SRNS may get M&O contract extension

The Department of Energy's Savannah River Operations has recommended a three-year extension to the contract of the Savannah River Site's management and operations contractor, according to an industry publication, however, a DOE spokesperson would not confirm the report.

The Weapons Complex Monitor reported that Savannah River Nuclear Solutions' contract, which is set to end in 2013, has been recommended to DOE headquarters for extension. If extended for three years, the contract would end at the same time as the contract held by the site's liquid waste contractor, Savannah River Remediation, in 2016.

DOE-SR spokesperson Jim Giusti said that because the potential contract extension is "pre-decisional," DOE will not confirm that the recommendation was made or make any comment about it.

"It is a procurement action, and we're not going to talk about procurement actions until they are finalized," Giusti said.

The contract could be extended for five years; however, the recommendation was only made for a three-year extension, according to WCM. The publication speculated that the proposed time frame, aligning the SRNS and SRR contractors, might be done "to potentially allow the two to be recombined into one contract."

Giusti would not say when a final contract decision would be made, but WCM stated that a notice of intent to extend SRNS' contract must be given at least 12 months before its initial contract period.

SRNS and SRR were awarded their respective contracts in 2008, when the Westinghouse Savannah River Company contract split.

Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, as well as court and legal matters affecting Aiken County. She has been with the Aiken Standard since August 2010.

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