The following press release was published by the US EPA on Nov. 8. It is reproduced in full below.
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Navajo Area Uranium Mines Response, Assessment, and Evaluation Services II (RAES II) contract. This RFP, with an estimated value of $65 million, is a solicitation aimed at firms capable of performing abandoned uranium mine assessments and other technical work on the Navajo Nation. Uranium mining and legacy pollution have impacted Navajo communities for over 75 years. This contract is the second in a series of contracts that will help EPA address the impacts to human health and the environment that persist from the uranium contamination remaining from these sites.
“EPA is encouraged by the accomplishments achieved under the RAES contract and looks forward to continued successes under the RAES II contract,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Superfund and Emergency Management Acting Director Elizabeth Adams. “This contract supports educational and employment opportunities for Navajo workers and Navajo businesses and constitutes an important element of the 2020-2029 Ten-Year Plan to address uranium contamination.”
With this RFP, EPA seeks firms with expertise in environmental assessment, experience working on uranium mines, and the ability to work productively with tribes and communities. The current RAES contract was awarded in October 2017 and will expire in October 2022. EPA anticipates awarding this second contract in fall 2022.
EPA will host a conference on November 18th, 2021 to provide interested firms with more information on this contracting opportunity and a forum to ask questions. The event will be held virtually via Zoom:
The Request for Proposal (RFP) can be found at https://www.fedconnect.net by searching Reference Number 68HE0921R0006 in the “Public Opportunities” section. Proposals for the RFP will be accepted through January 7, 2022.
From 1944 to 1986, nearly 30 million tons of uranium ore were mined either on or close to Navajo Nation land, leaving more than 500 abandoned mines with elevated radiation levels. In 2008, EPA was tasked by Congress to develop a plan to address legacy contamination at these abandoned uranium mine sites. EPA and the Navajo Nation have secured funding to assess and clean up 230 of these abandoned mines and an additional 16 Tronox mines in the Grants Mining District of New Mexico.
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Source: US EPA
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