NUCLEAR WASTE PARTNERSHIP TAKES OVER WIPP M&O TODAY

New Waste Isolation Pilot Plant management-and-operations contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC, officially takes over work at the site from Washington TRU Solutions today. Several key personnel from the previous contractor will remain at the site, including General Manager Farok Sharif. And the new URS-led team follows 27 years of URS work at WIPP. Last week Nuclear Waste Partnership, which also includes B&W Technical Services Group and subcontractor AREVA Federal Services, presented a Transition Completion Report and Certification of Readiness to the Department of Energy’s Carlsbad Field Office. DOE-Carlsbad concurred with the Declaration of Readiness and signed an authorization agreement to allow the company to take over the M&O contract Oct. 1. The transition was completed under the budget allocated by DOE, according to NWP. “We achieved the goal of a safe, orderly transition with minimal impact to WIPP operations,” Sharif said in a statement. “I am very excited about the bright future for WIPP, the Carlsbad community and our employees. As always, our focus will be on safe, compliant operations as we continue to reduce the nation’s nuclear waste footprint.”