NEXT STEP IN CHALK RIVER PROCUREMENT STILL DELAYED

The next step in the Canadian government’s procurement for a contract to manage Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s nuclear laboratories is still experiencing delays. There had been some expectation that the Request for Response Evaluation, the next step in the process, would be issued last week, but that proved premature as the government continues to evaluate the procurement process. “The Government of Canada continues to work on developing the Request for Response Evaluation (RFRE) to launch a competitive procurement process for the management of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL)’s Nuclear Laboratories,” Natural Resources Canada spokesman Joshua Kirkey said yesterday. The Canadian government had planned to issue the RFRE last fall, but after discussions with potential bidders, it decided to push the RFRE back. The competition for the new management contract is expected to generate heavy interest from U.S. firms. The scope of work for the new contract will include all AECL-owned sites, including the Chalk River Laboratories, the Whiteshell Laboratories, the three prototype reactor sites and the Laprade heavy water storage site.