Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
4/3/2015
Los Alamos National Security, LLC, the managing contractor for Los Alamos National Laboratory, is moving to significantly reduce subcontractor personnel working on transuranic waste processing, cutting workers from 42 down to eight, WC Monitor has learned. LANL had been the focus of a high-profile campaign to remove all aboveground transuranic waste by a tight deadline in 2014. However, that effort has been suspended and transuranic waste operations have largely been on hold since a LANL drum containing nitrate salts was linked to last year’s radiological release at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The remaining eight waste handling operators will focus for now on maintaining facilities in a state of operational readiness, as well as monitoring the nitrate salt bearing drums and conducting sampling. Waste processing at the site is largely performed by subcontractors Environmental Dimensions, Inc., and EnergySolutions.
The Department of Energy is currently in the processing of breaking out cleanup work from the Lab’s M&O contract in one or more procurements over the next two years, moving management from the National Nuclear Security Administration to DOE’s Office of Environmental Management. In the meantime, LANS will run the waste operations under a “bridge contract” currently in the works. LANS did not immediately respond to request for comment late this week.
