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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project 2.0 GENERAL PROJECT 3.0 WORK PLAN AND 3.1 Wood Material 3.2 Wood Data 3.3 Permitting 3.4 Pilot- 3.5 Cost-Benefit 3.6 Wood Evaluation 3.7 Project Schedule 4.0 PROJECT TEAM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROJECT ORGANIZATION 4.1 General Firm 4.2 Proposed Key 4.3 Representative Project Experience 5.0 PROJECT BUDGET APPENDICIES Appendix A – Proposed Project Schedule Appendix B – Resumes of Key Personnel Appendix C – Standard Federal Government Forms 255 and 254 Appendix D – Itemized Cost Estimate ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 1 of 9 1.0 INTRODUCTION AMEC Geomatrix prepared this proposal in response to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued by the City of Missoula (City). The City wishes to select a firm capable of evaluating the reuse of wood material as proposed in the recently awarded Department of Natural Resource & Conservation (DNRC) Reclamation and Development Planning Grant (RDPG). Our proposal is organized to address the information requested in the RFP. Section 2.0 presents a general project approach. Section 3.0 provides a work plan. Section 4.0 presents profiles of our proposed team, a project organization chart, and relevant project descriptions, and Section 5.0 presents our estimated costs. Supporting documentation is appended and includes a project schedule in Appendix A, resumes of key staff in Appendix B, standard Federal Government Forms 255 and 254 in Appendix C, and itemized costs in Appendix D. 1.1 Project Understanding The City was awarded $50,000 to evaluate whether buried wood material on the Missoula Sawmill Site can be economically recycled into a growth medium for reuse in City parks, including Silver and Fort Missoula Regional Parks. Soils at these parks are of limited agronomic quality, and therefore, growth medium will be required to grow turf. The City also wishes to use compost at other parks to control weeds and limit water use for irrigation. Millsite Revitalization Project, LLC (MRP), in accordance with the DEQ-approved VCP, must remove wood material at the Sawmill Site (including a portion of Silver Park) to address methane gas and groundwater quality concerns associated with the buried wood. The project fits well with the overall timing of City park projects and MRP’s cleanup schedule. The City anticipates final design and construction of the Silver Park by 2011. Fort Missoula Regional Park is proposed for construction in 2013. The requirements of the VCP to remove the wood material must be completed by MRP by 2012. 2.0 GENERAL PROJECT APPROACH In accordance with the DNRC grant prepared by AMEC Geomatrix on behalf of the City, we propose to complete three main tasks on this project, as described below. Wood Material Evaluation: Testing of the buried wood material would be done to verify its agronomic characteristics. This data would then be used to determine what, if any, amendments to the wood waste are necessary to develop a suitable growth medium. Demonstration-Scale Pilot Test: A pilot-scale compost study would be completed to demonstrate that the wood material can be reclaimed into a suitable growth medium. Cost-Benefit Analysis: An evaluation of the economic feasibility of creating growth medium using the wood material would be completed, including evaluation of the best location for the composting facility, best approach to excavation and sorting of wood, most economic process to create the growth medium, and identification of a viable source of nutrients. AMEC Geomatrix will serve as the prime contractor for all work under this solicitation and will be contractually responsible for each phase of the project. Our firm will be supported by Earth Systems Compost, a firm specializing in re-vegetation of disturbed lands using wood compost as a growth medium, and Terre-Source, LLC, a firm specializing in the design and permitting of small, mid-range and large scale composting and recycling facilities. 3.0 WORK PLAN AND SCHEDULE Our team proposes several tasks on this project consistent with the awarded DNRC grant. Each of these tasks is described below. 3.1 Wood Material Characterization AMEC Geomatrix proposes to complete agronomic testing of the aboveground and ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 2 of 9 buried wood material to determine the agronomic characteristics of the wood and the degree of amendment required to create growth medium for the City. Ten test pits (2 within the aboveground pile and 8 in buried wood) would be excavated and samples of the wood collected for agronomic analysis. The test pits in the buried wood material would be relatively evenly distributed in the wood material to be removed to satisfy the DEQ- approved VCP and advanced to a minimum depth of 15 feet or until native material is reached. The aboveground wood test pits would be advanced to a depth of 6 feet at random locations in the pile since the pile is relatively uniform. During buried wood test pitting, the relative quality of the wood encountered would be observed and logged to identify layers. Wood material samples would be collected from each differentiated layer up to a total of sixteen samples. The samples will be submitted to Wallace Laboratories in El Segundo, California and analyzed for total extractable nutrients and elemental constituents. Included in this analysis are total mineral content, total nitrogen, speciation of nitrogen minerals, total phosphate, total potassium, organic matter, carbon:nitrogen ratio, bulk density, acid-soluble minerals, acid-insoluble content, metals, and mineral content expressed as pound per cubic yard. Each test pit would be backfilled after observation and sampling. 3.2 Wood Data Evaluation Based on the results of the wood samples, AMEC Geomatrix proposes to evaluate the degree of processing and amendment required to produce composted products capable of growing native grasses. The data will be used to determine the following for each differentiated wood material sampled: • The potential of the material to degrade further during composting; • The stability of the material – as is – for use as a growth medium for grass; • The amount and type of nutrient amendment required to create a growth medium for grass; • How best the nutrient amendment can be accomplished; • The amount by volume) of wood material that could be mixed with top soil to create a growth medium without nutrient amendment; and • The general amount of time needed to amend the wood waste. 3.3 Permitting Requirements AMEC Geomatrix proposes to research and describe the permitting requirements, if any, to operate a wood waste amendment facility (including the pilot-scale facility) on the site or another property owned by the City. 3.4 Pilot- Testing AMEC Geomatrix proposes to complete a pilot-scale compost study. The goal of the study will be to create a growth medium using the wood material in combination of different, locally-available natural nitrogen sources. Nitrogen sources that may be used based on availability include grass clippings, leaves, and cow manure and straw. Prior to initiating this study, the permitting requirements of this pilot scale test would be determined. The wood material that will be used will be dependent on the results of agronomic testing. To create the compost, the nitrogen source and wood would be mixed at prescribed proportions based on the analytical data and wetted to add sufficient moisture. We ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 3 of 9 anticipate creating the compost using an aerated mound system, but use of a windrow method will be evaluated prior to initiation. The exact method for composting will be decided based on discussions with the City and selection of the composting site. If an aerated mound method is used, the nitrogen source and wood material would be mixed and mounded into a large pile. Screened PVC pipe would be placed within the pile to increase aeration. The pile would be covered with wood material to insulate it from the cold, and be left as is throughout the composting process. Water would be added as needed to maintain appropriate moisture, air would be actively vented through the pile using a blower. Therefore, use of this method will require the site to have power and water. If a windrow method is used, the windrows would be turned using a loader or windrow turner approximately 5 times within the first two weeks to reduce pathogens and maintain optimum temperature. Turning of the windrows beyond the initial two weeks would be done approximately once every two weeks for an additional three months, adding water to maintain appropriate moisture. Measurements of temperature and moisture would be completed to monitor either composting process. Within the first two weeks, temperature and moisture measurements would be collected daily. As time progressed, these measurements would be taken less frequently. After approximately 3-4 months, carbon dioxide evolution testing would be done to demonstrate the material has stabilized. Once stabilized, additional analytical testing, as described in Section 3.1 (minus metals) would be completed to evaluate the agronomic characteristics of the material. 3.5 Cost-Benefit Analysis There is little doubt that the wood material at the site can be amended to create a growth medium suitable for grass turf. The question is whether this can be done economically. To evaluate the economics of generating compost for the City with the material at the site, we propose to: • Consult with the City to clearly define the end uses of the composted material. This is an important step that would be done early on in the project as it will directly affect the desired material and the amount of nutrient amendment required. • Determine the degree of sorting required of the buried material, if any, and the estimated costs to sort it. Estimates from firms capable of sorting the material would be obtained, as necessary. • Identify the best source of nutrients to be added to the wood, and the costs of nutrient amendment. • Determine the permitting necessary for the wood amendment facility, costs to obtain the permit, and anticipated time required to obtain it. • Determine the best location for the composting facility based on the preferred source of nutrients and overall project objectives. • Estimate the total costs to amend wood material to create compost in City parks. 3.6 Wood Evaluation Report AMEC Geomatrix will prepare quarterly progress reports as required by DNRC. Upon completion of all tasks, AMEC Geomatrix will prepare a report to satisfy DNRC grant requirements. 3.7 Project Schedule A proposed project schedule is provided as Appendix A. All work would be completed before June 1, 2010. 4.0 PROJECT TEAM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROJECT ORGANIZATION 4.1 General Firm Background AMEC Geomatrix ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 4 of 9 Since its founding in 1984, AMEC Geomatrix has established a reputation as a respected environmental consulting and engineering firm. We have earned this reputation by providing our clients with leading-edge environmental and engineering solutions. Our company philosophy is grounded in creating long-lasting client relationships. Starting with a small group of dedicated and respected scientists, AMEC Geomatrix has grown to more than 500 staff in 16 offices across North America with annual revenues exceeding $110 million in 2008. Our expertise in a variety of scientific and technical disciplines enables us to view client issues from multiple perspectives—leading to creative solutions that don’t just solve problems, but often deliver a range of unexpected benefits. We are large enough to solve the most complex scientific and technical issues facing our clients, but small enough to deliver consistently exceptional results and provide personal service. In Montana, we operate offices in Missoula and Helena. Staff in these offices has successfully completed soil reclamation projects on large mining and industrials sites, and support staff from our Bothell, Washington office has considerable park planning and soil reclamation experience using wood material. Terre-Source, LLC Terre-Source specializes in the design and permitting of small, mid-range and large scale composting and recycling facilities. They provide process consultation, sampling, and troubleshooting for a wide variety of composting techniques, feedstocks, remediation, and utilization challenges. Their expertise in technical as well as regulatory matters helps composters produce high quality compost products. Terre-Source assists it clients by providing process recommendations to help control the composting parameters to ensure good pathogen reduction, odor control, weed seed kill, and regulatory compliance. They provide careful scrutiny of monitoring data such as temperature, oxygen content, and laboratory test results as well as assisting during startup operations, training, and performing site inspections to help maintain optimum composting efficiency. Earth Systems Compost, Inc. Earth Systems Compost (ESC) is a commercial organic composting and custom soil manufacturing business. It is owned and managed by professionals with in-depth experience in soil chemistry and land reclamation. Together with organic waste producers and colleagues from diverse backgrounds, ESC produces a quality organic compost that is used to reclaim and re- vegetate difficult sites, including state and federal Superfund sites. By integrating consulting and contracting ESC provides trained, practical, cost-effective soil reclamation services for industry, government and private landowners. 4.2 Proposed Key Personnel We believe the team assembled to complete this project has the requisite expertise and experience to achieve the objectives for the ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 5 of 9 project as outlined in the RDPG grant. The AMEC Geomatrix Team proposed on this project has worked on the Missoula Sawmill Site for the past 7 years and has combined more than 25 years of soil reclamation experience. An organizational chart of this team is shown below. Resumes of key staff are included in Appendix B. Our team is uniquely familiar with the wood material on the site, including its general agronomic quality, depth, and location. Having authored the Voluntary Cleanup Plan (VCP) on behalf of Missoula Revitalization Project LLC (MRP), we understand the methane cleanup that must be done to satisfy DEQ requirements. We are familiar with the proposed Parks where the wood material would be used as a growth medium having worked with the City Parks & Recreation Department on the Fort Missoula Regional Park and the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and MRP on Silver Park. We also have had the privilege to get to know the players involved in evaluating reuse of the wood material and authored the DNRC Planning Grant used to pay for this planning effort. We propose to assign Mr. Chris Cerquone, AMEC Geomatrix’s Regional Brownfield Manager, as the project manager. He will be the main point of contact for the City, and be responsible for ensuring completion of all aspects of the project. Directly supporting Mr. Cerquone will be four individuals. Ms. Tamara Thomas, as owner of Terre-Source, LLC has worked on numerous projects involving the reuse of wood materials to produce compost and growth medium. Her prior experience with soil remediation may also come into play. On this project, she will assist with testing of the wood material, analysis of the data, calculation of the required nutrient amendment, and cost benefit analysis. Mr. Troy Smith, owner of Earth Systems Compost, will serve as the technical lead for completing the wood reuse pilot test as well as providing expert knowledge on agronomic and economic issues surrounding the reuse of the wood. Mr. Jon Chalfant a Landscape Designer and Mitigation Specialist at AMEC’s Bothell office will assist with overall wood reclamation and cost-benefit analysis. Mr. Wilhelm Welzenbach of the Missoula AMEC Geomatrix office shall serve as the technical lead on collecting samples to evaluate the characteristics of the wood material. He has managed several soil reclamation projects for large-scale mining and alternative energy projects. 4.3 Representative Project Experience As a demonstration of relevant project experience, descriptions of select representative projects that our team has been involved are provided below by firm. AMEC Geomatrix, Inc. Site Assessment and Cleanup, Missoula Sawmill Site, Missoula, Montana – Over the past several years, AMEC Geomatrix has overseen the assessment and cleanup of contamination on the site, including the wood material. This work has included assessment of methane and contaminant concentrations in wood material, developing a DEQ-approved VCP that addresses the wood material, determining the ---PAGE BREAK--- Organizational Chart Wood Reclamation Research Project Missoula, Montana FIGURE 1 City of Missoula Donna Gaukler Director Parks & Recreation Department Department of Natural Resource and Convservation Alicia Stickney Case Manager Project Manager Chris Cerquone AMEC Geomatrix Compost Pilot-Test Troy Smith - Lead Earth Systems Compost Cost-Benefit Analysis Tamara Thomas - Lead Terra-Source, LLC John Chalfant AMEC Geomatrix Wood Material Characterization Wilhelm Welzenbach - Lead AMEC Geomatrix Adam Johnson - Field Sampling AMEC Geomatrix ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 7 of 9 extent and location of buried wood that must be removed, and implementation of soil cleanup actions necessary to receive soil closure from the DEQ. We have designed and overseen several large excavations to remediate soil to allow site redevelopment. The wood material and the methane it generates is the last large piece of work that must be completed to satisfy DEQ requirements. The additional work that must be completed by 2012 includes removal of wood material in areas proposed for development and methane monitoring. Design Services and Construction Oversight for Turf Establishment on Wood Waste, Chelan County, Washington - AMEC conducted planning and design studies, and performed construction inspections for parks in Chelan County, including projects involving turf establishment on a growth medium containing wood waste. Work involved liaison activities between landscape architect and construction contractor. AMEC worked closely with the contractor during the preparation of the native soils which included removal of coarse material and debris, and amending the soils with a wood waste-derived product, followed by planting and hydroseeding. AMEC performed daily inspections of the construction work and post construction monitoring to review establishment of the vegetation, and to determine specific watering requirements. AMEC inventoried the areas where vegetation failed to establish, and submitted requests to the contractor to rectify the situation. Landscape Design and Soil Amendment for Turf Establishment, Seattle Joint Training Facility, King County, Washington - AMEC managed the development of landscape plans and performed construction oversight for a City emergency services training center. Design work included site analysis, and development of conceptual and final construction plans. Challenges in the project included unfavorable soil conditions, and protecting critical areas such as wetlands and a stream that flows through the site. AMEC selected a planting pallet, including a combination of native and drought tolerant plants. All planted areas were over-excavated to accommodate a compost amendment that was tilled into the soil. AMEC specified the type of compost and the depth of soil amendment. In addition, AMEC specified the hydroseed blend, fertilizers, and other soil amendments such as lime. AMEC worked closely with the seed manufacturer and hydroseed company to establish plant growth in isolated areas where initial conditions were especially unfavorable. AMEC worked on all phases of the landscape project, from design and permitting, through contractor management and final reporting that described soil amendments and plant establishment. Soil Quality Review for Alternative Energy Development Project and USDA Grant Applications, Luna County, New Mexico - AMEC designed and conducted a soils investigation including on-site sampling and detailed review of historical soil and agricultural use information, as well as review of current soil database information. Results of the investigation were used to support planning efforts for development of large scale ponds, including evaluating the suitability of the site for proposed development activities. Mine Reclamation and Waste Cover Material Evaluation, Caribou County, Idaho – AMEC Geomatrix completed a soils evaluation to assist with design and permitting a mine. ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 8 of 9 Combining information regarding geologic parent material, topography, and vegetation with existing soils we designed and implemented a plan of study for evaluation of soils at a proposed mine. Field observations and laboratory results supported planning efforts for soil salvage and reuse in post-mining reclamation. In addition, we designed a cover system to control moisture infiltration based on our geotechnical and agronomic knowledge of the site. part of their 450-acre family farm. They generate compost from aged dairy manure mixed with shredded yard waste which is then aerated, composted, screened and fully aged. The finished compost contains a full spectrum of essential plant nutrients as well as macro and micronutrients often absent in fertilizers. Recently, Bailey Compost was listed as an Organic Soil Amendment by the WSDA on their Brand Name Materials list for Organic Food Production. Water Infiltration and Mine Reclamation Evaluation, Silver Bow County, Montana – During a rapidly-evolving design and permitting effort, AMEC Geomatrix evaluated regulatory requirements, planned, and conducted a soil survey for a proposed re-mining project. AMEC efforts influenced the design of appropriate water infiltration areas based on soil conditions. In addition, our efforts supported soil salvage and reclamation activities specific to the elevation and topography of the site. Terre-Source, LLC North Mason Fiber Company, Belfair, Washington - In October 2003, Terre-Source, LLC was retained to help obtain one of the first solid waste handling permits for composting under the newly promulgated WAC 173-350-220 regulations for the North Mason Fiber Company (NMF). NMF performs Aerated Static Pile composting on a portion of its 62 acres of industrial zoned property and is permitted to compost up to 80,000 tons per year of yard waste, food waste, fish, and wood wastes. NMF manufactures Oly Mountain Fish Compost from fish waste, municipal yard trimmings and natural wood products from the co-located log processing company. Bailey Farms Compost, Snohomish River Valley, Washington – Bailey Farms, Inc, a 4th generation family farm in the Snohomish River valley, retained Terre-Source to assist them with agronomic testing, compost monitoring, and to obtain their organic listing with the WSDA. Currently, the Bailey’s operate an Aerated Static Pile composting operation on Skagit Soils Inc., Mount Vernon, Washington – Terre-Source was retained to assist Skagit Soils with upgrading their permit and operations so they could accept post-consumer food waste, a Type 3 feedstock in Washington. Skagit Soils has been creating compost from wood waste since 1996 and diverts over 13,000 tons of organic materials from the landfill each year. These materials are transformed into a compost product that is in high local demand. Skagit utilizes a turned windrow composting process on nearly 6 acres in an industrial area within ¼ mile of the Skagit County transfer station. The facility is adjacent to two sawmills, and a potato processor. Skagit accepts municipal yard waste, wood wastes, and in 2008 upgraded their permits to accept Type 3 feedstock post-consumer food waste, allowing em to accept food w th aste from restaurants, businesses, and schools. Earth Compost Systems, Inc. Earth Compost System has been involved in several soil reclamation projects where composted wood waste was used as an organic ---PAGE BREAK--- City of Missoula Wood Reclamation Project Proposal Page 9 of 9 soil amendment product. These projects include: US Federal Department of Highways – Construction of re-vegetation test plots for the Federal Department of Highways on the Beartooth Pass Highway project. US Forest Service/MDEQ – Performed re- vegetation work for the Forest Service at the New World Mine Reclamation project above Cooke City, Montana and the Zortman Landusky Mine in northern Montana from 2000-2006. This work involved steep slope snowcat seeding, amending soil with lime and compost, and weed control. Numerous MDOT – Applied lime, mulch, compost and fertilizer on numerous MDOT projects across the state. Numerous Abandoned Mine Cleanup Projects – This work involved mine reclamation using wood compost material at the Block P Mine Reclamation project in Monarch, Montana and Doe Run Lead Smelting of Missouri, and several USFS projects in Dillon, Sheridan, Butte and Wise River Ranger Districts. 5.0 PROJECT BUDGET Our estimate to complete the work, as described in Section 3.0 of this proposal is $48,395. A cost summary is provided Appendix D. ---PAGE BREAK--- ID Task Name Duration Start Finish 1 Project Kick off Meeting 1 day Wed 9/30/09 Wed 9/30/09 2 Wood Waste Characterization 22 days Thu 10/1/09 Fri 10/30/09 3 Data Analysis and Nutrient Amendment Calculations, including report 20 days Mon 11/2/09 Fri 11/27/09 4 Pilot-Scale Composting 140 days Mon 10/19/09 Fri 4/30/10 5 Economic Evaluation 105 days Mon 12/7/09 Fri 4/30/10 6 Prepare Final Project Report 20 days Mon 5/3/10 Fri 5/28/10 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 Task Split Progress Milestone Summary Project Summary External Tasks External Milestone Deadline City of Missoula PROPOSED PROJECT SCHEDULE Missoula Sawmill Site Wood Waste Reclamation Project September 2009 Wood Reclamation Proposal Page 1 Project: Project schedule.mpp Date: Wed 9/9/09 ---PAGE BREAK--- PROJECT TASK UNIT RATE TOTAL Task 1 - Wood Waste Characterization Labor Senior 1 (Project Management) 4 120 $ 480 $ Project I (Oversight of Test Pit Install, including set up) 18 85 $ 1,530 $ Staff 1 (GPS Surveying Test Pit Sample Locations) 4 70 $ 280 $ Subtotal 2,290 $ Direct Costs Excavator 12 150 $ 1,800 $ Compost Analytical Testing 18 250 $ 4,500 $ Sample Shipment 1 75 $ 75 $ Trimble GPS Unit 1 80 $ 80 $ Sampling Supplies 10 10 $ 100 $ Subtotal 6,555 $ 8,845 $ Task 2 - Data Analysis/Wood Waste Amendment Calculations Labor Senior II (Project Management) 6 120 $ 720 $ Senior I (data analysis, amendment calculations) 50 100 $ 5,000 $ 5,720 $ Task 3 - Composting Pilot Study Senior II (Project Management) 20 120 $ 2,400 $ Pilot Test Design 24 100 $ 2,400 $ Excavate and Haul Wood Material 150 7 $ 1,050 $ Haul Manure 150 10 $ 1,500 $ Straw 1 600 $ 600 $ Initial 15-day Mixing of Material 20 95 $ 1,900 $ Periodic Mixing for additional three months 6 500 $ 3,000 $ Compost Moisture and Temperature Testing 10 100 $ 1,000 $ Analytical Testing 4 150 $ 600 $ Data Analysis and Reporting 40 100 $ 4,000 $ Total Task 3 - Composting Pilot Study 18,450 $ Task 4 - Cost-Benefit Analysis Senior II (Project Management) 24 120 $ 2,880 $ Cost-Benefit Analysis 50 100 $ 5,000 $ Total Task 4 - Cost Benefit Analysis 7,880 $ Task 5 - Final Report Final Report 75 100 $ 7,500 $ Total Task 5 - Final Report 7,500 $ 48,395 $ 1,452 $ 49,847 $ Notes: Cost assumes public outreach would be completed by City personnel, as needed. Cost savings may be realized if City personnel operate equipment to turn windrows during composting Costs assumes windrow method of composting, which may or may not be used depending on final site location. Cost assume composting would occur on the Sawmill Site TOTAL BUDGET ESTIMATE SUBTOTAL Cost Estimate Missoula Sawmill Site Wood Waste Reclamation Project City Grant Administration 9-Sep-09 Total Task 1 - Wood Waste Characterization Total Task 2 - Data Analysis/Wood Waste Amendment Calculations Page 1 of 1