Request for Interest- Detroit River Sediment Remediation Collaborative
Friends of the Detroit River
Protecting, defending, & improving the Detroit River through community-based stewardship and restoration.
Issue Date: Sept 30th 2024
Section 1: RFI Overview
Friends of the Detroit River (FDR) seeks to facilitate a Collaborative focused on Sediment Remediation. We are seeking information related to the coordination of all aspects of the Collaborative with focus on keeping the momentum of the project moving forward and learning what information a consultant would need to scope a logical road map for facilitation of this Collaborative.
It is the intent of FDR to award a contract to a consultant after the completion of this RFI. This is anticipated to be a long-term project with the first phase to begin January 1, 2025, and end September 30, 2025.
There may be opportunities for long-term engagement past the anticipated project end date.
Please note that all responses will be public record. Do not submit confidential information in your response.
Section 1.1: RFI Contact
We have designated the following individual to serve as the official point of contact for this RFI. This individual is the only authorized contact permitted to communicate on behalf of FDR about this RFI. Contact information for RFI point of contact:
Tricia Blicharski, Executive Director
Section 1.2: Submission Details
Please submit your responses to this RFI via email before the due date identified in Section 1.3. When submitting your response, please email the two-page letter of interest, to the RFI Contact with email subject line “Sediment Collaborative Intent of Interest.” If you have any questions about this RFI, please direct them to the RFI contact.
Section 1.3: RFI Timeline
Please review the below RFI timeline. Dates may be modified or amended by FDR, which will post an amendment to this RFI notifying prospective respondents of any change.
RFI Released: September 30, 2024
Responses Due November 20, 2024
Interviews: First week of December, 2024
Section 2: Background Information
Section 2.1: Goals and Outcome of the Sediment Collaborative
Establish a collaborative body of stakeholders working towards remediation of contaminated sediments in the Detroit River Area of Concern.
? Identify and engage stakeholders interested in sediment remediation efforts and for purposes of gaining partnerships for sediment remediation efforts in the Detroit River.
? Facilitate Collaborative meetings, present the Great Lakes Legacy Act program, share scope of anticipated sediment remediation work, share success stories/potential future successes, and most importantly help build a realistic potential partner list for the Detroit River Area of Concern.
? Facilitate sub-groups related to the technical and community engagement components of the Collaborative, including a sub-group dedicated to underserved communities.
? Develop materials for enhanced community outreach and engagement.
? Host community engagement events, prioritizing communities disproportionately impacted by environmental justice issues.
? Support the Collaborative initiative and keep project momentum moving forward.
We expect that this may be achieved through a combination of facilitated Collaborative meetings, internal operational meetings, and/or focus groups based on the contractor’s recommendations. Since each facilitator will have different approaches to achieving the outcome, we are intentionally leaving the process to get there open ended.
Section 2.2: Background
Friends of the Detroit River’s mission is to protect, defend, and improve the Detroit River through community-based stewardship and restoration, now and for future generations. FDR envisions clean water for people, fish, and wildlife in a community where residents and government intentionally and effectively protect the Detroit River and its surrounding lands and waters. We value collaboration & community effort, trust, environmental stewardship, access to a healthy river, and environmental justice.
The Detroit River was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) due to decades of unregulated industry and rapid urbanization, which degraded the river. The Detroit River is one of five binational AOCs between the U.S. and Canada. For more information about U.S. efforts, visit
Detroit River Area of Concern. For information about Canadian efforts in the AOC, please visit Detroit River Canadian Cleanup.
The Detroit River AOC has a Public Advisory Council (PAC) that helps to engage the community in enhancing the river through implementation of the Remedial Action Plan. Over the last decade FDR, with the PAC, has successfully identified locations, negotiated access to, designed, and completed over $50 million in habitat restoration projects through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).
Considerable momentum has been built through the habitat restoration projects and we are looking to increase coordination capacity to move our shared vision and goals for sediment remediation forward.The GLRI is the largest federal investment program for the Great Lakes intended to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the world's largest system of fresh surface water. The Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) is the primary program for reducing toxics substance in the Great Lakes by remediating contaminated sediments in designated Areas of Concern (AOC). Administered through the GLRI, the GLAA provides essential funding for collaborative restoration of contaminated sediments in Great Lakes AOCs. The program is entirely voluntary and requires a partnership between the federal government and a non-federal sponsor, with each contributing to the cost of remediation efforts. The GLLA requires a minimum 35 percent match from a non-federal sponsor.
Work to restore the Detroit River AOC has been constant since the inception of GLRI. Extensive surveys have been completed to determine the nature and extent of contaminants in riverbed sediments. Meaningful progress has also been made to remediate these contaminated sediments over the years, with over $17.5 million invested as non-federal sponsor match, which leveraged an additional $35.7 million in federal funds. Work remains to continue the momentum to remediate the approximately 5 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments in the Detroit River AOC, at an estimated cost of $900 million.
GLRI Action Plan IV directs federal agencies and state, Tribal, local, and private partners to accelerate the implementation of remedial actions of toxic substances in AOCs, leveraging federal funding when available. As fiduciary of the Detroit River AOC PAC, FDR is best positioned to establish a Detroit River Sediment Remediation Collaborative that will identify and engage stakeholders for the purpose of gaining non-federal sponsors for future sediment remediation.
Section 3: Information Requested
Section 3.1: Who We’re Looking For
FDR is interested in hearing feedback on this proposed project from interested firms, organizations, or individuals.
Section 3.2: What We’re Looking For
Respondents are invited to send a brief two-page letter of interest highlighting the following:
2. Team Qualifications & Background
a. Introduce the organization’s relevant history, size, scope, and background.
3. Provide prior work experience or products you offer related to our needs, especially as it relates to metro-Detroit communities and stakeholders.
Finalists will be selected for an interview and full proposal submission.
Example of Full Proposal Content:
Prospective Scope of Work / Planned Approach
a. What do you think this project needs to be successful?
b. What is the size and characteristics of the proposed target population your organization would have capacity to engage with?
c. What is your ability to interpret data and present to groups of various stakeholders, project partners, and the public?
d. What innovative strategies have you or your organization seen others employ to communicate complex ecological remediations in accessible ways?
e. Share how you plan to communicate benefits to communities and partners for participating in the Collaborative.
f. Demonstrate your understanding of how the Great Lakes Legacy Act program works.
g. What additional resources would be necessary to make your proposed project successful?
h. Anticipated subawards
i. Other necessary information
Section 4: Appendix
Any additional background information or context that may be useful to respondents in drafting their responses can be placed in appendices at the end of the RFI (e.g., detailed background information, process maps, procedures, data summaries, etc.).