The U.S. Energy Department still has to work out some murky issues that could result from establishing a stand-alone contract for management of the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina.
This includes specifics of how a new laboratory manager would work alongside the Fluor-led operator of the entire Savannah River Site, and how DOE’s Office of Environmental Management might divide costs with the semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration for laboratory work.
The Energy Department’s nuclear cleanup office on Wednesday provided answers to questions from potential vendors on the request for information (RFI) on a laboratory contract
The Office of Environmental Management, which is overseeing the procurement, also released a slide presentation from last week’s industry day.
One questioner asked whether the National Nuclear Security Administration will continue to pay for part of the operations, maintenance, and infrastructure at the laboratory. The agency responded that the NNSA will continue to fund its own work at Savannah River National Laboratory, but the cost allocation has yet to be worked out.
The lab provides research services both for Environmental Management and the NNSA. The cleanup office oversees the current site-wide management contract that encompasses the lab.
The agency also said it will be up to bidding teams to disclose potential conflicts of interests with both site management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and liquid waste vendor Savannah River Remediation. The Energy Department tries to avoid having a contractor review or analyze the work of an affiliated company.
The Energy Department added that it can get a better handle on potential conflicts “once proposal teams are known.” The federal contracting officer will decide if a bidder’s mitigation strategy is sufficient to overcome real or perceived conflicts of interest.
The agency is looking to better engage with the research community through SNRL, according to a presentation led by Norbert Doyle, acting associate principal deputy assistant secretary for corporate services at Environmental Management.
Operating SRNL is only a small part of the current $14.9 billion management contract held by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. The Energy Department in July 2019 extended the SRNS contract through September 2020, with two one-year options through September 2022.
When the agency extended the Savannah River Nuclear Solutions deal, it directed the vendor to be ready to move the SRNL scope of work into a separate contract, according to the industry day slides.
Doyle indicated a draft request for proposals for running the national laboratory could be ready during the next 90 days, with a final RFP to follow later this year.
Some recognizable names among the 100-plus attendees include AECOM, Fluor, BWX Technologies, the University of South Carolina, Westinghouse, Augusta University, PAE, Booz Allen Hamilton, Honeywell, Battelle, North Wind Group, Navarro, Aiken Technical College, General Dynamics, Clemson University, University of Georgia, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Boston Government Services, North Carolina State University, Longenecker & Associates, CDM Smith, Leidos, Atkins, and Veolia.
Originally opened in 1951 as the Savannah River Laboratory, the facility has a long history in all phases of the nuclear fuel cycle and is particularly known for its work in tritium fabrication and processing, said Ming Zhu, a senior adviser for laboratory policy at the Office of Environmental Management, in the published material.
After the facility became DOE’s 17th national laboratory in 2004, the Office of Environmental Management took over two years later, according to the presentation.
As the only national laboratory for the Office of Environmental Management, SRNL’s missions include grouting and vitrification technology for treatment and disposal of nuclear waste. Cleanup work at the Savannah River Site should conclude by 2065, and the Energy Department is working to develop more enduring work for the lab, including a larger role for the Office of Science.
The Savannah River National Laboratory supports the U.S. nuclear arsenal in part through testing of components to ensure stockpile safety and reliability. It also assists nuclear nonproliferation through deployment of its nuclear detection and analysis technology.
The lab currently has about 1,000 employees and an annual budget of roughly $350 million. The winning vendor team will assist DOE in developing policy and program planning.
Article modified Jan. 27 to correct budget figure.
