DoD's $31.5M Hazardous Waste Landfill Cap Contract Awarded to Tetra Tech EC, Inc
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $31,467,286 ($31.5M)
Contractor: Tetra Tech EC, Inc.
Awarding Agency: Department of Defense
Start Date: 2006-09-14
End Date: 2010-09-30
Contract Duration: 1,477 days
Daily Burn Rate: $21.3K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Number of Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS
Sector: Other
Official Description: HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL FINAL CAP
Place of Performance
Location: COMMERCE CITY, ADAMS County, COLORADO, 80022
State: Colorado Government Spending
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Defense obligated $31.5 million to TETRA TECH EC, INC. for work described as: HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL FINAL CAP Key points: 1. Contract focused on environmental remediation, specifically the final capping of a hazardous waste landfill. 2. Awarded under full and open competition, suggesting a robust bidding process. 3. The contract duration of approximately 4 years indicates a significant, long-term environmental project. 4. Time and Materials pricing structure may pose cost control challenges if not closely managed. 5. The contract was awarded by the Department of the Army, a major component of the DoD. 6. Geographic location in Colorado is specified, implying localized environmental impact and oversight.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
Benchmarking the value of this specific contract is challenging without comparable hazardous waste landfill final cap projects. The Time and Materials (T&M) pricing structure, while common for remediation projects where scope can evolve, carries inherent risks for cost overruns if not meticulously managed and monitored by the government. The total award amount of $31.5 million over nearly five years suggests a substantial investment in environmental cleanup, but a detailed cost-benefit analysis or comparison to similar projects would be needed to definitively assess value for money.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
The contract was awarded under 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION,' indicating that all responsible sources were permitted to submit bids. This suggests a competitive environment where multiple companies likely vied for the work. The presence of a single award indicates that one bidder was selected as the most advantageous to the government, likely based on a combination of technical capability, past performance, and price.
Taxpayer Impact: Full and open competition generally benefits taxpayers by fostering a competitive environment that can drive down prices and encourage innovation, leading to more cost-effective solutions for environmental remediation.
Public Impact
The primary beneficiaries are the Department of Defense and potentially the surrounding community in Colorado, through the remediation of a hazardous waste site. The service delivered is the critical environmental remediation task of constructing a final cap for a hazardous waste landfill. The geographic impact is localized to the specific site in Colorado where the landfill is located. This contract supports environmental compliance and potentially reduces long-term environmental liabilities for the Department of the Army.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Time and Materials (T&M) contract type can lead to cost overruns if not strictly managed.
- Lack of specific performance metrics or outcome-based measures in the provided data.
- Environmental remediation projects can face unforeseen challenges impacting schedule and cost.
Positive Signals
- Awarded under full and open competition, suggesting a competitive process.
- Focus on environmental remediation addresses a critical compliance and safety need.
- Long contract duration allows for thorough project execution and completion.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the environmental services sector, a critical component of the broader industrial and defense sectors. The market for environmental remediation services is substantial, driven by regulatory requirements and the need to address historical contamination at federal facilities. Spending in this area is often characterized by long-term contracts for complex projects. Comparable spending benchmarks would typically involve other large-scale hazardous waste site cleanups or landfill capping projects undertaken by government agencies.
Small Business Impact
The provided data indicates that this contract was awarded under full and open competition and does not specify any small business set-aside provisions (ss: false, sb: false). Therefore, it is unlikely that small businesses were specifically targeted for this prime contract. However, the prime contractor, Tetra Tech EC, Inc., may engage small businesses as subcontractors to fulfill portions of the work, contributing to the broader small business ecosystem.
Oversight & Accountability
Oversight for this contract would typically be managed by the contracting officer and the contract administration office within the Department of the Army. Performance monitoring, progress reports, and site inspections would be key accountability measures. Transparency would be facilitated through contract award databases and potentially public environmental reports related to the site. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply if any fraud, waste, or abuse were suspected.
Related Government Programs
- Environmental Remediation Services
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Department of Defense Environmental Programs
- Army Corps of Engineers Construction Contracts
- Superfund Site Remediation
Risk Flags
- Potential for cost overruns due to T&M contract type.
- Complexity of environmental remediation projects can lead to schedule delays.
- Ensuring long-term effectiveness of the landfill cap requires robust monitoring.
Tags
defense, department-of-defense, department-of-the-army, environmental-remediation, hazardous-waste-landfill, full-and-open-competition, time-and-materials, colorado, large-contract, remediation, environmental-services
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Defense awarded $31.5 million to TETRA TECH EC, INC.. HAZARDOUS WASTE LANDFILL FINAL CAP
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is TETRA TECH EC, INC..
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Defense (Department of the Army).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $31.5 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2006-09-14. End: 2010-09-30.
What is Tetra Tech EC, Inc.'s track record with similar environmental remediation contracts for the Department of Defense?
Tetra Tech EC, Inc. has a significant history of performing environmental services, including remediation, for various government agencies, including the Department of Defense. They have been involved in numerous projects related to hazardous waste management, site cleanup, and infrastructure support. While specific details on past performance for 'hazardous waste landfill final cap' projects of this exact scale are not detailed here, their extensive experience in environmental engineering and construction suggests a strong capability. Analyzing their past performance on similar, albeit potentially smaller or different types of, environmental contracts would provide further insight into their reliability and effectiveness in executing complex remediation tasks.
How does the Time and Materials (T&M) pricing structure compare to other contract types for environmental remediation, and what are the associated risks?
Time and Materials (T&M) contracts are often used for environmental remediation when the scope of work is not fully defined at the outset or is expected to evolve. This structure allows for flexibility, accommodating unforeseen site conditions or changes in regulatory requirements. However, T&M contracts carry a higher risk of cost overruns for the government compared to fixed-price contracts, as the contractor is reimbursed for labor hours and material costs incurred. Effective oversight, detailed progress tracking, and clear task definitions are crucial to mitigate these risks and ensure that taxpayer funds are used efficiently. Other contract types, like Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) or Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF), might be considered if the scope is more predictable, but T&M is common for complex, uncertain environmental work.
What are the potential environmental risks associated with the final capping of a hazardous waste landfill, and how does this contract address them?
The primary environmental risks associated with capping a hazardous waste landfill include the potential for leachate generation and migration, gas emissions, erosion of the cap, and long-term containment failure. A final cap is designed to minimize infiltration of precipitation, thereby reducing leachate generation, and to control the release of hazardous vapors. This contract specifically addresses these risks by focusing on the construction of this critical containment layer. The success of the cap depends on proper design, material selection, installation quality, and long-term monitoring, all of which should be integral parts of the project execution overseen by the Department of the Army.
What is the historical spending trend for hazardous waste landfill capping projects within the Department of Defense?
Historical spending trends for hazardous waste landfill capping projects within the Department of Defense are generally characterized by significant, albeit sporadic, investments. These projects are often driven by regulatory compliance mandates (e.g., RCRA) and the need to close out or remediate legacy sites. Spending can fluctuate based on the number of sites requiring capping, the complexity of the waste, and available appropriations. While this specific $31.5 million contract represents a substantial single investment, the DoD likely has ongoing or periodic spending across various installations for similar environmental closure activities, often managed through broad environmental remediation programs.
How does the geographic location in Colorado influence the execution and oversight of this hazardous waste landfill capping contract?
The geographic location in Colorado influences this contract primarily through state-specific environmental regulations, permitting requirements, and potentially local geological or climatic conditions that may affect cap design and construction. Oversight will involve coordination with state environmental agencies (e.g., Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment) in addition to federal oversight. Local labor availability, material sourcing, and transportation logistics are also factors. Furthermore, the specific environmental setting of the Colorado site will dictate certain aspects of the cap's design to ensure long-term stability and containment against local environmental stressors.
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY
Offers Received: 1
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS (Y)
Contractor Details
Parent Company: Tetra Tech, Inc. (UEI: 045224250)
Address: 143 UNION BLVD STE 1010, LAKEWOOD, CO, 07
Business Categories: Category Business, Not Designated a Small Business
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $31,467,286
Exercised Options: $31,467,286
Current Obligation: $31,467,286
Contract Characteristics
Cost or Pricing Data: NO
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: DAAM0297D0012
IDV Type: IDC
Timeline
Start Date: 2006-09-14
Current End Date: 2010-09-30
Potential End Date: 2010-09-30 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2011-03-21
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