Savannah River Site contractors earn 'excellent' ratings, millions of dollars

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

Jan. 22—The Department of Energy's nuclear cleanup office this week announced four main contractors at the Savannah River Site did their jobs excellently in recent months, collectively raking in tens of millions of dollars.

Each team — Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Savannah River Remediation, Battelle Savannah River Alliance and Centerra-SRS — performed to at least 95% marked success, public evaluations show.

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the Fluor-led outfit that manages the site south of Aiken, earned $34.8 million for cleanup work, a portion of its portfolio. Combined with National Nuclear Security Administration assignments, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions earned nearly $70 million, an official said.

Show me the money!

The Savannah River Site had a $2.2 billion economic impact on neighboring counties in the two-state in 2020, according to a study sponsored by a local nonprofit.

The Department of Energy reserve, south of Aiken, had a $2.4 billion influence in 2016 and 2010, as well. The coronavirus pandemic was to blame for the more-recent dip.

The $2.2 billion injection represented 10% of the Aiken-Augusta region's gross domestic product, a measure of economic activity.

More information — and the full study — can be found on the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization's website, srscro.org.

"SRS is recognized throughout the department for its highly skilled and experienced workforce," said Mike Budney, the Savannah River Site manager. As the management-and-operations contractor, SRNS "is a key component to our long history of supporting national defense while maintaining the highest safety and security standards."

Savannah River Remediation, charged with handling and processing millions of gallons of nuclear waste stored at the site, earned some $43.8 million. Its evaluation period stretched from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.

"SRR management demonstrated a significantly high level of involvement in achieving key milestones toward increasing the level of operational activities," Budney said.

Savannah River Remediation will soon be replaced by Savannah River Mission Completion, a team backed by familiar players: BWXT, Amentum and Fluor.

Battelle Savannah River Alliance — the new kid on the block, overseeing the Savannah River National Laboratory — earned $1.14 million for work done between June 21, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2021.

Budney said Battelle Savannah River Alliance, featuring South Carolina, S.C. State and Clemson universities, among others, is "off to a very strong start." He predicted "a great partnership" will develop between the Energy Department and the lab contractor, specifically focusing on "environmental science and technology, national nuclear and energy security, and fundamental science."

Centerra-SRS, the paramilitary security squad, earned $6.4 million for its 12th year, Oct. 8, 2020, through Oct. 7, 2021. Environmental Management, the DOE cleanup arm, noted in its announcement that the contractor "effectively and competently executed the SRS security mission," which includes conducting law-enforcement activities and investigations.

The scorecards also noted deficiencies, or things that required reform. Savannah River Remediation needed to address "worker safety incidents," for example, and Savannah River Nuclear Solutions needed to improve its issue reviews and fact finding.