The Environmental Protection Agency has a continuing need for Support to the Office of Water (OW), Office of Science and Technology (OST), National Water Programs, and other OW offices, including the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW), and the Office of Wastewater Management (OWM) by providing professional services to develop, revise, and implement ecological criteria for the protection of water quality on a national, state, and site-specific basis.

N/A

The contractor shall perform the following:

Scientific/Technical Support

• conducting toxicological reviews
• conducting national and site-specific ecological hazard assessments
• conducting national and site-specific ecological risk assessments
• performing statistical analyses
• evaluating national and site-specific methods for ecological criteria development
• evaluating national and site-specific ecological impacts of pollutants
• evaluating national and site-specific risk assessment measurement endpoints
• analyzing tissue, surface water, sediment, biosolids, and effluent samples for chemicals,
•       microorganisms and nutrients
• performing population modeling of chemical impacts on aquatic or aquatic-dependent species
• conducting laboratory toxicity tests and field studies
• conducting biological assessments and laboratory taxonomic identifications
• conducting toxicity tests in water and sediment
• developing bioavailability, chemical fate, transport and effect, and population model development and support
• developing databases
• conducting GIS and other mappings
• evaluating bioaccumulation potential, trophic transfer, calculating and applying bioaccumulation factors
• sampling ambient waters, effluents, organism tissues, and biosolids for chemical analysis
• conducting literature reviews, reviewing technical data, performing analyses, and summarizing findings
• conducting remote sensing
• investigating, interpreting, and addressing experimental and emerging science and contaminants: genomics, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, nanotechnology, immunosuppressants, etc.
• planning and conducting Quality Assurance/Quality Control support activities
• implementing knowledge and experience in the use and application of EPA national and site-specific guidance methodologies for the development of water quality criteria, water quality standards, NPDES Permits, and other programs

Documentation Support

• preparing national and site-specific ecological criteria documents in standard EPA format
• preparing national and site-specific technical information documents
• preparing national and site-specific technical support documents for methods, criteria, and regulations
• preparing the index of references for proposed and final regulations and other publications
• organizing and summarizing comments on proposed regulations and other publications
• preparing presentation materials
• arranging and conducting workshops
• preparing public outreach documents, brochures, flyers, etc.
• performing technical writing
• providing Water Quality Standard (WQS) Academy instruction and technical presentations
• developing non-technical summaries of documents for the general public
• developing non-technical and technical briefing materials for senior managers
• organizing literature reviews and references in an alphabetized or chronological or subject area order
• compiling and summarizing public and peer review comments on proposed regulations and technical documents