Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) and the U.S. Justice Department are seeking opinions from a federal board on whether the contractor and one of its parent companies overcharged the federal government to the tune of $5 million, according to a recently filed status report in U.S. District Court. The document, filed on Oct. 10, arrived after six months of inaction in court.
The filing briefly detailed the contractor’s work with the federal government in seeking insight on the matter from the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA). The board is expected to issue an opinion on whether SRNS wrongfully and knowingly overcharged the Department of Energy for its management and operations of the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The board’s opinion will be considered by the judge overseeing the case.
The Justice Department sued SRNS and Fluor in March 2016 in the Aiken Division of U.S. District Court of South Carolina.
The suit claims SRNS overcharged the government $5 million by filing 573 unlawful reimbursement claims, from Oct. 8, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2015. The Justice Department said the companies knowingly sought reimbursement for home office expenses and bid and proposal costs – a direct violation of the M&O contract and of the cost transfer agreement that says the reimbursement of home office costs is unallowable under the deal.
