PROJECT MANAGER REMOVED AT AMWTP AS REVOLVING DOOR ON PROJECT CONTINUES

By ExchangeMonitor

Another top-level management shakeup is underway at Idaho Treatment Group, LLC, the managing contractor for the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project at the Department of Energy’s Idaho site. Late yesterday, ITG announced that Richard Raaz has stepped down as Project Manager, effective immediately, and will be returning to URS to “assume corporate responsibilities.“ URS is one of the three companies that make up ITG, which is led by B&W Technical Services Group and also includes EnergySolutions. Raaz has been replaced in an acting capacity by Deputy Project Manager Norm Sandlin, according to ITG. WC Monitor has learned, though, that ITG is expected to propose to DOE as early as today that Art Clark fill the role of Project Manager on a full-time basis. Clark currently serves as director of nuclear assurance for Battelle Energy Alliance, the managing contractor for the Idaho National Laboratory.

ITG is no stranger to senior management shakeups, with Raaz’s departure marking the fifth key personnel change the contractor has experienced since it won the new AMWTP management contract in May 2011. More specifically, Sandlin will be third person to serve as Project Manager since ITG won the new AMWTP contract. For his part, Raaz came to ITG last October after the contractor’s initial president, Dan Swaim, retired shortly after ITG assumed responsibility for the AMWTP.

ITG gave no explanation in its release yesterday as to the reason for Raaz’s departure, and declined to provide any additional comment. According to officials, though, DOE directed the contractor to make the change due, in large part, to continued performance concerns. In recent weeks, ITG has been working to implement corrective actions developed after DOE expressed concern over the contractor’s low waste processing rate at the AMWTP. It remains to be seen whether DOE will choose to enact a possible fee reduction of up to $100,000, as allowed under ITG’s contract, for Raaz’s departure. The DOE Idaho Operations Office did not respond to requests for comment on the management change yesterday.

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