The Department of Energy plans to issue a potential four-year, $1 million contract for consultant Jeffrey Trent to assist in “hot commissioning” of the Waste Treatment Plant at the Hanford Site in Washington state.
The notice for the planned no-bid contract was posted earlier this month by the Hanford Office of River Protection on a federal procurement website. The DOE office oversees 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste inside 177 underground tanks at the former plutonium production complex.
Bechtel is building the Waste Treatment Plant, which will convert much of the tank waste into a more stable glass form for eventual disposal. The facility is legally obligated to start vitrification of low-activity waste by the end of 2023. Hot commissioning could involve running the vitrification plant with actual low-level waste, treating it, and pouring the end product into canisters.
The agency “has determined that there is a need for scientific and technical consulting,” and Trent has specific knowledge and past experience on DOE Hanford nuclear waste tank cleanup, according to the post. The advice could help the facility make the transition from construction and testing to operations.
Trent will provide expert technical support to the assistant manager of the WTP project and the Office of River Protection. He previously worked as a technical and project management consultant for the project. Trent has also held management posts for the Energy Department’s Office of Environmental Management, which oversees Hanford, and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
The forecast value of the contract is $1.036 million, with a term from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2024.
Questions on this planned contract action, can be emailed to DOE Contracting Officer Margit Larrieu, at [email protected].
