Hanford Site tank farm contractor Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) received 77 percent of the award fee available for fiscal 2016, down from 88 percent for the previous budget year, according to a Department of Energy scorecard.
“WRPS performed adequately through a turbulent year, but there were times when substantial ORP [DOE Office of River Protection] guidance and involvement were needed,” according to the scorecard. DOE did not release any information beyond the one-page document covering the budget year that ended on Sept. 30, 2016.
WRPS was eligible to earn $12.47 million in award fees based on subjective ratings of how well it met the goals set in a performance evaluation and measurement plan; it earned almost $9.64 million. Its overall rating was “very good,” based on individual ratings in eight categories.
The contractor’s worst performance was in the category of “Management of Single-Shell and Double-Shell Tank System.” It earned a “good,” which covers a rating from 51 to 75 on a scale of up to 100. DOE gave no specific information for the rating, but the scorecard criticized WRPS’ communication of vapor issues to the workforce.
“In the area of vapors, communications were not adequate to proactively sustain trust throughout the workforce,” the scorecard said. “In addition, WRPS’ communication to the workforce did not adequately cover past evaluations and decisions related to vapors and potential engineering controls or other solutions. This resulted in undue tension and frustration within the workforce.”
Dozens of workers in fiscal 2016 reported symptoms or suspicious odors that might be linked to chemical vapors from chemical and radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at Hanford. In a report issued in late November, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said thousands of air samples taken in and near Hanford tank farms showed few, if any, exposures exceeding occupational health limits. But it found considerable distrust among some workers and unions for the way DOE and WRPS were managing chemical vapors issues.
WRPS’ two highest ratings of “excellent” were for nuclear safety and support for commissioning of the Waste Treatment Plant, including the plan to start feeding low-activity radioactive waste to the plant, bypassing its Pretreatment Facility, as soon as 2022. A score of 91 to 100 earns a rating of excellent.
The remaining category ratings were all “very good,” for scores from 76 to 90. They covered conduct of operations; cost and management performance; the quality assurance program; environmental regulatory management; and safety program implementation.
“WRPS met or exceeded most of the award-fee performance criteria and, excluding the impact of litigation and vapors issues, has met the overall cost, schedule and technical performance requirements of the contract,” according to the scorecard. Washington state and two other plaintiffs have sued DOE and WRPS in federal court, demanding better worker protection against chemical vapors.
The scorecard also noted that WRPS delivered a significant level of work, averaging $49 million a month, and a notable number of specific achievements. It took over operation of the Effluent Treatment Facility and processed more than 4 million gallons of waste water. It retrieved much of the waste in Tank AY-102 – the Hanford double-shell tank with an interior leak – using standard sluicing technology in the spring and then installed four extended-reach sluicer systems to support retrieval of the remaining waste. Sluicing restarted in December.
Washington River Protection Solutions is a partnership of AECOM and Atkins, with primary subcontractor AREVA. In a memo to employees, WRPS President Mark Lindholm thanked them for work that contributed to what he described as highly rated performance in a challenging year.
