INTERNAL / PRIVILEGED — DRAFT
Issue: PCO-156
Category: Force Account / DSC
Amount Claimed: $196,848.74 (910.9 tons @ $113/ton disposal)
Location: King County Parks / Old Burlington Northern ROW (Area 5), Parcel 0926059170
Protest Status: Denied via SL 9727-271 (Feb 20, 2026) and SL 9727-282 (Feb 27, 2026)
DSC 007 Track: Active — LTR 376 (Mar 13, 2026); determination due ~Apr 3, 2026
| Date | Document | Direction | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-02-01 | Appendix E09a2 | Contract Document | HazMat Addendum issued. Site ID 6 (King County Parks / Former BNSF Rail Line, Parcel 0926059170) identified: contaminants TPH, Creosote, Metals. Risk: Moderate. Recommended: develop GSPs/SPs; sampling if excavation proposed. |
| 2021-07-01 | Appendix E09a5 | Contract Document | HazMat Updates issued. Site ID 6 risk downgraded Moderate→Low. Narrative: “Construction activities are now limited to potentially using the area for staging.” Sampling still required “if the contractor proposes construction activities that would require any excavation.” |
| 2025-03-27 | Change Order 040 | Contract Modification | CO 040 executed. Version correction: replaced Appendix B03 (2023 Std Specs) with 2022 version per RFP Section 2.2. No-cost change order. Restores “the version that should have been issued at the time of the RFP advertisement.” GSP 2-02.5.OPT7.GR2 (dated Dec 4, 2006) predates both versions — not new content. |
| 2025-09-24 | Atlas Report | Skanska (testing) | Skanska samples soil at BNSF ROW per E09a5 requirement. 6 test pits within parcel boundary. Atlas tests for RCRA 8 Metals and TPH (NWTPH-Dx/-Gx) per disclosed COC categories. |
| 2025-10-10 | Atlas Report | Lab results | Lab results received: Arsenic 23.6 mg/kg (TP-2-4, exceeds MTCA Method A limit of 20 mg/kg). Class 2/Class 3 soil. TPH/lube oil confirmed. Contamination within disclosed categories. |
| 2025-10-17 | LTR 256 | Skanska → WSDOT | Formal contamination notice. Skanska cites “the guidance provided for in the contract documents, specifically Appendices 09a2 and 09a5” — admission of knowledge of disclosure. |
| 2025-10-21–28 | LTR 312 records | Field operations | Initial removal work (labor/equipment). SKA crew mobilized. |
| 2025-10-31 | SL 9727-189 | WSDOT → Skanska | Directs Force Account tracking pending DSC evaluation. (Procedural tracking directive, not a payment commitment. Corrected by SL-248.) |
| 2025-10-31 | LTR 265 | Skanska → WSDOT | Requests disposal pricing direction. Cites $391/CY as quoted rate. |
| 2025-11-04–11 | LTR 312 records | Field operations | Major excavation: 910.9 tons removed total. Nov 6: 615.99 tons (20 loads). Nov 7: 154.51 tons (4 loads). Nov 11: 140.40 tons (4 loads). |
| 2025-12-19 | SL 9727-224 | WSDOT → Skanska | DSC determination issued (later withdrawn as contractually incorrect). Directed FA tracking and $1.5M threshold application. |
| 2025-12-30 | LTR 308 | Skanska → WSDOT | Skanska correctly argues not a DSC (contamination disclosed in Appendix E). Admits “specifically identifies this location as having ‘TPH, Creosote, Metals’” — key admission. Argues Force Account is proper payment mechanism. |
| 2026-01-07 | LTR 312 | Skanska → WSDOT | Submits $196,848.74 T&M claim: SKA labor $17,771.14 + equipment $6,337.03 + materials $23,216.68 + markup $11,715.33 + Grady (subcontractor) $124,547.36 + sub markup $13,261.20. |
| 2026-01-23 | SL 9727-248 | WSDOT → Skanska | Withdraws DSC determination (SL-224). Denies $196,848.74 claim. Basis: Section 2.8.5.8 places known contamination handling within “The Work”; Technical Requirements control over GSPs per GP 1-03.2. |
| 2026-02-06 | LTR 344 | Skanska → WSDOT | Formal protest of SL-248 under GP 1-04.5. Five arguments: (1) CO 040 elevates GSP to Change Order precedence, (2) E09a5 GSP/SP commitment unfulfilled, (3) GP 1-09.6 Force Account, (4) material difference/outside area, (5) interim payment requested. |
| 2026-02-20 | SL 9727-271 | WSDOT → Skanska | Written Determination on LTR 344. Protest denied. Section 2.8.2 + GP 1-03.2(2) “notwithstanding” clause: TR controls over Mandatory Standards regardless of CO 040. Section 2.8.5.8 places work in lump sum scope. |
| 2026-02-20 | LTR 357 | Skanska → WSDOT | Supplemental per GP 1-04.5. Raises scope vs. payment argument (LTR357-1). Preserves DSC route (LTR357-DSC). Offers mapping overlay (LTR357-MAP). Notes process/timing issue (LTR357-TIMING). |
| 2026-02-27 | SL 9727-282 | WSDOT → Skanska | Supplemental determination. Final denial of protest. Rejects scope vs. payment argument. Parcel 0926059170 reaffirmed as site definition. DSC intent acknowledged — GP 1-04.7 process available. |
| 2026-03-13 | LTR 376 | Skanska → WSDOT | Fresh DSC notice under GP 1-04.7. Four arguments: (1) Site ID 6 = parcel 0926059170, (2) contamination/excavation partially outside parcel boundary per GPS overlay (EC209 TESC), (3) Class 3 arsenic is “material difference,” (4) GSP/SP commitment unfulfilled. Requests equitable adjustment $196,848.74. |
| Provision | Role in Analysis |
|---|---|
| Section 2.8.5.8 | Primary: “The Work shall include inspection, mitigation, handling, and disposal of any known or suspected contamination.” Disclosed contamination is base scope. |
| Section 2.8.2 | Lists “Special Provisions (Appendix B)” as Mandatory Standard #1 within TR — the link that triggers GP 1-03.2(2) |
| GP 1-03.2(2) | “Notwithstanding” clause: TR controls over all Mandatory Standards listed within TR; Section 2.8.5.8 controls over GSP 2-02.5 regardless of CO 040 |
| GP 1-03.3 | Standard Specifications integrated “excluding measurement and payment Sections” — GSP 2-02.5 (Payment) excluded |
| GP 1-04.1(1) | Contract Price includes all Work — lump sum IS the payment mechanism for scoped work |
| GP 1-09.6 | Force Account excludes original scope items — GSP self-referral to GP 1-09.6 defeats the GSP on its own terms |
| GP 1-04.7(c) | DSC treatment applies to HazMat “not identified in the Hazardous Materials Report” — Site ID 6 is identified |
| Sections 2.8.5.8.1/.2 | Undisclosed asbestos/USTs “may be considered a Differing Site Condition” — structural confirmation that disclosed items are NOT DSCs |
| GP 1-03.5 | Ambiguities not construed against drafter (WSDOT); DB had pre-bid obligation to raise concerns — defeats E09a5 ambiguity argument |
| Appendix E09a2 | Site ID 6 entry: “TPH, Creosote, Metals” at parcel 0926059170 — arsenic is within “Metals” (RCRA 8) |
| Appendix E09a5 | Risk downgraded to Low for staging; sampling required if excavating — Skanska chose to excavate (design choice factor) |