**STATEMENT OF WORK**

**Seismic Hazard Analysis**

**1. Background:**

The Geologic Hazards Team (GHT) of the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS),
Central Region, has entered into an agreement with the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) to support and assist the NRC in reviews of
site license applications for nuclear power plants. The NRC anticipates
the filing of more than 19 early site permit (ESP) or combined license
(COL) application reviews in the next several years. USGS technical
expertise will be directed at reviewing the geologic and seismologic
safety issues for each site. To handle this one-time surge of work, USGS
is seeking to augment its regular workforce with contractors with
sufficient expertise in geology and seismology of the central and
eastern United States to participate in these safety and environmental
reviews of the site applications.

**2. Duties:**

> \(a\) The contractor shall apply staff knowledge and experience of
> earthquake geology, active faulting, regional tectonics, and
> earthquake hazard assessment to advise senior geologists and
> geophysicists on the adequacy of geologic and tectonic information
> contained in site license applications to the NRC. The USGS acts in a
> consultation role for the NRC, and these evaluations have rigid time
> requirements. Therefore, the contractor shall be able to reliably
> complete mandatory work assignments on time.
>
> An example of an NRC task order to the USGS with timelines for a site
> analysis is attached to this contract as Attachment 3.
>
> \(b\) It is understood that there is a 250 labor-hour maximum per site
> that may not be exceeded by the contractor unless specifically agreed
> to in writing by the COR.
>
> \(c\) The COR will give each assignment directly to the Contractor on
> a per site basis. Initial assignments by the COR may be verbal.
> Assignments will be confirmed either by email, by contractor's monthly
> invoice, by contractor's monthly written reports and/or by
> contractor's written deliverables.

**3. Scope of Work:**

The contractor may be asked to provide technical assistance in one or
more of the following areas:

(a) Apply knowledge of geology, quaternary faulting, paleoseismology,
    and seismic hazard analysis to review site permit applications for
    the NRC;

(b) Support revision to regulatory documents as assigned to support
    application reviews (e.g., Standard Review Plan-NUREG-0800, 10 CFR
    Part 52, and related guidance);

(c) Support for reviewing, assessing, and evaluating submittals (license
    applications, technical reports, safety analyses, topical reports,
    and similar documents for new license applications) to verify site
    characterization and seismic hazard analysis has been thoroughly and
    correctly done and prepare Requests for Additional Information
    (RAI's), if necessary;

(d) Prepare input to Safety Evaluation Reports (SER's) addressing
    seismic hazard by utilizing NRC provided templates and instructions;

(e) Prepare for and travel to a plant site(s) to participate in audits
    and attend meetings at NRC locations with licensees and/or reactor
    vendors; and

(f) Provide litigation support at hearings and other similar processes.
    This includes, but is not limited to: providing written
    documentation of work performed during technical reviews; providing
    expert testimony and reports; reviewing and analyzing expert
    testimony/reports of other parties in the litigation.

**4. Personnel Qualifications:**

The contractor shall employ staff with Ph.D-level geology or geophysics
degrees. Geologists shall have training and experience in the mapping of
quaternary faults, geomorphology, seismotectonics, and structural
geology, with particular emphasis on the central and eastern United
States. Geophysicists shall have training and experience in performing
probabilistic seismic hazard analysis characterization, and ground
motion attenuation, with particular emphasis on the central and eastern
United States. Extensive experience in seismic source characterization
by staff is required. In addition, the contractor shall have extensive
experience in the characterization of surface and subsurface material
deposits, folding, faulting, paleoliquefaction features, as well as the
correlation of seismicity with tectonic structures.

In addition, the contractor shall employ individuals who meet the
following qualification requirements:

\(a\) Good writing and communication skills in order to minimize the
need for GHT geologists to modify and rewrite the contractor's
contributions to reports and documents;

\(b\) Expert knowledge of the scientific literature regarding studies of
seismic hazard, fault recurrence, and seismic source characterization in
the central and eastern United States;

\(c\) Ability to contribute to the project goals immediately with little
time for orientation;

\(d\) Ability to work independently, yet be able to coordinate his/her
efforts with USGS scientists and work effectively in a team.

**5. Deliverables:**

\(a\) The results of any non-conformance to regulatory references shall
be documented in written reports and/or memoranda and transmitted to the
USGS Project Manager and Task Order principal investigator.

\(b\) Any draft RAI's or draft Safety Evaluation Reports (SER's)
generated as a result of the application review will be provided to the
USGS Project Manager and Task Order principal investigator.

\(c\) RAIs shall be delivered in the required format and quality
guidelines, within the schedule established. The contractor shall
utilize NUREG-0800 and NUREG-1555 as necessary to support the safety and
environmental reviews.

\(d\) The contractor shall follow the USGS quality control plan, which
outlines the procedures and system they will use for document version
control, technical input tracking, and technical and editorial reviews.

\(e\) The contractor shall document work done in regular (2-4 week)
intervals by written and oral communication.

**6. Availability:**

The contractor shall be available on an intermittent, part-time basis,
and shall be able to adhere to rigid time requirements. Work is
typically episodic, often requiring a concerted effort over a one-to-two
week period, followed by one or more months of slack time. Timelines for
deliverables are set by the NRC and are subject to change, depending on
applicant response times. The contractor shall be able to accommodate
changes in schedule and shall be able to embark on work immediately,
with limited time to acquire background information.

**7. Location:**

The contractor will work independently at their place of origin and will
communicate with USGS staff electronically and by phone as needed. The
contractor will provide his/her own computing capabilities. Much of the
work is sedentary and is conducted in an office environment, although an
occasional site visit may be required.

**8. Key Personnel:**

\(a\) Key personnel listed in this contract shall perform all tasks and
work under this contract. Contractor's key personnel are identified in
clause H.4, GS1330, KEY PERSONNEL.

\(b\) Any substitution of personnel shall be approved by the COR prior
to any work commencing by the staff member to be substituted.

\(c\) None of this work may be subcontracted out by contractor.

\(d\) Contractor shall maintain in-house staff positions in geology and
geophysics that are redundant so that at least two qualified
professionals are on staff in each scientific area at all times.

\(e\) During the term of this contract, the contractor shall maintain
in-house expertise in the following scientific areas:

-   Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA),

-   Paleoseismologic investigations and in characterizing active faults
    for slip rate, recurrence, and earthquake history,

-   Characterization of surface and subsurface folding, faulting, and
    paleoliquefaction features, and

-   Seismotectonics and structural geology with particular emphasis on
    the Central and Eastern United States.

\(f\) Violation of the key personnel provisions of this contract may
lead to cancellation of this contract by the Government.