LEXINGTON, Ky. – EM has completed final performance evaluations of two prime contractors in support of deactivation and decommissioning of the former Paducah gaseous diffusion plant. In addition, the operations contractor for EM’s two plants that convert depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) to a more stable form at the Paducah, Kentucky and Portsmouth, Ohio sites received its annual fee determination.

   In determining the awards, EM considered overall performance along with the completion of specific EM mission objectives in accordance with annual plans. Scorecards summarizing these evaluations, along with the associated award fee plans, may be accessed here.

   For the former Paducah Site remediation contractor, LATA Environmental Services of Kentucky LLC, this was the final evaluation under its contract that expired in July 2015. For the infrastructure support services contractor, Swift & Staley, Inc. (SSI), this was the final evaluation under its previous contract. SSI was awarded a new, firm-fixed-price contract in December 2015.  

   Since its contract commenced in July 2010, LATA executed the overall environmental remediation, waste management, decontamination and decommissioning of inactive facilities, and other work that had been largely planned and executed prior to the end of commercial uranium enrichment operations and return of the gaseous diffusion plant from the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) to DOE from its lease in October 2014.  

   For the final period of performance of Oct. 1, 2014 through July 25, 2015, LATA earned $2.42 million, amounting to 74 percent of the fee available. According to EM's evaluation, LATA’s performance was “excellent” in the areas of quality and effectiveness of documents and associated support as well as program and project management support. EM gave LATA “very good” marks for program and project management, and its environmental safety, health and quality assurance was rated “good.”

   Although deficiencies in the company’s industrial hygiene program were identified and the contractor only met a third of its performance-based incentive goals, EM credited LATA for completing 3.3 million safe work hours and making progress on groundwater remediation and inactive facility demolition projects. These included removal and disposal of waste from an old, 29,000-square-foot warehouse, and demolition of the C-410/C-420 UF6 Feed Plant Complex. LATA was also credited for completing field work, including demobilization and waste disposal, for the C-400 Phase IIb groundwater contamination source treatability study. DOE praised LATA’s success at budgeting, quality assurance, interfacing with regulators and stakeholders, and public outreach.  

   SSI received “very good” marks for most areas of performance, earning $2.98 million, or 89.9 percent of the amount available. SSI earned “very good” ratings for site infrastructure services and support to EM, with numerous instances of uninterrupted and seamless provision of services despite challenging circumstances including site transition. SSI provided high-quality, efficient and effective engineering services as reflected in the power system reconfiguration, construction of an added parking lot, drainage improvements, plant road design, and repairs of road segments and a rail crossing. SSI also exceeded expectations in maintenance planning and execution, although some challenges arose in completing analyses for maintenance and repair of administrative facilities. SSI’s security performance was rated “good.”  

   In addition to meeting all of its performance-based incentive goals, SSI was credited with “very good” cost controls. Although some costs increased under the “cost-plus” contract, the overall fiscal year work was performed below expected cost value, and significant cost avoidance was achieved. For example, by reusing 11,100 feet of power cable and trays during switchyard reconfigurations, SSI helped EM avoid nearly $3 million in parts and labor costs.  

   The contractor converting DOE’s DUF6 inventory — BWXT Conversion Services LLC (BWCS) — earned $2.04 million in award fees. This was based on six overall categories of performance, in which the company earned $1.3 million of $2.2 million available (59 percent), plus a performance-based incentive fee of $744,102 for converting 10,608 metric tons of DUF6 at EM’s two plants.

   While BWCS met some performance goals, the plants were shut down at both sites for prolonged periods due to significant safety issues. BWCS was given an overall “good” rating, with EM noting “very good” nuclear safety and quality culture, “good” cylinder management and technical problem-solving, and “satisfactory” safety, health, quality assurance, and project support and management. “Significant effort was expended by the contractor to correct deficiencies in key work control and hazard analysis procedures to satisfy integrated safety management system implementation contract requirements,” EM noted.