Atkins-led Mid-America Conversion Services earned 93% of its overall fee and roughly three-quarters of its subjective fee during fiscal 2022 under its depleted uranium hexafluoride contract at gaseous diffusion plants in Ohio and Kentucky, the Department of Energy said.
The contractor won $1.7 million out of a potential $2.3 million or 74% of its subjective fees and 93% of its overall fee, good for a $7.9-million take of an available $8.5 million pool for work during the 12 months ended Sept. 30, according to a scorecard posted online Dec. 28.
During the prior 12-month period, Mid-America won 70% of its subjective fee and 95% of its performance-based incentive fee even though the depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) conversion plants at the Portsmouth Site in Ohio and the Paducah Site in Kentucky were still out of service.
The plants turn DUF6 into depleted uranium oxide, which is more suitable for storage, transport, disposal or reuse. After an extended shutdown that started after the outbreak of COVID-19 and included various plant repairs and upgrades, the Paducah, Ky., resumed DUF6 conversion in November 2021.The Portsmouth Site DUF6 plant in Piketon, Ohio followed suit in July 2022.
Among the shortcomings DOE found, Mid-America “made incremental improvements in their IT [information technology] and cyber security capabilities during the review period, however this is an area that needs further improvement,” the agency said in the scorecard.
Mid-America, which also includes Westinghouse and Fluor, has a contract valued at $717 million for running the DUF6 plants. The contract started in February 2017 and is scheduled to run through March 28. The DOE Office of Environmental Management is evaluating proposals for a follow-on contract that will incorporate DUF6 conversion as well as certain operations work at Portsmouth and Paducah.
