URS CEO DEFENDS SELLAFIELD PERFORMANCE

As the U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority considers whether or not to extend URS-led Nuclear Management Partners’ contract at Sellafield, URS Chief Executive Officer and President Martin Koffel earlier this week defended URS’ performance at the site. The NDA is currently expected to make a decision by September as to whether it will recompete the Sellafield contract or provide a five-year extension to Nuclear Management Partners, which has come under criticism in recent months for its performance at Sellafield. In a call with investors Aug. 6, though. Koffel said that NMP has done “an outstanding job” at the site. “I can assure you that the … procurement decision about renewing the Sellafield contract with NMP will not be made in the media. It will be made by the NDA in consultation with the political entities to which it reports,” Koffel said. “We have done, in the last four years, an outstanding job at Sellafield. I mean it was a 40-year legacy of government operation or quasi-government operation, which frankly was not a pretty picture or a very safe picture. And we’ve brought it to much safer standards and much better standards of operation efficiency and have a good track record. And we’re negotiating on the strength of that track record.” He added, “I can’t comment on the outcome because it’s in negotiation, but I can say we’ve done a very good job and I think there’s a lot of support for us.”