Vol. 37, No. 09 
Latest Hanford WTP cost estimate $18.5B, not counting HLW
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Cleanup & Remediation
Cost continues to rise for most Environmental Management megabuck projects
The Department of Energy’s projected cost for cleaning up the radioactive waste legacy of the Cold War and Manhattan Project continues to mount, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report made public this week. “As of May 2025, EM [DOE’s Office of Environmental Management] estimated that the remaining cleanup work at all its […]
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Contracts & Procurement
NNSA issues RFP for Savannah River Site; pit plant tour set
The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Friday Feb. 27 released the highly anticipated request for proposals (RFP) for management and operations (M&O) of the Savannah River Site. The RFP is for a standalone performance-based contract, according to NNSA’s press release on the RFP. The base contract period would be five years, […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Landlord contractor HMIS settles Hanford fire safety overbilling case
The landlord contractor for the Hanford Site in Richland, Wash., has agreed to pay roughly $5 million to settle Justice Department litigation alleging the company “fraudulently overcharged” the Department of Energy for hours not actually worked over many years. Leidos-led Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) must pay the feds roughly $3.45 million — including $1.73 […]
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Contracts & Procurement
AtkinsRéalis finishes out 2025 on a strong note
Earnings rose at AtkinsRéalis Group Montreal, Canada in the fourth quarter, which the company attributed to the sustained demand for its engineering services and nuclear capabilities, according to its Feb. 27 press release. Net earnings for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 were (CAN) $95 million (US$69.5 million) or (CAN) $0.57 a share, up from […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Knerr joins Navarro as vice president of tech services
Reinhard Knerr, a Department of Energy executive who retired in January after more than a quarter-century federal career, is now vice president of technical services at Navarro Research & Engineering. Knerr announced his new position in a post on his LinkedIn page within the past week. “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Kiewit Nuclear taps Leita as vice president of markets, strategy
Kansas-based Kiewit Nuclear Solutions has picked Jeff Leita, formerly of Amentum, as vice president of markets and strategy for its Department of Energy management and operations business line, Kiewit said in a news release this week. Leita has much experience across the nuclear, federal and national security sectors, where he has led complex efforts and […]
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Budget & Policy
Senate Energy advances DOE, BLM nominees
The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee voted largely along party lines Wednesday morning to advance President Donald Trump’s nominees for under-secretary of energy as well as director of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) . Both Trump nominees Kyle Haustveit for under secretary of energy as well as Steve Pearce for BLM […]
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Budget & Policy
Incumbent Cornyn heads to runoff; Talarico wins Texas Dem primary
Texas, home to commercial and government nuclear facilities, must wait until May to learn what Republican will square off against upstart Democrat James Talarico in November’s U.S. Senate election. Longtime GOP incumbent Sen. John Cornyn appears to have edged out state Attorney General Ken Paxton and finished far ahead of Rep. Wesley Hunt in Tuesday’s […]
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Transuranic Waste
Wrap Up: Idaho plans for remote-handled TRU; Hanford solar project rights sold; waste board seeks new exec director; Nelson-Jean has new job; more
The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory is preparing to start shipping remote-handled transuranic waste, which is more radioactive than the contact-handled variety, to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. DOE’s Office of Environmental Management said in a Feb. 25 news release that Amentum-led cleanup contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition is using a […]