URS REPORTEDLY STANDS DOWN BID WORK ON NEW PADUCAH CONTRACT

In another shakeup of the field of competitors for the new Paducah deactivation contract, URS is reportedly standing down its proposal activities, according to industry officials. URS was previously reported to be part of a team that included CH2M Hill with B&W as a subcontractor. URS is reportedly the third company holding an ID/IQ contract under which the Paducah work is being bid to pause, or stop altogether, work on a bid for the new Paducah contract following the release of the final Request for Task Proposals earlier this month, along with Bechtel and EnergySolutions. Among the provisions in the final RTP that had been questioned by potential bidders was a clause that would not allow parent company costs to be reimbursed. DOE announced plans to remove that clause in a set of questions-and-answers issued late last week, but it remains to be seen whether that change will lead to companies resuming their bid activities. When asked yesterday if the change would lead URS to reconsider its decision to stand down work on a bid, contractor spokesman Keith Wood declined to comment. Bechtel also declined to comment yesterday. EnergySolutions did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.