The difficulties encountered to date in getting the Idaho Integrated Waste Treatment Unit up and running appear to have played a role in Bechtel-led Consolidated Nuclear Security’s win of the new Y-12/Pantex management contract, according to information the Government Accountability Office released yesterday. The IWTU’s impact on how the National Nuclear Security Administration evaluated the two bids submitted for the contract was outlined in the GAO’s decision denying a third protest filed by B&W-led Nuclear Production Partners, LLC (NP2). NP2 also includes URS, which is also part of CH2M-WG Idaho (CWI), the cleanup contractor at the Department of Energy’s Idaho site responsible for the IWTU project. According to the GAO decision, the IWTU issues hurt NP2 when it came to evaluating the contractor’s past performance issues concerning its proposal for the Uranium Processing Facility to be built at Y-12.
The decision states that “while both CNS and NPP [NP2] were rated satisfactory, the SSA noted a significant risk associated with performance of an [NP2] team member, URS Energy & Construction, Inc., on the ‘Integrated Waste Treatment Unit’ (IWTU) project.” The decision adds, “Although the project was completed in April 2012, ‘it has not successfully been put into operation.’ Accordingly, the SSA [Source Selection Authority] concluded that CNS ‘has a slight advantage over NPP’ under this evaluation factor.” URS declined to comment on the issue this week.
DOE and CWI are in the midst of a second attempt to get the IWU (also known as the Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Facility) into full operation. In the summer of 2012, an initial attempt at starting up the facility was significantly disrupted by what has been described as a “pressure event.” The incident occurred when the facility’s filters became clogged with carbon material during efforts to get it up to its operating temperature. In response, DOE and CWI completed a set of modifications to the facility and have been proceeding with another attempt at start-up, recently announcing that they have once again gotten the facility up to its operating temperature and pressure. DOE officials have said they hope to have the facility in full operation processing liquid waste this spring.
