Mike Nartker
WC Monitor
11/7/2014
EnergySolutions is looking to hire Danny Nichols, who currently leads Idaho Treatment Group, LLC, from Babcock & Wilcox to oversee the company’s waste treatment facilities in Tennessee, WC Monitor has learned. Notably, B&W and EnergySolutions, along with URS, help make up ITG, responsible for the Idaho Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project. The timing of Nichols’ departure from ITG, as well as who may replace him there, is unclear. Notably, the teaming agreement between the companies that make up ITG is believed to prohibit such hiring away of employees, though it is EnergySolutions’ commercially focused Licensing, Processing and Disposal business line that is seeking to hire Nichols rather than the part of EnergySolutions focused on government work. Both B&W and EnergySolutions declined to comment on the issue late this week.
Reports that EnergySolutions has offered a position to Nichols comes as late this week, EnergySolutions announced that Troy Eshelman, who had served as vice president of waste processing facilities, has moved to the position of vice president for strategic initiatives in the company’s Logistics, Processing and Disposal group. EnergySolutions Vice President for Disposal Projects and Facilities James Miller has been named as Eshelman’s acting replacement while the search for a permanent replacement moves forward. The management change comes in the wake of an accident that occurred at EnergySolutions’ Erwin, Tenn., treatment facility in October that resulted in the death of 51-year-old Gary Reedy after suffering a fall of approximately 25 feet. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Nichols took over as ITG president in November 2012, and will therefore fulfill his two-year commitment required under the contract. The Department of Energy’s Idaho Operations Office largely declined to comment late this week, referring questions to ITG.