Mike Nartker
WC Monitor
1/17/2014
Hanford tank farms contractor Washington River Protection Solutions received an overall grade of “very good” for its performance in FY 2013, according to information the Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection released late this week. Overall, WRPS earned approximately $19.1 million out of an available $20.6 million (92 percent) for its work in FY 2013, according to a Dec. 31 letter from ORP Manager Kevin Smith. The contractor’s fee included receiving the maximum $12.6 million tied to a set of performance-based incentives, which ranged from testing and inspection activities to completing waste retrieval from Hanford’s single-shell tanks. WRPS also received $6.5 million out of an available $8 million in award fee (81.1 percent). In FY 2012, WRPS earned approximately 98 percent of its total available fee (WC Monitor, Vol. 24 No. 3).
The DOE Office of River Protection did not provide any additional comment on WRPS’ FY 2013 performance this week, and did not answer questions as to why the contractor lost approximately $1.5 million in award fee. According to an FY13 award fee scorecard ORP also issued this week, WRPS received ratings of “very good” in six categories—conduct of operations; general management; quality assurance program compliance; nuclear safety; environmental regulatory management; and safety program implementation. Within the “general management” category, WRPS received rankings of “good” in two sub-categories—contract administration and compliance; and business systems management.
For its part, WRPS is “pleased with DOE’s recognition of our team’s overall strong performance in FY-13,” Project Operations Manager Wyatt Clark said in a statement. “Despite significant funding challenges, our employees delivered excellent results again in both safety and operations. Progress continued in tank waste retrieval as did the modernization of equipment and important infrastructure and improved stewardship and overall management of risk. We contributed to the Department of Energy’s development of the Hanford Tank Waste Retrieval, Treatment, and Disposition Framework and achieved more than 7 million hours worked without a lost-workday injury,” Clark said, adding, “Accomplishments aside, we recognize opportunities for improvement exist, and we will continue to challenge ourselves to better our performance this year.”
