Jane Edwards
A Bechtel subsidiary has received authorization from the Department of Energy to begin managing and operating the country’s only underground disposal facility for defense-related transuranic nuclear waste.
Tularosa Basin Range Services, doing business as Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, won a potential 10-year, $3 billion contract in July 2022 to operate DOE’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico.
Bechtel said Friday SIMCO received a notice to proceed in early November 2022 and recently concluded contract transition activities.
Los Alamos Technical Associates is SIMCO’s small business partner in the contract.
“We thank the team at WIPP, many who are longtime employees, for welcoming us and supporting the transition. Our joint team is dedicated to safely disposing of the decades-old waste and fulfilling WIPP’s mission,” said Ken Harrawood, SIMCO president and program manager.
SIMCO, which onboarded approximately 1,100 employees to perform work on the contract, assumes management responsibility for WIPP from Nuclear Waste Partnership, an Amentum-led entity with partner BWX Technologies and subcontractor Orano.
