Yaphank, New York – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $10.5 million debris removal contract to Custom Earth Recycling, LLC of Bay Shore, N.Y. as part of the cleanup mission from Hurricane Sandy.
Custom Earth Recycling will be tasked to remove debris from right-of-way and from eligible private property, transport it off the island, and dispose of it in a safe and environmentally sound manner. An estimated 2,200 homes sustained some form of damage from Hurricane Sandy, which impacted the area in October. FEMA tasked the Corps of Engineers to provide assistance with debris challenges on Fire Island as part of the response and recovery efforts for New York.
The new award comes after a protest was filed against the initial award of the contract. During its review of the procurement process, the Corps found that a technical evaluation panel was inconsistent in its application of advertised selection criteria. A new selection panel was convened to review the original proposals, resulting in the award of a new contract.
"This contract award represents another step forward in the cleanup of Fire Island," said Lt. Col. John Knight, New York Recovery Field Office commander. "We recognize the debris continues to pose a significant health and safety threat. We are committed to safely removing the debris as quickly as we can."
Custom Earth Recycling will also be tasked with separation and disposal of construction and demolition debris, segregation of "white goods" such as refrigerators and other appliances, disposal of e-waste such as tv’s and computers, disposal of vegetative debris, and sifting eligible sand.
The contract is considered a small business disaster area "set aside." This is part of the federal government’s efforts to ensure qualified small businesses in the disaster area are given opportunities to obtain business from agencies executing missions.
All work is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.
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Release no. 13-004