Oak Ridge, Tenn. – On June 30, officials from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge Office and URS | CH2M Oak Ridge, LLC (UCOR) met to sign a partnering agreement that defines the working arrangement and expectations between the two entities. UCOR was recently awarded the East Tennessee Technology Park’s (ETTP) $2.2 billion cleanup contract and will become the site’s primary contractor on August 1.

The agreement is part of a new initiative launched across the DOE’s Environmental Management (EM) complex that will significantly enhance communication and cooperation between contracting companies and the federal government.

“Today’s agreement is the first step to ensuring all the proper measures are taken to execute the scope of the contract safely, on budget, and on schedule,” said John Eschenberg acting deputy manager and assistant manager for EM at DOE’s Oak Ridge Office. “We are looking forward to forging a strong, close working relationship with UCOR.”

The agreement also emphasizes a collaborative approach for early detection of problems and a proactive resolution process performed at the lowest appropriate management level. Also included in the agreement, are scheduled monthly and quarterly meetings between DOE and UCOR management to discuss progress, potential issues, and lessons-learned. The two entities will review, and if necessary, revise the partnering framework on an annual basis.

UCOR’s contract includes cleanup of ETTP and EM missions such as facility surveillance and maintenance and various waste management operations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.