handling/communication of unanticipated events or discoveries related to your work on this grant.
4. Describe the established lines of communication within your firm pertaining to your work on Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s grant.
5. Specify your key contact for this work and his/her office location and address.
6. If you plan to use staff from other offices than that of your key contact, please indicate the personnel and location(s) of their offices.
7. Identify the potential risks, problems, or challenges that you might experience in working on assessment grants like Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s.
8. Identify steps that can be taken to avoid or mitigate these problems and steps to be taken should the problem occur. Incorporate activities in the project plan to reduce the occurrence, severity and impact of events or situations that can compromise the attainment of any project objective.
9. During the course of assessment projects, Buckeye Hills Regional Council may be required to report releases of hazardous substances and/or petroleum products to the appropriate regulatory agency. Please identify the procedures your firm has in place to handle the initial and follow-up reporting on any such release.
10. Describe your firm’s access to equipment typically used to conduct requested tasks and your access to support staff to complete projects.

Section V – Experience (60 points)

Expertise and Conduct

Please profile all staff that may be assigned to work on or associated with Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s grant. We would prefer a specific listing of those are will actually work on our projects; not just a full list of company staff. Describe the adequacy of staff, equipment, research tools and administrative resources; quality and appropriateness of technical or support staff; and past performance of the organization relevant to this project.

Also include:

A list and resumés of Ohio VAP Certified Professionals (CP) on staff including certification number and copy of the current license of each CP. Indicate the VAP Certified Professional(s) who will primarily be assigned to Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s program. Demonstrate that the individuals who would be assigned to Buckeye Hills’ projects have experience with an ODOD Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant and have worked on the types of projects that would commonly be assessed under this program.

A list and resumés of other licensed environmental professionals on staff by certification type including certification number and copy of current license. Demonstrate that the individuals who would be assigned to the council’s projects have experience with an ODOD Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant and have worked on the types of projects that would commonly be assessed under this program.

A list of any CPs who, while working for your company (even if they are no longer employed by your company), has had his/her certification either threatened for suspension, suspended, or revoked by Ohio EPA.

Performance

Please demonstrate your firm’s experience in completing similar projects on time and within budget, include a list of projects, by name, location and time period activities were conducted. Please list:

• The total number of ODOD-funded Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grants your firm performed within the past five years.
• The total number of VAP Phase I and II brownfields’ assessments performed within the past five years.
• All BUSTR NFAs, which have been conducted by certified professionals currently employed by your firm. Also indicate those NFAs which were conducted during the CP’s employment with your firm. Please include the incident number of each project. Please include the following: a list of projects, location, dates, client names, type of activity, services rendered, project outcome, budgeted project cost, and actual cost.
• All Ohio VAP CNS projects which have been conducted by certified professionals currently employed by your firm. Also indicate those CNS projects which were conducted during the CP’s employment with your firm. Please include the NFA number of each project. Please include the following: a list of projects, location, dates, client names, type of activity, services rendered, project outcome, budgeted project cost, and actual cost.
• Demonstrate experience in complying with U.S. EPA policy (40 C.F.R. Section 31.36[e]) to meet the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) by providing a list including eligible award amounts, in the past three years.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council reserves the right to approve or disapprove any change in the project team members whose participation is specifically offered in the firm’s individual assessment proposals. This is to assure that persons with vital experience and skill are not arbitrarily removed from the project by the consultant.

Section VI – Qualifications (58 points)

1. Describe your firm’s advantages
   1. What qualifications does your firm bring to this project?
   2. Explain what differentiates your services from others in the market (any distinguishing characteristics or approaches, etc.). Describe your firm’s greatest strengths.
   3. How do your experiences give you the ability to respond to the needs of your clients, including potential clients such as Buckeye Hills Regional Council?
   4. Many of the projects funded with Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s current grant did not seek a Covenant Not to Sue and required only minimal clean up (if any). Please indicate your firm’s unique capabilities to address environmental issues and your approach to these less-involved site assessments.
   5. Describe succinctly your firm’s three most successful projects and what made them successful.
2. Firm details — Describe your firm’s qualifications including:
   1. A concise history of your firm, your main partners/officers and largest shareholder.
   2. A description of all AAI Phase I environmental site assessment activities your firm has completed, within the State of Ohio, in the past three years. Include the project name, location, dates, client, and type of activity, original and final costs.
   3. A description of all Phase II environmental site assessment activities your firm has completed, within the State of Ohio, in the past three years. Include the project name, location, dates, client name, type of activity, services rendered, project outcome, budgeted project cost, and actual cost.
   4. A description of all asbestos and lead-based paint survey activities your firm has completed in the previous year. Include the project name, location, dates, client, type of activity, budgeted project cost, and actual cost.
   5. A description of all BUSTR Tier I and Tier II Evaluations your firm has provided services for in the past three years. Include project name, dates, client, type of activity, location of project, BUSTR site coordinator; result of the activity, budgeted project cost, and actual cost.
   6. A description of preparing urban setting designations to the Ohio EPA Director in accordance with Ohio Revised Code §3745-300-10.
   7. Provide prior related project experience and educational background of each individual who may be assigned to Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s grant.
   8. Provide information regarding the current continuing education standings for CP(s).
   9. Provide information regarding the number of withdrawals or denials of CNS(s).
   10. Provide information regarding any warning letters, renewal denials or suspensions the CP(s) has received to date.
   11. Provide any pertinent information you feel is necessary in conveying to Buckeye Hills Regional Council your ability to perform the requested services for this grant. This additional information should be concise and relevant to this RFQ.
3. Client References
   1. Identify three clients for whom your firm has provided Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments in the past three years. Provide the client’s name, telephone number and e-mail address of a contact for each client, and a brief description of the services provided.
   2. Identify ODOD Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant grantees your firm has provided services to in the past five years. Provide the Grantees’ names, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses of each Grantee contact, and a brief description of the services provided.
4. Contract Performance
   1. If your firm has had a contract terminated due to the firm’s non-performance or poor performance during the past five years, all such incidents must be described, including the other party’s name, address and telephone number. Please indicate if no terminations have been experienced by the firm in the past five years.
5. Subcontractors
   1. Subcontractors may be used to perform certain environmental services. Please provide a list of subcontractors your firm typically uses along with the subcontractors’ contact information (name of key contact person, phone number address, and email address). The substitution of one subcontractor for another may be made only at the discretion of and with prior written approval from Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s project manager. Selected environmental consulting firms will be responsible for the subcontractor(s) meeting all terms and conditions of the project specifications.
6. Conflicts of Interest
   1. All respondents shall include a statement indicating whether or not the firm or any of the individuals who will be working on this assessment grant has possible or potential conflicts of interest and, if so, the nature of the conflict. Buckeye Hills Regional Council reserves the right to cancel the award if any interest disclosed from any source could either give the appearance of a conflict or cause speculation as to the objectivity of the program to be developed by the firm. Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s determination regarding any questions of conflict of interest shall be final. In addition, a notarized Statement of No Conflict of Interest must be completed and provided in Attachment A.

Section VII – Discretionary Points (17 points)

Proposals may receive discretionary points for exceptional responses that include the firm’s handling of assessment grants, experiences with the Buckeye Hills Regional Council, knowledge of environmental investigations in Southeast Ohio, and other pertinent issues concerning brownfields redevelopment.

Section VIII – Required Forms and Applicant Documentation

Please complete, as Attachment A, and submit the following forms (see Appendix C):

1. DBE Subcontractor Utilization Form (EPA Form 6100-4 or document currently used by the U.S. EPA for this purpose)
2. Statement of No Conflict of Interest (notarized)
3. Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
4. Recent audited or compiled financial statements

PLEASE REMEMBER:

• Original signatures required as indicated on the forms
• Resumés, certificates, licenses for personnel listed in Section V

SUBMISSION EVALUATION PROCESS

All SOQs received by deadline date and time will be reviewed initially to determine if they meet the Required Minimum Qualifications. Those SOQ’s meeting the minimum qualifications will be deemed eligible for review. The evaluation team will score each eligible SOQ, for a maximum total of 185 points, in accordance with the following evaluation criteria:

• Firm Capacity — Understanding of the project, ability to perform and deliverables (10 points)
• Approach (20 points)
• Project Management (20 points)
• Experience (60 points)
• Qualifications (58 points)
• Discretionary (17 points)

In the event of a tie, Buckeye Hills Regional Council will make a selection. It will be at the discretion of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council to choose the consultant.

If a contract is awarded, it will be awarded to the respondent deemed most qualified and responsive as determined at the sole discretion of the Council based on the Council’s review of the respondent’s ability to provide the required services.

Use of Firms

A determination has not yet been made on the specific methodology for assigning firm(s) to a project. Under our current grant, Buckeye Hills Regional Council requested proposals for each project, and the firm providing the lowest or best pricing was selected for the work.

Buckeye Hills Regional Council reserves the right to alter the process at any time upon approval by Buckeye Hills Regional Council’s board.

APPENDIX A OF THE RFQ MBE/WBE CERTIFICATION

Entities that meet the certification criteria under at least one of the following

authorizing statutes are qualified for EPA’s DBE program:

EPA’s 8% Statute

Under EPA’s 8% statute (Public Law 102-389, 42 U.S.C. 4370d), an entity must establish that it is owned or controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who are of good character and citizens of the United States. The statute presumes women to be socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Public Law 102-389, 42 U.S.C. 4370d, provides for an 8% objective for awarding contracts under EPA financial assistance agreements to business concerns or other organizations owned or controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and women.

EPA’s 10% Statute

Under EPA’s 10% statute (Title X of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 7601 note), an entity must establish that it is owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who are of good character and citizens of the United States. The statute presumes HBCUs, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Women, and Disabled Americans are socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Title X of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 7601 note, provides for a 10% objective for awarding contracts under EPA financial assistance agreements for research relating to such amendments to business concerns or other organizations owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Note: Entities not covered by one of the two statute presumptions for socially and economically disadvantaged must meet the criteria listed in 40 CFR §33.202 and/or 40 CFR §33.203 to qualify for EPA’s DBE Program.