10-YEAR HANFORD CONTRACT CHALLENGED AGAIN FOLLOWING DOE $45 BILLION AWARD
ECA Staff | 04/01/2024 This March, DOE-EM awarded for the second time a 10-year, $45 billion contract to Hanford Tank Waste Operations and Closure (H2C) for cleanup work at the Hanford nuclear site. However, it is being challenged for a second time. This is following the initial award to H2C in April 2023. H2C which is made up of BWXT Technical Services, Amentum Environment and Energy, and Fluor Federal service, was to take over the Hanford nuclear site contract. This contract was first awarded in 2008 to Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), owned by Amentum and
Atkins, with Orano as a subcontractor. The contract with H2C was challenged by Hanford Tank Disposition Alliance (HTDA), a team
made up of Atkins, Jacobs, and Westinghouse. The contract was then invalidated by a federal court. This led DOE to extended its contract with WRPS through the end of September 2025. In March 2024, DOE awarded the contract again and now for the second time, this award is being challenged by HTDA. They are claiming in a new lawsuit filed in federal court that DOE unfairly changed the rules of its solicitation to award the contract to H2C for a second time. The 10-year contract would cover work at the Hanford site tank farms, where 56 million gallons of radioactive waste are stored in underground tanks. The following articles provide further details surrounding the incident: DOE again awards $45 billion Hanford tank contract to H2C Award of 10-year, $45 billion Hanford contract challenged for a 2nd time by losing bidder ECA will provide updates as this
continues to unfolds.
REGISTRATION IS LIVE FOR ECA's New Nuclear Forum: Building Nuclear Partnerships and Projects, May 8-9, 2024 in Kennewick,
WA
ECA is excited to be hosting its third New Nuclear Forum, the only meeting designed to bring together DOE, federal, state, local and tribal governments and policymakers with developers, utilities,
regulators, industry, and academia to identify opportunities, challenges and to build the partnerships necessary to support nuclear development. Communities across the country are considering nuclear projects for many reasons - from diversifying regional economies, creating clean energy jobs or meeting carbon reduction goals, to increasing energy security and rebuilding the U.S. supply chain. Some communities have a familiarity with nuclear energy projects, while others are just beginning to evaluate potential interest. The ECA
Forum is designed to enable shared learning so that local, State and Tribal governments evaluating nuclear projects can be meaningfully engaged - and prepared - to match the strengths and needs of their communities with new nuclear opportunities.
INTERESTED IN BEING A SPONSOR? To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Autumn Bogus, ECA Forum Staff, at [email protected].
QUESTIONS?
For any questions, comments, or to learn more about the ECA New Nuclear Forums, please contact Kara Colton,
ECA Director of Nuclear Policy, at [email protected] or Faith Sanchez, ECA Program Director, at [email protected].
DOE STUDY FINDS REPLACING COAL PLANTS WITH NUCLEAR PLANTS COULD BRING HUNDREDS MORE LOCAL JOBS AND MILLIONS IN ADDED INCOME AND REVENUE TO ENERGY
COMMUNITIES
DOE RELEASES INFORMATION GUIDE FOR COMMUNITIES EXPLORING COAL-TO-NUCLEAR TRANSITIONS The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released an information guide for communities considering replacing their retired or retiring coal power plants with nuclear power plants. The guide is based on a technical study that found transitioning from a coal plant to a nuclear one would create additional higher paying jobs at the plant, create hundreds of additional jobs locally, and spur millions of dollars in increased revenues and economic activity in the
host community. Importantly, it also found that, with planning and support for training, most workers at an existing coal plant should be able to transition to work at a replacement nuclear plant. Coal-to-nuclear transitions could dramatically increase the supply of reliable, clean electricity to the grid and make progress toward the nation’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. “As we work to transition to a net-zero economy, it’s absolutely essential that we provide resources to energy communities and coal workers who have helped our nation’s energy system for decades,” said Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dr. Kathryn Huff. “This is a core promise of the Biden-Harris Administration:
to deliver place-based solutions and ensure an equitable energy transition that does not leave energy communities behind.” This information guide builds on DOE’s 2022 study that found hundreds of U.S. coal power plant
sites across the country could be converted to nuclear power plant sites. DOE’s information guide offers communities a high-level look at the economic impacts, workforce transition considerations, and policy and funding information relevant to a coal-to-nuclear transition. It also provides utilities a brief overview of considerations to be aware of such as power requirements, project scope and timeline, and infrastructure reuse. This information guide is a companion piece to DOE’s Stakeholder Guidebook for Coal-to-Nuclear Conversions. Readers can refer to this guidebook for an in-depth, technical analysis of topics covered in
the information guide.
NEW MEDIA: Gone Fission Nuclear Report: Cleanup and the Nuclear Renaissance March 25, 2024 | S4E6 The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is helping to facilitate a resurgence in the growth of nuclear energy. Cleaning up formerly contaminated land has created a new home for
advanced reactor concepts that have become the centerpiece of the nuclear renaissance. In this week’s episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report examines how environmental cleanup is helping to position the nation for a clean energy future. Guests are Ashley Saunders of UCOR, Dr. Wes Hines, Head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of Tennessee, and Jim Little, E-4 Carolinas board member.
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Check out ECA's latest
report! DISPOSAL DRIVES CLEANUP: RE-ENERGIZING MOMENTUM FOR DISPOSAL SOLUTIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE
This report calls on the Department of Energy to launch the initiative to develop the actual waste disposition approaches. The Department could potentially save hundreds of billions of dollars in cleanup costs by using its available tools and implementing the report’s recommendations.
Interactive guide for communities and governments to help navigate nuclear waste cleanup The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) recently released the Guide to Successful Environmental Cleanup, an interactive online resource that provides frequently asked questions, case studies, and recommendations regarding nuclear waste cleanup. To assist local government officials, their communities, and federal agencies in deciphering
the complexities of the environmental cleanup process, ECA developed this guide to facilitate future successful cleanups.
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Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities,
legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email [email protected]. |
Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national
laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.
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