MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INVITATION FOR BIDS Notice is hereby given that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), is seeking sealed bids for the Marine Debris Removal-Round Island Monitoring Services (the Project). The purpose of the Project, as approved in the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group 2016-2017 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment ("the Plan"), is to support the restoration of natural resources and services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, which occurred on or about April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of America1. The purpose of this monitoring project is to remove marine debris from Round Island, which was created in 2016 using beneficial-use sediment material and has been identified as a debris hotspot due to the known presence and regular accumulation of marine debris. Round Island provides nesting and foraging habitat for birds and is located near documented Kemp's ridley sea turtle foraging habitat, as indicated by a high concentration of telemetry reports in the surrounding area from the State of the World's Sea Turtles mapper. To obtain a downloadable copy of the Invitation for Bids (IFB), please visit restore.ms, email Regina Cochran at procurement@mdeq.ms.gov, or call 601.961.5201. IFB may also be examined at the following locations: MDEQ, 515 East Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201, or Covington Civil and Environmental, LLC, 2300 14th St., Gulfport, MS 39501. An optional Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. CDT, July 29, 2026, online utilizing GoTo Meeting and can be accessed at https://meet.goto.com/197629525, or by phone at +1 (872) 240-3212: Access Code: 197-629-525. The purpose of the pre-bid meeting is to allow potential offerors an opportunity to present questions to staff and obtain clarification of the procurement requirements. Bids will be received by 3:00 p.m. CDT, August 31, 2026 at the MDEQ office located at 515 East Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201 or electronically via MAGIC (RFx# 3160008100). All bids received after this deadline will be returned unopened. Minority and women in business enterprises are encouraged to bid as a prime contractor or to make inquiries regarding potential subcontracting opportunities. All bidders must make positive efforts to use small and minority owned businesses and women's business enterprises as subcontractors and/or suppliers, as applicable. MDEQ reserves the right to reject any and/or IPL0356798 Jul 15,22 2026