EPA Picks 6 Firms for Climate Change Division Jobs

The Environmental Protection Agency has selected six companies with expertise in environmental issues and climate change to continue to provide technical assistance and outreach services to its Climate Change Division.

The multiple-award contract sets individual ceilings for the companies, ranging from $27 million to $39.4 million. The maximum value is about $204 million, according to EPA solicitation documents.

Among those awarded is Perrin Quarles Associates in Charlottesville, selected as a small-business set-aside. The company could earn up to $32 million.

The other winners are ICF International of Fairfax; Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego; Stratus Consulting of Boulder, Colo.; Eastern Research Group of Lexington, Mass.; and Research Triangle Institute of Research Triangle Park, N.C.

"Interest in climate change has soared recently in the United States, and we expect EPA's policies and programs to expand and evolve rapidly over the next five years," Randall Freed, ICF's senior vice president and climate change expert, said in a news release. ICF will provide expertise in the use of clean technologies to control greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

The new contract replaces two smaller EPA contracts that ICF had and nearly doubles the amount of work, the company said. ICF could earn up to $37.4 million. The company holds five other prime EPA contracts on climate change issues.

As the small-business set-aside contract winner, Perrin Quarles Associates plans to bid on all task orders issued under the contract, said Perrin Quarles, the company's president. He said the tasks include scientific, economic and engineering analyses, developing software systems and tools, and participating in public outreach programs. "We're offering to do all of that, as everyone is," Quarles said.

The company is working with EPA's environmental outreach programs in Central America and Asia, he said. "We also have been helping [EPA] develop its greenhouse gas emissions report to the United Nations," Quarles said.

SAIC has provided climate-change-related services to EPA in the past, but this deal represents the company's first prime contract with the Climate Change Division, said Michael Mondshine, a program manager with the company. SAIC could earn up to $27 million through the contract.

Stratus Consulting has helped EPA resolve greenhouse gas emissions problems since 1996, said Joel Smith, a vice president at Stratus. "We've looked at the consequences of climate change and have done work on the science of climate change," he said. Along with EPA, Stratus also is helping several states develop energy-efficiency programs. The contract has a potential value of $39.4 million for Stratus.

The contract is Eastern Research Group's third similar EPA award in 10 years, said Heidi Schultz, vice president and director of climate and energy services. Climate change is one of many environmental topics in which the company specializes, she said.

ERG is participating in EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program, which advises communities on how to turn the toxic gas generated by landfills into electricity to heat homes, offices and greenhouses. "We help EPA identify opportunities for beneficial use of that methane and work with communities to help them understand it," Schultz said.

The contract could bring in $30.9 million for ERG and $37.9 million for Research Triangle Institute.

David Hubler is an associate editor with Washington Technology magazine. For information on this and other contracts, go to www.washingtontechnology.com