The Ecology Action Center invites proposals for a feasibility study to explore a permanent facility for the collection and disposal of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) in McLean County, Illinois.
Permanent household hazardous waste collection facilities are an essential part of municipal recycling and solid waste management infrastructure. Removing HHW from the waste stream reduces toxicity found in nearby landfills and in the storm water system. Permanent collection facilities are assumed to be more cost effective than single day events and allow for greater participation from the public.
The Ecology Action Center (EAC) is a non-profit environmental agency with a mission to inspire and assist residents of McLean County in creating, strengthening, and preserving a healthy environment. The EAC acts as the solid waste agency for McLean County, Bloomington, and Normal, Illinois. On behalf of the 170,000 residents of McLean County, Illinois, the EAC is examining the feasibility of such a facility in partnership with McLean County, City of Bloomington, Town of Normal, Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District, and other community partners as well as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
PROPOSALS:
Sealed proposals must be submitted by 2 pm on Friday, December 16th 2022 to Michael Brown, Executive Director, by email to [email protected]. Bids received after this time will not be accepted.
Questions regarding this Request for Proposals will be answered by email and responses shared with all interested parties. Questions must be submitted to Michael Brown at [email protected] by Friday, December 2nd 2022 and responses will be provided to all interested parties by 5 pm CST, on Thursday, December 8th, 2022. If you plan to submit a proposal, please send your name and email address to Michael Brown by 5pm, Friday, December 2nd 2022 in order to receive a copy of questions submitted and answers provided.
Download the full Request For Proposals (PDF)
December 8, 2022 Answers to Submitted Questions
Q1. Will services be provided under a County or City contract, or can we submit our proposal with our company Professional Services Agreement?
A1. Please submit an agreement with your proposal.
Q2. The scope of work (Item 2.C) includes “identification of at least one suitable location for the HHW collection facility”.
Q2a. Has EAC and its partner jurisdictions (McLean County, City of Bloomington, City of Normal) identified any candidate sites or performed any site screening analysis?
A2a. No.
Q2b. Are there any restrictions that have been established regarding site location by EAC and its partner jurisdictions? Put another way, have Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County provided any indication that they are willing to be host communities for the HHW facility?
A2b. No, there are no specific restrictions nor any specific indication by any of our local jurisdictions regarding hosting a HHW facility.
Q2c. Will the GIS departments for the counties and cities be available to the consultant team?
A2c. Yes.
Q2d. Is this scope of work element a strict requirement, or can consultants instead develop recommended site features in lieu of identifying a specific site?
A2d. If identification of a suitable location is not practical, then a set of recommended site features would be acceptable as an alternative.
Q3. The scope of work (Item 2.G) includes “analysis which details potential local economic impact from regional traffic impacts of operation”. Can you clarify what is intended for this scope of work item?
A3. Phrased differently: Would a McLean County HHW facility benefit local retail or other businesses by bringing additional traffic to the community? If so, to what extent?
Q4. What types of commercial generators are you contemplating under scope of work Item 2.I?
A4. Where is there potential for revenue generation, if any, to help subsidize the cost of operating the residential HHW collection service? Would there be a net financial benefit to this strategy or not?
Q5. Has EAC had any preliminary discussions with the IEPA concerning whether IEPA is willing to fund a permanent HHW site in McLean County?
A5. Yes, there have been preliminary conversations with IEPA regarding a possible partnership on a HHW site. While there is no commitment from the state of Illinois, they have indicated interest in receiving a proposal from the EAC.
Q6. Does EAC have a schedule deadline in mind for completion of the feasibility study and presentation of findings to stakeholders?
A6. There is no rigid schedule but it would be desirable to have the results by mid-2023.
Q7. What is the anticipated budget for this feasibility study?
A7. We are not divulging our budget.
Q8. Does EAC have and plan to share tonnages of HHW collected over the last several years and any associated user information such as zip code or address?
A8. Yes. HHW Collection Results
Q9. Does EAC expect the selected firm to conduct any surveys or other data collection from the area for purposes of this RFP?
A9. This is not an explicit expectation but additional data collection may or may not be needed beyond what EAC has available.
Q10. If the feasibility study is found to confirm and recommend construction of a permanent facility, what is the desired construction schedule by EAC?
A10. A construction schedule will depend on the findings of the feasibility study; there is no specific schedule as of yet.
