Virginia team wins $21B nuclear waste contract at Savannah River Site
Oct. 28—The Department of Energy on Wednesday awarded a Virginia-based outfit a potentially $21 billion contract at the Savannah River Site that addresses everything from processing radioactive waste to the oversight of nuclear materials.
The decade-long Integrated Mission Completion Contract, first telegraphed in 2019, was given to Savannah River Mission Completion LLC, which includes BWXT Technical Services Group, Fluor Federal Services and AECOM Energy & Construction. Two subcontractors were also named.
The Energy Department said Savannah River Mission Completion presented "the best value to the government," considering a list of well-worn factors: key players, track record, approach and methods, and cost. The decision can be protested.
Four proposals were submitted. The makeup of the other teams was not disclosed. A final request for proposals for the Integrated Mission Completion Contract — a bellwether for the Savannah River Site — was published around this time last year.
The contract could ultimately delegate the work of two current contractors to one, as liquid waste is handled by Amentum-led Savannah River Remediation, and Fluor-led Savannah River Nuclear Solutions deals in nuclear materials management. A single contractor, officials have said in the past, is in the best interest of the government and will ensure "maximum" reduction in environmental and financial risks.
The Energy Department's environmental liability totals $512 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office. A vast majority is attributed to Environmental Management, the DOE cleanup office and Savannah River Site landlord.
Once it has the reins, Savannah River Mission Completion will, among other tasks, oversee the Savannah River Site tank farms, where millions of gallons of nuclear waste are kept; the Defense Waste Processing Facility, where sludge is encased in glass, making it safer for long-term storage; the Salt Waste Processing Facility, which is expected to churn through 4 million gallons of waste in its first year of operations; and the Saltstone Disposal Units, massive vaults where decontaminated waste is permanently stored.
The newly awarded contract ensures workers have "the right to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively with their employers," the Energy Department noted. Union-represented workers, the department said, make up approximately 24% of the total workforce.
A previously publicized statement of work for the IMCC shared little about the contractor's nuclear materials responsibilities. The Energy Department's Wednesday announcement did not shed further light on the matter.
