AIKEN, S.C. (AP) - DuPont, the company
that operated the Savannah River Site for nearly 40 years, says it again
wants to manage the former nuclear weapons site.
The company, which built and operated the site from 1950 until 1989,
said Tuesday it wants to partner with Fluor Daniel to mange the site.
Dozens of companies are vying for government contracts at SRS. Many
have met with Department of Energy officials to discuss ongoing and
future projects at the site near Aiken.
DOE intends to award about $7.5 billion in contracts over the next
five years, the two companies said. Three primary sources of work at the
site are environmental cleanup, research at the Savannah River National
Laboratory and National Nuclear Security Administration missions such as
the mixed-oxide plant, which would convert weapons-grade plutonium into
fuel for commercial nuclear reactors.
The federal agency's contract with Westinghouse Savannah River Co., a
subsidiary of Washington Group International, expires at the end of next
year. Westinghouse has run the site since 1989.
A former SRS manager and the executive director of Citizens for
Nuclear Technology Awareness said DuPont "brings enormous reputation for
safety and for technical excellence."
Mal McKibben also said "that's what (Fluor Daniel) was trying to take
advantage of by getting DuPont involved."
The companies have worked together before and have experience in
science and engineering, according to their statement.
"With this alliance, we look forward to combining our capabilities
with Fluor's competencies in serving the DOE's needs at the Savannah
River Site," DuPont chief executive Charles O. Holliday Jr. said.
Fluor Daniel chief executive Alan Boeckmann said the company is
enthusiastic about the DOE's "desire to change the status quo."
The site climate has changed since DuPont managed the site, McKibben
said.
"We never under DuPont did anything according to DOE orders," said
McKibben, a site worker from 1955 to 2000. "DuPont did it their way."
DOE plays a larger role now in daily operations, he said.
---
Information from: The Augusta Chronicle, http://www.augustachronicle.com/
