AFTER REMOVING WEST VALLEY GM, CH2M HILL AWAITS WORD ON FEE PENALTY

By ExchangeMonitor

West Valley Demonstration Project cleanup contractor CH2M HILL B&W West Valley, LLC, is still awaiting word from the Department of Energy on whether the recent decision to remove General Manager Ryan Dodd from the project less than nine months after taking over will cost them the full $500,000 penalty included in their contract. CHBWV Deputy General Manager and Vice President of Facilities Disposition Daniel Coyne is currently filling the role in an acting capacity. Dodd’s departure from the project came after “about 90 days” of personal leave, at which point he exceeded the amount of leave time approved by the Department of Energy, CHBWV spokeswoman Lynette Bennett told WC Monitor. “Ryan had some personal things, and he felt and we felt he would not be able to give his full attention to CHBWV. We thought we needed to have that attention,” Bennett said. Dodd remains with CH2M Hill. In other personnel changes for the contractor, Dennis Betcher has been tapped as Vice President of Business Services and CFO, replacing Jean Gallimore, who has been assigned Vice President of Project Controls and Integration.

The company took over cleanup at the site last summer, and under its contract DOE has the option to assess a fee reduction of up to $500,000 if the general manager leaves ahead of a three-year commitment. The company is “awaiting DOE’s decision with respect to fee,” CH2M HILL spokesman John Corsi said in a written response. “This is the first and only time CH2M HILL has removed a PM from a DOE EM project. Daniel Coyne, previous Deputy and Vice President of Facilities Disposition has been named Acting President and General Manager. Dan has 29 years experience in the nuclear industry, including 21 years operating, maintaining and demolishing high risk nuclear facilities at Department of Energy (DOE) sites. Having led the most successful D&D group in EM at the Idaho Closure Project, we have full confidence in Dan and the team,” Corsi said. CHBWV and the Department are still finalizing Dodd’s replacement, though the company hopes to be able to name a new head of the project soon. “We are all hoping that it will be in the next couple of weeks,” Bennett said.

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