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SRNS CEO says SRS changeover is going well
6/2/2008 11:00 PM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend



By ROB NOVIT

Senior writer

Chuck Munns is still "the new kid on the block," he told Rotary Club of Aiken members Monday.

But that won't last much longer. In about two months, the company Munns is leading as president and CEO, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, will take over management and operations of the Savannah River Site.

Transitions are never easy, he said, telling an anecdote to illustrate that. A young lieutenant at the Pentagon encountered a befuddled admiral holding a piece of paper as he stood next to a classified shredding machine. The lieutenant helpfully grabs the paper and feeds it into the device for complete obliteration.

The admiral then said, "I just need one copy."

The story was especially funny, given that Munns had just been introduced as a retired Navy vice admiral. In 2007 he completed a 33-year Navy stint, retiring as a Submarine Force commander with a $13 billion budget.

About 6,000 people will become SRNS employees, but they are also SRS employees.

"Our first order of business is to listen to them and sign them up so we can give them a paycheck in August," said Munns.

He is heading a company that is a collaboration of three long-established firms -- Fluor-Daniel, Northrup Grumman and Honeywell. Another well-known company, Lockheed Martin, will play a key role as a subcontractor, specifically with the Savannah River National Laboratory.

SRNS was awarded a five-year, $4 billion contract by the U.S. Department of Energy over longtime manager Washington Savannah River Company and its new parent firm, URS Washington Division.

It's useful to recognize the past and celebrate what SRS and the region have accomplished over more than 50 years, said Munns. The Site helped the United States win the Cold War and, at the same time, has compiled a tremendous safety record, he said.

"We'll build on that," said Munns, "but the future won't look like the past. That's what we presented to the Department of Energy."

In a time when alternative power sources are needed, he believes a nuclear renaissance is coming, as well as a hydrogen economy. That means change is part of SRS' future - using available resources and keeping the talent resonating by bringing in new engineers. Munns said he and his managers want to create a climate of mentorship as part of that transition.

SRNS will focus on the management and operation of the Site and will not go after the liquid waste component of SRS, he said. While the new company will have offices predominantly on site, "I do expect our three (partners) to have a place offsite to provide us support and to bring in expertise," Munns said.

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.


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