ECA Update: DOE Awards LANL Legacy Cleanup Contract; DOE Revisits WIPP Emplacement Volumes; & more

Published: Wed, 12/20/17

ECA UPDATE
Dec 20, 2017
FEATURED
CONTRACTING & ACQUISITION
DOE Awards New Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract
U.S. Department of Energy | ​​​​​​​December 19, 2017

Cincinnati -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the award of the new Los Alamos National Laboratory legacy cleanup contract to Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos, LLC. The total value of the contract is $1,390,086,635. The period of performance includes a 90-day Contract Transition Period, Base Period of five years, Option Period 1 for three years, Option Period 2 for two years, with a total period of performance of up to ten years and three months. The contract primarily includes a cost-plus-award-fee line item with a cost-reimbursement line item for transition and an indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity line item.

Three proposals were received in response to the solicitation. The current Environmental Management (EM) contract at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is held by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, and expires on March 31, 2018.
 

 
STORAGE & DISPOSITION
Air counted as waste? WIPP to adjust tracking of emplacement volumes
Current-Argus | December 15, 2017

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is at more than half capacity, but more than a third of the calculated space taken up could be nothing but air.

The Department of Energy and Nuclear Waste Partnership published a modification to WIPP's permit with the New Mexico Environment Department on Friday, hoping to alter the way storage is recorded to avoid counting air and empty space in the underground repository along with the transuranic waste itself.


With that modification, officials said the facility is only about a third full.


Such a distinction could extend the life of WIPP, bringing it closer to the U.S. Department of Energy’s goal of keeping the facility active through 2050.

IN OTHER NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Feb 20-22  2018 Nuclear Deterrence Summit; Arlington, VA