[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 2, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63700-63701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31554]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Revised Draft Request for Proposals for Waste 
Acceptance and Transportation Services

AGENCY: Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, U.S. 
Department of Energy.

ACTION: Request for Comments on a Revised Draft Request for Proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is 
responsible under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended 
(NWPA), for accepting and transporting spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from 
commercial nuclear reactor sites to a federal facility for storage or 
disposal. The Standard Contract for Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/
or High-Level Radioactive Waste (10 CFR part 961) details the 
arrangements between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the owners and 
generators of SNF (Purchasers) for the Department to accept the SNF at 
the Purchasers' sites for transport to a federal facility. Section 
137(a)(2) of the NWPA requires the utilization of private industry to 
the ``fullest extent possible'' in the transportation of SNF.
    OCRWM anticipates seeking competitive proposals for commercial SNF 
acceptance and transportation services, including the provision of 
storage equipment, in accordance with the final version of this revised 
draft Request for Proposals (RFP). In May 1996, OCRWM published in the 
Federal Register (61 FR 26508) and the Commerce Business Daily, a 
Request for Expression of Interest and Comments on a previous draft 
Statement of Work for these services. In July 1996, comments were 
received from interested parties at a presolicitation conference. In 
December 1996, OCRWM issued a draft

[[Page 63701]]

RFP that requested comments on all aspects of its proposed contracting 
approach embodied in that draft document. In February 1997, OCRWM held 
another presolicitation conference to receive additional comments and 
questions on the first draft RFP. The draft RFP has been extensively 
revised to reflect the public review and comments received as a result 
of these activities. Comments and suggestions included input from 
industry, utilities, and other interested parties.
    DOE is seeking further comments on all aspects of the proposed 
contracting approach embodied in this revised draft RFP to use the 
innovative powers of the marketplace for meeting DOE's mission 
objectives.

DATES: Comments in response to this Notice should be received by the 
Department no later than February 13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Contracting Officer, 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Attn: HR-542, 
Draft RFP Number DE-RP01-98RW00320, Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contracting Officer (DOE HR-542), 
(202) 426-0067 or (202) 426-0076, (fax) 202-426-0168.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

    OCRWM is interested in receiving comments relating to this revised 
draft RFP, especially with regard to the following areas:
    1. Contracting refinements concerning financing and business 
aspects, as in structuring the procurement to provide sufficient 
financial incentive and appropriate risk balancing mechanisms between 
DOE and contractors in order for industry to provide efficient waste 
acceptance and transportation services.
    2. Mitigation of delays which may occur during Phase C that are 
beyond the control of the contractor and/or the Department.
    3. Technical details associated with the logistics of waste 
acceptance and transportation services.
    4. Potential extensions of the contract durations of Phase A and 
Phase B for up to one year each.
    5. Mechanisms and refinements for economic price adjustments over 
the duration of the contract period.
    6. Any other areas, terms or conditions that DOE should consider in 
formulating this acquisition.
    DOE will consider and may utilize all information, recommendations, 
and suggestions provided in response to this Notice. Respondents should 
not provide any information that they consider to be privileged or 
confidential or which the respondent does not want disclosed to the 
public. DOE does not intend to respond to comments, either to 
individual commentors or by publication of a formal Notice. Several RFP 
reference documents have been placed in the DOE Forrestal Building 
Public Reading Room that are listed in the revised draft RFP. Also, 
copies of all comments received as a result of this notice will be 
placed in the DOE Public Reading Room at the end of the comment period, 
as were copies of previous comments received on the December 1996 draft 
RFP. Each submittal should consist of one original and three 
photocopies.
    This Notice should not be construed as: (1) a commitment by the 
Department to enter into any agreement with any entity submitting 
comments in response to this Notice, (2) a commitment to issue any RFP 
concerning the subject of this Notice, or (3) an RFP.
    DOE anticipates that the revised draft RFP will be available on the 
internet within two weeks of the date of this Notice on the ``Current 
Business Opportunities at Headquarters Procurement Operations'' Home 
Page located at address http://www.pr.doe.gov./solicit.html. It will 
also be available on the OCRWM Home Page, Waste Acceptance, Storage and 
Transportation Section, located at http://www.rw.doe.gov/. Interested 
parties that do not have the electronic capability to download the 
revised draft RFP may submit a written request to the Contracting 
Officer at the address listed above. Offerors who have previously 
submitted written comments on the December 1996 draft RFP or placed 
their names on the mailing list at the OCRWM Spent Nuclear Fuel 
Transportation Workshop held on August 12-13, 1997, in Reston, 
Virginia, will be mailed a copy of the revised draft RFP.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 24, 1997.
Lake H. Barrett,
Acting Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management.
[FR Doc. 97-31554 Filed 12-1-97; 8:45 am]
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