CARLSBAD OFFICIALS PUSH TO BLOCK AWARD OF WIPP RECORDS SUBCONTRACT

Local officials in Carlsbad, N.M., are pushing the Department of Energy to block the recent award of a $24.5 million Waste Isolation Pilot Plant subcontract to Tennessee-based TFE. URS-led M&O contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership last week announced the TFE award of the subcontract to manage records at WIPP over the incumbent Stoller. Carlsbad officials say that it will result in the loss of more than 30 local jobs as much of the records processing is moved out of state. “Let’s put aside, for a moment, the horrible public relations aspect of this decision. NWP and all of WIPP are currently embroiled in the most significant setback of the project’s 15-year history. NWP should be building confidence in Southeastern New Mexico right now, and subcontracting with an outside company who will be laying off a large group of local people doesn’t exactly seem like the wisest way to build community relations,” states the May 13 letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed by Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway, Eddy County Commission Chairman Tony Hernandez, Nuclear Task Force Chair John Heaton and Carlsbad Department of Development Chair Dave Sepich.

The officials say that Congressional appropriations language and WIPP’s permit from the state specifies that records processing should take place at a recently built facility in Carlsbad. “It is certainly possible that NWP examined the two competing bids and judged TFE to be the better proposal. However, one of the requirements should have been retaining all operations in Carlsbad, so if TFE’s bid involved taking consolidation of WIPP records or the archive itself out of Carlsbad, then the bid should not have been awarded to TFE,” the letter states.

The group is asking for the subcontract to be blocked. “We believe the awarding of this subcontract to be illegitimate. After you have had time to review the facts, we hope you will reach the same conclusion and rescind the contract award immediately,” the letter states. “We are also currently working with Carlsbad Field Office Manager Joe Franco on resolving this issue. Joe has been tremendous to work with through this entire ordeal. We have a high degree of confidence in his abilities as Manager of the Carlsbad DOE facilities.”