Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
2/6/2015
In the latest move to address industry concerns over the new Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) Core contract, the Department of Energy plans to hold a new round of one-on-one sessions next week with potential bidders. The sessions will be held via teleconference on Feb. 11, according to a DOE notice. While the Department has not provided an agenda for the sessions, they are believed to include discussion on potentially revamping the fee structure to include specific milestones with associated fee, while fee tied to the contract’s cost target would remain provisional until the end of the contract. DOE officials were not immediately available for comment late this week.
The new ICP contract is intended to replace the two current cleanup contracts at the Idaho site that are set to expire in September. Industry officials raised concern with DOE’s original draft Request for Proposals for the new contract, in part, due to provisions that would have made the winner liable for all costs above the target cost. While DOE has revised the draft request for proposals to remove that provision, industry still is taking issue with other provisions in the draft, including that in the latest draft all fee earned over the life of the contract is provisional.
