March 17, 2014

PRICE TAG FOR WASTE SOLIDIFICATION BUILDING JUMPS $39.5 MILLION

By ExchangeMonitor

Management problems on the Waste Solidification Building being built at the Savannah River Site have led to a jump in the project’s price tag and nearly a year delay in the schedule for completing the facility. NW&M Monitor has learned that new estimates for the facility recently approved by the National Nuclear Security Administration indicate that it will cost $384 million, $39.5 million more than the facility’s previous estimated price tag of $344.5 million, and the project won’t be completed until June of 2014—nine months later than previous projections.

The increased cost and delays come as little surprise given the concerns raised about the project earlier this year by the NNSA. In June, the NNSA accused Fluor-led Savannah River Nuclear Solutions of being “negligent” in its management of the project, which is intended to process waste streams from the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility being built at Savannah River. Most notably, the NNSA said that SRNS did not address design shortcomings that led to inefficient execution of work on the project, leading to the cost and schedule increases.

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