6. #26-1017 - Request for Qualifications - Engineering Services for Landfill Solid Waste Air Compliance

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
ENGINEERING SERVICES
RFQ NO. 26-1017
Date of Issue: May 15, 2026
Qualifications Statement Due Date: June 3, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET
Issued for:
Catawba County Utilities & Engineering
Solid Waste Division
25 Government Drive Newton,
North Carolina 28658
(828) 465-8261
Issued by:
Catawba County Purchasing Manager
25 Government Drive Newton,
North Carolina 28658
(828) 465-8224
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INTRODUCTION
Catawba County (hereinafter "County") is soliciting the submittal of qualification statements from
experienced Engineering Consulting Firms (hereinafter "Firm") interested in providing services
for Solid Waste Air Compliance, at the Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility and the closed
Bethany Church Road Landfill. The major activities that make up in the scope of services
include, but are not limited to, monitoring, sampling, testing, reporting, permitting, and tracking
the permit processes. Eligible firms must have the ability to conduct all activities germane to
Solid Waste Air Quality Compliance including conducting Surface Methane Sweeps. Currently,
the County performs the Surface Methane Sweeps data collection in-house and provide that data
to the firm for reporting, however due to a recent partnership that task could change.
Catawba County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals. This submittal request is
neither a contractual offer nor a commitment to purchase services. The County assumes no
contractual obligation as a result of the issuance of this request, the preparation or submission of a
qualifications statement by a Firm, the evaluation of statements or final selection.
PURPOSE
This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is being issued by the County for the purpose of soliciting
Statements of Qualifications from Engineering Consulting firms for providing services including all
aspects of data collection, analysis, organization, reporting and permitting in Solid Waste Air Quality
Compliance at the Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility and the closed Bethany Church Road
Landfill for an initial term of three (3) years with the option to renew up to two (2) additional
one (1) year terms, based on performance. Firms must show recent (last 5 years) and relevant
experience in solid waste air quality compliance in North Carolina closed or active subtitle
D landfills, Title V permitting, and provide an impeccable record of satisfactory permitting
compliance.
RFQ SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFQ. Catawba County will make every
effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFQ County May 15, 2026
Submitted Written Questions Firms May 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET
Provide Responses to Questions County May 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET
Submit Proposals Firms June 3, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET
Contract Award County TBA
Contract Effective Date County Upon execution
The qualifications statement shall be submitted no later than 4:00 PM on June 3, 2026. No
submittals will be accepted after the deadline.
Once the submittals have been reviewed, the County reserves the right to shortlist Firm(s) and
request that the Firm(s) conduct a presentation and be interviewed by the selection committee.
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RFQ QUESTIONS
Written questions shall be emailed to eduncan@catawbacountync.gov by the date and time
specified above. Firms should enter "RFQ # 26-1017- Questions" as the subject for the email.
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the County's response, and any additional
terms deemed necessary by the County will be posted in the form of an addendum to the Catawba
County website, https://www.catawbacountync.gov/county- services/purchasing/bid- notices/
and shall become an Addendum to this RFQ. No information, instruction or advice provided
orally or informally by any County personnel, whether made in response to a question or
otherwise in connection with this RFQ, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Firms
shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFQ.
SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS
The qualifications statement must be submitted with one (1) original, one (1) copy and one (1)
electronic copy on flash drive. When responding to this RFQ, please follow all instructions
carefully. Please submit proposal contents according to the outline specified. Failure to follow
these instructions may be considered a non-responsive submission and may result in immediate
elimination from further consideration. The qualifications statement should be sent to the
address indicated in the table below.
Mailing address for delivery of Office Address of delivery by any
proposal via US Postal Service other method (hand delivery,
overnight, or any other carrier)
RFQ Number: RFQ 26-1017 RFQ Number: RFQ 26-1017
Catawba County Government Center Catawba County Government Center
Attn: Purchasing Department Attn: Purchasing Department
Post Office Box 389 25 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658 Newton, North Carolina 28658
IMPORTANT NOTE: All qualifications shall be physically delivered to the office address listed
above on or before the submission deadline in order to be considered timely, regardless of
the method of delivery. This is an absolute requirement. All risk of late arrival due to
unanticipated delay-whether delivered by U.S. Postal Service, courier or other delivery service is
entirely on the Firm(s). It is the sole responsibility of the Firm to have the qualifications
physically in this Office by the specified time and date of opening.
BACKGROUND
Blackburn Resource Recovery Facility
The Facility site is 567.95 acres and is located approximately 6 miles south of Hickory, along
Rocky Ford Road. The Facility has an approved Permit 1803-MSLF-1997, from the North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), Division of Solid Waste Management.
Additionally, the Landfill operates under Title V Air Quality Permit No. 08533T13 issued by the
NCDEQ. The Facility is owned and operated by Catawba County, North Carolina and consists of
four landfill areas, including a closed, unlined landfill that predated Subtitle D regulations,
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designated as Unit 1; the Subtitle D Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfills, designated as MSW
Unit 2 and MSW Unit 3 Phase 1 and 2; Two (2) closed Construction and Demolition (C&D)
Landfill, designated C&D Unit 1 and C&D Landfill Unit 2. In addition, the County operates a
Treatment and Processing Area onsite that grinds green and dry wood, leaves and grass, and
manages tires and white goods. Both pre and post Subtitle D MSW Landfill Units
1, 2, and 3 have an active LFG conditioning and collection system that currently provides LFG to
a Renewal Natural Gas facility operated by a third-party company and/or to a flare. The third-party
company operates the RNG Plant under a Synthetic Minor permit #10764R00 for the following
emission sources Natural gas-fired thermal oxidizer and candlestick flare. They are also
responsible for the methane gas wellfield operations.
Bethany Church Road Landfill
The Bethany Church Road (Newton) Landfill site is approximately 163.99 acres of which
approximately 67.3 acres is Pre-Subtitle D Landfill that closed in 1990 and has an approved Permit
1801-MSWLF-1973, from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ),
Division of Solid Waste Management. The site is located approximately 2.5 miles southeast of
Newton, along Bethany Church Road. The Facility is owned and managed by Catawba County.
The landfill has an active landfill gas collection system that provides LFG to a flare.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Firm shall provide professional consulting services to assist with data collection and
analysis, reporting, renewing and/or modifying permits, attaining required state certifications, and
submitting all required Air Quality specific paperwork to maintain and comply with current and
future Solid Waste and Air Quality permits.
CONTENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS STATEMENT
Respondents must carefully read the information in this "Contents of Qualifications Statement"
section and submit a complete Qualifications Statement responding to each request for information.
Incomplete Qualifications Statements will be considered non-responsive and are subject to
rejection.
Qualifications shall be submitted on 8-1/2 x 11 paper, side bound with Table of Contents and
reference tabs for key sections. Please limit proposals to no more than 40 pages.
The qualification statement must be submitted with one (1) original, one (1) copy and one (1)
electronic copy on flash drive.
Qualification Statement must include all the following information:
1. Introduction - Letter of Transmittal
* Summarize in a brief and concise manner the Firm's understanding of the scope of work
and make a positive commitment to perform the work in a professional and timely manner.
2. Qualifications of Firm
Please provide:
* General work plan that demonstrates the consultant's complete understanding of the scope of
work.
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* Company's recent (last 5 years) relevant experience in air quality compliance in North
Carolina closed or active pre and post subtitle D landfills, and Title V permitting.
* Previous project success for projects of same or similar scope as this project.
* Include any history of Air Quality NOD's, NOV's, or Consent Orders issued by local state
or federal regulators on previous projects.
* Overall qualifications of Project Managers and key personnel.
* Overall experience with:
o Developing written technical reports
o Solid Waste Air Quality regulations
o Municipal solid waste landfill design, operations, and closure.
o Title V Air permitting, monitoring, and reporting.
o Landfill gas system design and operation.
* Provide a summary of any litigation, claim(s), or contract dispute(s) filed by or against the
Firm in the past five (5) years that are related to the services that the Firm provides in the
regular course of business. The summary shall state the nature of the litigation, claim, or
contract dispute; a brief description of the case; the outcome or projected outcome; and the
monetary amount involved. If no litigation claim(s) or contract dispute(s) have been filed
by or against the Firm in the past five (5) years, please state that. List any regulatory or
license agency sanctions. If no license sanctions against the Firm, please state that.
3. Project Management and Key Personnel
Please provide:
* Firm staff resumes that show experience in North Carolina for staff assigned to this project.
* Statement of qualifications of the firm and its key personnel who will be assigned to work
with the County.
* List of personnel who will work on the project including their specific qualifications and
experience on projects of similar scope.
* List any professional training and experience, especially in relation to the type and
magnitude of work required for this particular scope of services.
* List any licenses or certifications related to the scope of work described in this Request for
Qualifications.
* Describe the Firm's approach to and/or method of cost control and project scheduling.
* Current workload and percentage of availability of key personnel.
* Hourly billing rates charged by your Firm for each position type.
4. References - Past Performance and Existing Contracts
Please provide:
* List of previous and current clients for similar projects to this scope of work within the
past five (5) years. Include names and location of project, brief description and firm's key
personnel's involvement, name of project manager and telephone number, date and value
of project. In addition, please complete Attachment A: Reference Disclosure Form and
submit with qualifications.
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EVALUATION METHOD - SELECTION PROCESS
A Selection Committee will evaluate responses to the Request for Qualifications and determine the
most qualified applicants. Upon receipt of the packages from respondents, the Selection Committee
will review using a scoring criterion that has been determined by the committee and detailed below.
Past performance will be scored based on responses from the references submitted by the responder
and/or the experience of Catawba County staff with particular firm's past performance. Only one
reviewer will contact any given reference.
The Selection Committee will use the total point scores to rank the prospective Firms. The Selection
Committee will determine a list of the most highly qualified Firms based upon the ranking scores.
Once the Firms are selected, authorization will be sought from the Catawba County Board of
Commissioners for contract award.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The Content of Qualifications Statement, as referenced above, shall be evaluated as follows:
Description Total Possible Points
Qualification of Firm:
50
* Success of Previous Projects (i.e. still in operation,
how long in operation, etc.). Have there ever been
violations consent orders on sites where you have
worked?
* Developing Written Technical Specifications
* Project Understanding
* Title V Air Permit Experience (NC Only)
* Previous/Pending Litigation
Project Management and Key Personnel: 46
* Experience on similar projects (NC Only)
* Projects on time and within budget.
* Air Quality Permitting and reporting experience (NC
Only).
* Professional Training/Qualification
* Workload and Availability
* Cost Control/Scheduling
*R eRfeelreevnacnets L -ic Peansste Ps/eCrfeorrtmificaantcieo nasn d Existing 4
100
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FIRM INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The successful Firm will be required to provide the County with Certificates of Insurance meeting
the County's insurance requirements at the time of project award as specified below. Failure to
provide the required insurance will result in cancellation of the selection and the County will have
the right to enter into an agreement with the Firm with the next highest ranking. Firm shall maintain
at all times during the term of this Agreement, at the Firm's sole expense:
I. Commercial General Liability Insurance
Firm shall maintain Commercial General Liability insurance written on an
occurrence basis, including coverage for products and completed operations
liability, contractual liability, liability from independent contractors, property
damage liability, bodily injury liability, and personal injury liability with limits of
not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate. The
aggregate limit shall apply separately to each location. The limits may be satisfied
by a combination of primary and excess insurance.
II. Professional Liability Insurance
Firm shall maintain Professional Liability insurance with limits of not less than
$1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 aggregate.
III. Business Automobile Insurance
At all times while the Firm's representatives are conducting on-site work, the Firm
shall maintain Automobile Liability insurance for any owned, hired, rented, or
borrowed vehicle with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily
injury and property damage liability. The limit may be satisfied by a combination
of primary and excess insurance.
IV. Workers Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance
At all times while the Firm's representatives are conducting on-site work, Firm
shall maintain statutory Workers Compensation insurance in accordance with the
laws of North Carolina. Firm shall also maintain Employers' Liability insurance
with limits of not less than $500,000 per accident and $500,000 each employee for
injury by disease.
V. General Requirements
1. Catawba County shall be named as an additional insured under Firm's
automobile and general liability insurance. In the event of a loss arising out
of, or related to the Firm's services performed under this Agreement, Firm's
Liability insurance shall be primary (pay first) with respect to any other
insurance which may be available to the County, regardless of how the "other
insurance" provisions may read.
2. The Firm's Workers Compensation insurance must contain a waiver of
subrogation in favor of the County.
3. Firm shall be responsible for insuring all of its own personal property,
improvements, and betterments.

4. All insurance policies put forth to satisfy the above requirements shall
require the insurer to provide a minimum of sixty (60) days' notice to the
County of any material change in coverage, cancellation, or non-renewal.
5. All insurance put forth to satisfy the above requirements shall be placed with
insurance companies licensed to provide insurance in the state of North
Carolina. Any deductibles or self-insured retentions in the required
insurance shall be subject to approval by the County.
6. Prior to execution of contract, Firm shall provide written evidence of
insurance as requested by the County to confirm that these insurance
requirements are satisfied. Firm agrees to indemnify County if the insurance
policy referenced in the COI does not contain, at a minimum, the coverage
amounts listed on the COI. Firm agrees to provide complete copies of
policies if requested. Failure of Firm to provide timely evidence of
insurance, or to place coverage with insurance, or to place coverage with
insurance companies acceptable to the County, shall be viewed as Firm's
delaying performance entitling the County to all appropriate remedies under
the law including termination of the contract.

ATTACHMENT A
REFERENCE DISCLOSURE FORM
Firm shall provide information regarding experience in work similar this scope of work by listing FIVE (5)
RECENT CLIENTS, ONLY ONE OF WHICH MAY BE A CATAWBA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
LISTING. References should be clients of a similar scale to the services requested in this RFQ.
1. COMPANY NAME:
PERSON TO CONTACT:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED:
SIZE:
JOB DATES:
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2. COMPANY NAME:
PERSON TO CONTACT:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED:
SIZE:
JOB DATES:
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3. COMPANY NAME:
PERSON TO CONTACT:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED:
SIZE:
JOB DATES:
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4. COMPANY NAME:
PERSON TO CONTACT:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED:
SIZE:
JOB DATES:
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5. COMPANY NAME:
PERSON TO CONTACT:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED:
SIZE:
JOB DATES:
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