Work continues on transfer of the Savannah River Site landlord authority to the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration, the top cleanup fed at the South Carolina complex told a DOE advisory panel this week.
A joint team of DOE Office of Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) representatives should issue a report this June on the handover, the Environmental Management boss for the site, Michael Budney, told the Savannah River Citizens Advisory Board during a meeting webcast from Augusta, Ga.
The turnover, sparked in part by the nuclear-weapons agency’s plans for plutonium pits production at Savannah River’s canceled mixed-oxide fuel fabrication facility, should be complete in fiscal 2025, Budney said. “Some stuff might be done before that.”
NNSA already has more work being done at the site through the Fluor-led Savannah River Nuclear Solutions operations contractor than does the DOE cleanup office, Budney said during the Monday meeting.
At the same time, Budney said Savannah River “would not see our taillights” anytime soon as Environmental Management has another 14 years left on liquid waste work alone, he added.
On other issues, Budney said:
- DOE is waiting for the Government Accountability Office to rule on a bid protest brought by SRS Critical Infrastructure Security over a 10-year, $1 billion security services contract awarded to Centerra in January. There is a May deadline for the Congressional watchdog agency to rule.
- Construction of Saltstone Disposal Unit No. 8 could be ready for operation this summer, Budney said. A test of Saltstone Disposal Unit No. 9, which involves wrapping the concrete tank in wire and putting stress on it, has been finished, Budney said. The saltstone disposal units will be 43 feet high and 375 feet in diameter, DOE has said.
- Construction of a new emergency operations center at Savannah River could start in fiscal 2024 depending on securing regulatory approvals.
- Monday was the first day on the job for Stanley Pyram, Environmental Management’s new chief engineer for Savannah River, Budney said. He added that Pyram comes over from NNSA.
- North Wind Group should “start moving dirt” within weeks for construction of the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. The contractor is waiting for subcontractors to finish up some existing work and relocate needed heavy equipment to the DOE project. The 60,000 square feet facility will offer off site research, office and conference space for the Savannah River National Laboratory.
