Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced orders Thursday to “ease burdensome permitting rules” for construction on the nation’s nuclear weapons facilities and national labs.
Wright immediately directed that the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) “OSHA-plus” framework for subcontracted construction projects at the labs be expanded with aims to increase competition and reduce costs while maintaining a safe work environment. He also ordered a cost-benefit analysis of removing construction labor agreement provisions from lab contracts.
Additionally, Wright directed that DOE Order 413.3B, which provides DOE and NNSA with the funds necessary to deliver projects on schedule and within budget, be revised. Specifically, he directed that the delegated project authority for management and operating contracts be expanded to $300 million from $50 million, and tailor that order to only require project reviews at “critical decision points” on projects between $300 million and $1 billion.
“Unfortunately, over the years, burdensome regulations delayed the important work being done at our national labs,” Wright said in a press release. He added many of the weapons development sites rely on facilities that date back to the 1940s Manhattan Project.
“By reforming DOE’s permitting rules and regulations for our National Labs, we can speed up critical infrastructure improvements and make the Energy Department a better steward of taxpayer dollars,” Wright said.
