Shift to new Savannah River Site nuclear waste contractor underway

Colin Demarest, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Nov. 29—The Department of Energy recently authorized a Virginia-based team to begin its takeover of nuclear waste facilities and related ventures at the Savannah River Site, following an award of a $21 billion contract late last month.

The shift to Savannah River Mission Completion LLC — an assembly of BWXT Technical Services Group, Fluor Federal Services, an Amentum company, and subcontractors — kicked off Monday and will run 90 days. The assignment of the Integrated Mission Completion Contract to Savannah River Mission Completion was not protested, teeing up a smoother transition.

The contract pivot means Savannah River Mission Completion will soon oversee a raft of critical nuclear footprints south of Aiken: among them, the Savannah River Site tank farms, where millions of gallons of radioactive waste are stored; the Defense Waste Processing Facility, where sludge is encased in glass, making it safer for long-term storage; the Salt Waste Processing Facility, which is expected to churn through millions of gallons of waste every year; and the Saltstone Disposal Units, massive vaults where decontaminated waste is permanently stored.

Ken Camplin, the president of BWXT's Nuclear Services Group, on Oct. 28 said the contract win "demonstrates our ability to address some of the most complex environmental challenges in the nation."

Amentum CEO John Vollmer on the same day said the team looks "forward to working with our DOE client, partners, regulators, and community stakeholders to further advance the Department of Energy's mission of safe cleanup of legacy liquid waste at the Savannah River Site."

The waste at the site — once a plutonium production powerhouse — has been described as South Carolina's single largest environmental threat. The Energy Department's environmental liability totaled more than $500 billion in fiscal year 2020, according to the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog.

The Energy Department received four proposals for the Integrated Mission Completion Contract, a potential 10-year deal aimed at cleaning up the Savannah River Site. The department previously said Savannah River Mission Completion presented "the best value to the government," considering its key players, history, approach and methods, and cost.

More information about the incoming contractor is expected in the coming weeks.