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h June, Juney Jons, Timey me - THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON May 2, 1996 Mr. Anthony Jones President Tonya, Inc. 1000 Vermont Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Jones: I am writing to respond to your inquiry several months ago regarding the process for the 8 (a) program at Rocky Flats. DOE's Rocky Flats Field Office, located in Golden, Colorado, was once part of the nuclear weapons production complex. In recent years its mission has changed to environmental clean-up of the site. The site, which consists of 6,550 acres, currently has high level nuclear material, including plutonium, and mixed waste. This cleanup is expected to take more than 25 years. The budget for this effort is $610,000,000 for fiscal year 1996. DOE's field office consists of 306 federal employees, who are responsible for overall site management, including the award and administration of RFFO's management information contract, now held by Kaiser-Hill. The Rocky Flats field office operates under the same 8 (a) program as the rest of the federal government. As you know, the 8 (a) program is a government-wide program to aid certain small and disadvantaged businesses by providing growth assistance and guidance by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to provide those firms in the program with increased access to awards by Federal agencies. The original statutory authority underlying the program was enacted in 1958 as section 8 (a) of the Small Business Act, (see Pub. L. 85-536), was limited to small disadvantaged participation administratively in approximately 1969 and was codified as such by Pub. L. 95-507. SBA certifies firms that meet the criteria for size, disadvantage, and potential for success. (See attachment for summary of the criteria established by the SBA for certification as an 8 (a) contractor.) SBA and 8(a) firms establish an annual business plan, and SBA provides other assistance such as the review of federal contracting opportunities.