The Energy Department confirmed Monday that an employee of the prime contractor for the Savannah River Site in South Carolina has died as a result of COVID-19.
“I regret to inform you that we have lost a member of the SRNS [Savannah River Nuclear Solutions] team to a COVID-related death,” SRNS President and CEO Stuart MacVean said in a Monday memo to employees of the Fluor-led vendor. The individual became ill last week and passed away soon afterward, the CEO added.
The Savannah River Nuclear Solutions statement did not indicate what type of work the individual did, or whether the employee was involved in operations for the DOE Office of Environmental Management or the semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration.
No further details will be provided beyond what is in the company statement, an Energy Department spokesperson said via email.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the individual’s family and friends during this time,” MacVean said in the memo. “The loss of a coworker is a somber reminder that we are truly ‘in this together,’” he added.
This is the second confirmed death within the Department of Energy complex during the pandemic. An employee at agency headquarters died in April.
There are roughly 11,000 workers at the Savannah River Site, located near the border with Georgia. From late March until late May, the site dramatically reduced on-site operations and had most of its people either work remotely or collect paid leave. The site remains in Phase 1 of operational restart, which involve having certain key people and employees working in relatively low-risk roles returning inside the fence.
The Savannah River Site thus far has confirmed a total of 62 cases of COVID-19 among its workforce. Forty of those employees have recovered and been cleared to return to work.
Also Monday, another employee at the Hanford Site in Washington state tested positive for the coronavirus. That brings Hanford’s total number of cases during the pandemic to 21, based on anecdotal information.
