Addendum #1
April 29, 2016
Question 1. Can you please provide a list of permitted land application sites for Lake County and/or land application sites applied on over the past 2 years?
Response: The County does not have a list of permitted land application sites. Securing permitted and approved application sites is the responsibility of the contractor.
Question 2. What offsite storage sites have been used for these byproducts in the past or currently?
Response: Offsite storage is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor must be familiar with current IEPA regulations as it pertains to offsite storage of biosolids – See Section 3, page 11 of Bid document.
Question 3. What is the number of dry tons produced/disposed of from each site?
Response:
Tons – Produced/Disposed per Year
Des Plaines River WRF ---- 1530
New Century Town WRF --- 990
Mill Creek WRF --- 430
Question 4. What are the average load sizes (cubic yards) from each site?
Response:
Average Load (cubic yards) per month
Des Plaines River WRF ---- 970
New Century Town WRF --- 680
Mill Creek WRF --- 160
Question 5. How many tons have been disposed of at Advanced Disposal landfill (Zion, IL) over the past three years? How many tons from each site?
Response: No biosolids disposal has been made to the Zion landfill in the past three years.
Question 6. What much does the material from each site weigh (lbs per cubic yard)?
Response: Our current vendor generally leaves each site with a full trailer. The approximate volume per trailer is 28 cubic yards.
Question 7. Will the County’s indemnification language provided in the IFB apply to the extent any damages were proximately cause by the Contractor’s negligent or willful actions resulting in the need for indemnification?
Response: The indemnification language speaks for itself. That is, the language applies in the event of any personal injury or death, or damage to property, which may arise or which may be alleged to have arisen out of, or in connection with the work covered by this project. This indemnity will not apply only if such injury is caused directly by the willful and wanton conduct of Lake County, its agents, servants, or employees or any other person indemnified under the clause.
Question 8. Describe your process for transport and land application of Class B and Class A dried Biosolids”. Where does the material get off loaded once on the DRP site, inside or outside? What are the height measurements if inside so we can verify proper size end dump?
Response: The off-loading station at the DPR facility will be outside. I believe representatives from your company were at DPR last week and visited the new construction. You are welcome to visit the facility again.
Question 9. Bid item #5.0 (under optional services) - this item was to be removed from the bid, can you verify?
Response: Please use the revised bid sheet in submitting your bid. Item #5 will be removed from the Bid. This item is assumed to be included in the trucking cost.
Question: Bid Item 4.0: Pricing is requested for technical assistance to LCPW for marketing, training, and conditioning of Class A biosolids. What are the specific requirements for the “technical assistance” desired for marketing, training, and conditioning of Class A biosolids? Are you asking for the Contractor to actually market the material that will be produced from the future Komline dryer? If so, what is the proposed quantity to be produced (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly), what are the anticipated characteristics (i.e. – metals content, nutrients content, particle size, uniformity, odor level, quantity of off spec material produced, temperature, BTU content, etc.), is the product to be beneficially used, what quantity will be land applied and/or landfilled or other and by what time frame, how much on-site storage exists for the heat dried material, will Lake County certify material has met Class A, how is the product to be distributed, will the cake material remain as Class B through aerobic digestion as it enters the dryer, what permitting requirements will be required by the Contractor, and generally, what will the Contractor be responsible for and what will Lake County be responsible for?
If not, what “technical assistance” in marketing is specifically desired?
Regarding technical assistance for training, are you seeking “hands-on”, classroom, both or other forum? What media is to be used? What specific topics are desired to be covered? What are the hours required and/or duration? What training materials are required? How many employees may be involved? What documentation is desired? What start-up or other operational assistance may be desired as part of the technical assistance training?
Regarding technical assistance for conditioning of Class A biosolids, please clarify the term “conditioning”. What additional treatment and/or process(es) are proposed to be utilized outside of the Komline dryer operations for “conditioning” purposes? What temperature of the product for marketing purposes is anticipated? How is the control of dust proposed? How is the removal or minimization of undesirable material in the Class A biosolids product proposed?
Above are only a few questions that are needing to be addressed in order to better understand requirements for this Bid Item 4.0. Without greater specification details for each area, we are incapable of providing any pricing for this line item of the bid. Due to the magnitude of the additional information and clarification needed, will Lake County consider removing this requested pricing item from the bid?
Response:
Yes – we are asking the contractor to market the Komline dried product from the DPR facility
The specific requirements for the technical assistance are as follow:
At least 1-year experience working with Class-A biosolids from a dryer
Experience in the preparation of Class-A biosolids for beneficial use
Working knowledge of what potential end users may require in regards to acceptable Class-A biosolids.
Proposed Class A quantity – See attached Biosolids Program from ATI.
Anticipated Class A characteristics – Some information can be found on the attached Biosolids Program from ATI. The other features will be determined during start-up.
Yes – we are seeking to have beneficial use of this product.
We expect all the product to be land applied until ready for its desired use. We anticipate that the dryer will be fully operational in mid 2017.
The County will have 3-silos on site for the storage of the dried product. This will allow for approximately 60 days of storage.
The County will certify through laboratory testing that the product meets/exceed the Class A standards as defined in the current 503 regulations.
The Mill Creek and New Century Town facilities will produce Class B biosolids. These products will be delivered to the Des Plaines River facility for drying. Class B biosolids from all the facilities will be dried using the Komline unit.
The County has an IEPA permit for land application of biosolids. It is the contractor’s responsibility to obtain and secure all applicable permits for transportation, sites, land application, off-site storage, and disposal of biosolids.
Product Marketing & Conditioning: The County is seeking a contractor who has the experience in working with Class-A biosolids. Conditioning of the biosolids means having the expertise to develop the product so that it can be marketed (prepared so that it can be useful to) to perspective vendors or given to the public, municipalities, landscapers, Forest Preserve, etc. Marketing as used here does not mean developing the product for financial gain.
Technical Assistance: After the contractor is able to make the product acceptable for beneficial use, we would expect that this technical information would be shared with our staff. We are open to a format that is reasonable for both parties. We have 12 crew members at the site. Training would be limited to that staff during normal business hours. Hands-on training with supplemental documentation would be acceptable.
No additional treatments/processes are being planned at this time for the Komline unit.
Temperature for marketing purpose – we would look to your expertise for guidance on this topic.
Dust control will be the County’s responsibility
We would look to your expertise and that of the Komline vendor with regards to the minimization of undesirable materials in the Class A product
The County will not remove Bid item #4. However, we are willing to address any additional question(s) that you may have and provide you with as much information to make an intelligent decision. Instead of a lump sum, an hourly rate for technical services is preferred for Bid item #4.
April 28, 2016
Question 1. The County is exempt from federal excise, state and local taxes. Will the Contractor be reimbursed by the County for any taxes it accrues from servicing this contract on behalf of the County? We are attempting to clarify scenarios where the Contractor is taxed where the exemptions should be transferred to the Contractor but are not.
Response: The contractor should include all costs in their bid price.
Question 2. Will the County work out a price modification for increased costs if there is a change in federal, state, or local law/ordinance after the proposal is accepted that increases costs to perform the work?
Response: Reference “Escalator Provision” in bid document (section-9, page-6).
Question 3. Will the County issue a written directive and request pricing before performing work for any scope of work added or modified after the contract is awarded?
Response: This seems like a reasonable approach that the County would take.
Question 4. Will the County accept an umbrella/excess liability policy that meets the policy limits specified in the insurance requirements?
Response: Please take exception in your bid response and Lake County make a determination if this is acceptable.
Question 5. IFB does not address assignments. Will the County provide written consent for Assignment requests that will not be unreasonably withheld and provided within a commercially reasonable time?
Response: The bidder may not reassign any award made, as the result of this Invitation for Bid, without prior written consent from Lake County.
Question 6. Are there any limits to change orders?
Response: Change orders are not applicable.
Question 7. Will the Contractor be allowed to utilize wholly owned subsidiaries or related companies under common ownership to perform the work?
Response: This is a business decision to be made by the contractor.
Question 8. Will the County provide balanced and reciprocal indemnification provisions in any final contract?
Response: Please take exception to Lake County indemnification provision and provide the proposed alternative language. Lake County Invitation for Bid is the final contract, unless contractor provides an alternative contract.
Question 9. Will the County accept a bond for 100% of the annual contract amount to be renewed or replaced on an annual basis?
Response: A 100% bond is not required for this contract.
Question 10. Does the County certify that the residuals are non-hazardous and shall be suitable for land application and/or landfill disposal?
Response: Yes. The laboratory test results will serve as certification that the residuals meet both State and Federal standards.
Question 11. Will there be a force majeure provision that excuses failure to perform in the event of various circumstances which are beyond the control of the Contractor?
Response: If the contractor requires a force majeure provision please take exception in your Invitation for Bid and Lake County will review.
Question 12. Does the County own the biosolids? If the Contractor owns them, at what point does the Contractor take ownership?
Response: The county own the biosolids. We have no plans to change ownership.
Question 13. What access will the Contractor have to the plants outside of the 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. schedule? The ability to require increased quantity without notice may require operations outside of the scheduled time periods.
Response: Reasonable accommodations will be made for the contractor through the plant supervisor, if necessary.