Waste Control Specialists of Andrews, Texas has been awarded a Department of Energy contract worth up to $17.8 million over five years for long-term management and storage of elemental mercury.
DOE’s Office of Environmental Management said in a Thursday press release Waste Control Specialists (WCS) will provide DOE with a lease-hold interest in a container storage building owned by the company in Andrews County, Texas. This marks the second time in five years, DOE has picked WCS as its preferred site for the mercury storage.
In June 2019, DOE issued a supplemental analysis saying the WCS container building would be a good choice for long-term storage of up to 6,800 metrics of elemental mercury.
DOE withdrew its selection of WCS in October 2020, months after Nevada Gold and other generators of domestic mercury filed suit in December 2019, questioning the fee the department would assess for long-term storage at the WCS site.
Then, in March 2022, DOE issued a request for proposals for the mercury storage.
The Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 as amended in 2016 by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act called on DOE to arrange for long-term storage of elemental mercury from within the United States.
According to the Thursday press release, DOE is issuing a hybrid firm-fixed price and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity performance-based contract with the capability to issue firm-fixed price task orders.
