Laserfiche WebLink
<br />~-' ,.-',.." <br /> <br />_._'_'.-', ..",- ,'c.." <br /> <br />. "/_~.-Ji~~~:;~>-- <br /> <br />-'-;-,--,,,,,-c <br />;~ . ., ~-' <br /> <br />'-".'-'-'il-;' <br /> <br />CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> <br />This report is submitted pursuant to Public Law 104-20 of July 28, 1995, an <br />act to amend the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974. This <br />amendment requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit a planning <br />report to the appropriate committees of Congress concerning the new, <br />basinwide approach to salinity control established by section 202(a)(6) of the <br />Act. Reclamation may not expend funds until the expiration of a 30-day <br />period beginning on the date the Secretary of the Interior submits such <br />report. This report is intended to meet that requirement. <br /> <br />Reclamation plans to administer its basinwide program established by <br />P.L. 104-20 through existing procurement techniques and established <br />regulations. As an alternative to adopting new regulations, Reclamation <br />will solicit proposals and award funding through a formal RFP process. <br />This is a competitive, negotiated procurement process with established rules <br />and regulations. A conceptual example of an RFP is appended to this <br />report. <br /> <br />Essentially, the RFP would request proposals from the public and private <br />sector to control salinity. The proposals would be ranked based on their <br />cost to prevent salt from entering the river system. The ranking would also <br />consider risk factors that might affect the project's performance. <br /> <br />Cost effectiveness will be computed on a cost-per-ton basis and include all <br />potential costs to the program. Risk factors will evaluate performance risks <br />to the program and be used to adjust the ranking of projects. <br /> <br />The proposals will be ranked by a ranking committee. Co=ittee members <br />will be selected to avoid any conflict of interest that would bias their <br />choices. The ranking committee members will individually and collectively <br />evaluate and rank the proposals. The ranking co=ittee will include <br />representatives from the Federal Government and the Basin States. <br /> <br />Finally, Reclamation will attempt to negotiate the final terms of an <br />agreement with the highest ranked proponents. This agreement may be a <br />grant, cooperative agreement, or formal contract depending upon the <br />circumstances and judgment of the contracting officer. Negotiations may be <br />terminated if the final terms are not acceptable to Reclamation. <br /> <br />Reclamation will conduct a limited test of the ranking portion of the process <br />and award fiscal year 1996 funds to sponsors of projects that are ready for <br />implementation. Funding commitments under this test will be limited to <br />those funds available in FY 1996. No co=itments will be made for out- <br />year funding until the full RFP process is completed later in 1996. Small .,. <br />projects will be selected from alternatives that are ready for implementationU 0 (j 211 <br />and can be completed within the 1996 timeframe. This test will be used to <br />refine ranking procedures included in the RFP. As appropriate, <br /> <br />24 <br />