Incident Air Monitoring Services Contract

Concepts

• air pollution
• aqc
• air quality cell
• incident air monitoring services contract
• primary element of the aqc service
• maintenance of the required monitoring
• major incident
• air quality data
• relevant major incident
• suite of portable monitoring

Location

United Kingdom:

Description

The Air Quality Cell (AQC) service was formed in 2009 to implement recommendation 21 of the Buncefield Inquiry following the major explosion and fire at a fuel depot there in December 2005. The primary element of the AQC service is the Air Quality Cell (AQC) which is a virtual team of technical experts who can rapidly convene to assess the public health and environmental risks posed by emissions from large scale explosions, fires or chemical releases. The core members of the AQC are the Environment Agency (EA), Public Health England (PHE), the Meteorological Office (MO), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Local Authority in whose area the major incident has arisen. To inform their assessment of the public health and environmental risks posed by emissions from a relevant major incident, the AQC may require air quality data and samples to be obtained on a 24/7/365 response basis. On behalf of Defra the EA is responsible for the provision and maintenance of the required monitoring and sampling capability.

Total Quantity or Scope

The objective of this tendering process is to secure the provision of a 24/7/365 response air quality monitoring and sampling service to support AQCs when convened. In overview we require the contractor to deliver an air quality monitoring and sampling service characterised by the following: • be based at 4 locations in England providing coverage of England within specified response times • be capable of deploying from each of the 4 base locations on a 24/7/365 basis • have a critical mass of staff who are suitably trained and available to enable a team of two staff to respond from each base location on a 24/7/365 basis • be capable of transporting, deploying and operating a suite of portable monitoring and sampling equipment from each of the 4 base locations • be capable of transporting, deploying and operating a trailer–based mobile laboratory from 2 of the 4 base locations (to be towed to the deployment location by the vehicle carrying the portable equipment from the relevant base locations).

CPV Codes

• 90731000 - Services related to air pollution

Indicators

• This is a recurring contract.
• Renewals are not available.

Legal Justification

4 years and 4 months required to ensure a handover if required.

Other Information

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