WC Monitor
10/10/2014
IN DOE
Liz Sherwood-Randall, the Department of Energy’s new deputy secretary, will participate in a town hall meeting with Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz for DOE employees on Oct. 15 at 1:00 p.m. at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C. Sherwood-Randall began her DOE tenure earlier this week, replacing former Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman. “We are fortunate to have someone with Liz’s intellect and experience in this critical role at this historic time in our nation’s energy evolution, and I look forward to working closely with her as a key, trusted colleague,” Moniz said in a message to employees this week.
The Department of Energy is pushing back a planned pre-solicitation conference, site tour(s) and industry one-on-one sessions for the new contract to manage and operate Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed facilities in support of the Idaho Cleanup Project. DOE had tentatively planned to hold the events the week of Oct. 13, but now is looking to hold them the week of Oct. 27, according to a notice issued this week. The new contract is being set-aside for small businesses, and is expected to run for up to five years, consisting of a four-year base period and one one-year option period. The contract covers the Fort St. Vrain facility; the Three Mile Island-2 (TMI-2) ISFSI facility at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) in Idaho; and the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility (ISFF) license.
IN THE INDUSTRY
Bechtel is combining its government and commercial nuclear businesses into one new business unit, a Nuclear, Security & Environmental group, the company said Oct. 6. The business unit will be headed up by Craig Albert, the president of Bechtel’s government services business, and will include four global business lines. Nuclear Security & Operations will oversee Bechtel’s management of nuclear propulsion facilities, nuclear security sites and national laboratories, while its Environmental business line will deal with environmental cleanup, radioactive waste processing and management, and decommissioning and demolition. The Nuclear Power group will serve the commercial nuclear industry, and the Defense & Security group includes work involving the Department of Defense, NASA, the UK Ministry of Defence, and other allied governments. “This move significantly strengthens Bechtel’s nuclear portfolio and builds an industry-leading organization with capabilities across the lifecycle of facilities and sites for both commercial and government customers,” Bechtel said in a statement.
Savannah River Remediation, LLC, the liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site, has named Mark Schmitz as its new chief operating officer, the company announced this week. He has 33 years of nuclear experience and has worked on a wide range of projects at Savannah River. He most recently was SRR’s Director of Nuclear and High Hazard Operations, responsible for operations of the Tank Farms, Effluent Treatment Facility, Defense Waste Processing Facility and Saltstone Facility. Schmitz takes over for Stuart MacVean, who in August became SRR’s president and project manager.
North Wind Group has named Jason Winkler as the company’s new western region business development manager. “In his new role at North Wind Winkler will support each of the corporation’s six subsidiaries and be responsible for marketing and business development across the western United States,” according to a company release. Winkler comes to North Wind from Sullivan International Group, where he was vice president of federal programs for the western region. He has also held positions at Stone & Webster Engineering, Montgomery Watson, and AECOM.
Robatel Technologies, LLC CEO Teo Grochowski has left the company after overseeing Robatel’s entry in the US market and following the licensing and delivery of the RT-100 shipping cask to Waste Control Specialists and Exelon. Grochowski has begun offering consulting services through his own company, Tallinn Group, and may be reached at [email protected].
Wälischmiller Engineering GmbH (HWM) has named Jan Carlin as Director of Business Development, reporting directly to Wälischmiller Managing Director Claudia Reich. Carlin began her career with Westinghouse in the Nuclear Energy Systems Division working in nuclear fuel and steam generator project engineering. She was promoted to Manager, Licensing Support in 1980 and remained in that capacity until 1983 when she left to start Rainmaker Environmental Consultants and Engineers where she remained as president/principal until 2003, according to an Wälischmiller release issued this week.
Jim Blankenhorn, the WIPP recovery manager for contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership, last weekend was promoted to brigadier general in the U.S. Army at a ceremony in Greenville, S.C. In addition to his work for URS at WIPP, Blankenhorn also serves as the deputy commanding general for the 335th Signal Command Theater in Atlanta.
