OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – EM’s cleanup contractor at the Oak Ridge site earned nearly $3.6 million for its performance from Oct. 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, amounting to 93 percent of the total award fee available.
July 28, 2016
minute read time
UCOR’s K-27 Building demolition project, pictured here, is ahead of schedule with actual costs projected to be less than planned, according to OREM’s correspondence regarding the contractor’s fee determination.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – EM’s cleanup contractor at the Oak Ridge site earned nearly $3.6 million for its performance from Oct. 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016, amounting to 93 percent of the total award fee available.
The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) recently issued its six-month fee determination scorecard for URS | CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) after completing its evaluation of the contractor.
Each year, EM releases information relating to contractor fee payments — earned by completing the work called for in the contracts — to further transparency in its cleanup program.
According to the scorecard and OREM’s correspondence to UCOR regarding the fee determination:
UCOR received a “very good” rating for project management and “high confidence” for cost and schedule during the six-month period. Indicators such as cost and schedule indexes reflect a contract that is performing well against a cost and schedule plan.
The contractor continues to execute its scope under the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) contract very well and to provide outstanding support to ongoing reindustrialization efforts at ETTP.
At that site, the K-27 demolition and waste removal began ahead of schedule and the project’s actual costs are projected to be less than planned.
“I am extremely pleased with UCOR’s overall performance, as well as the careful and thorough oversight being provided by our federal staff,” said Sue Cange, manager of the Oak Ridge EM program. “EM and UCOR have developed and maintained a quality partnership, and that has led to projects being consistently delivered under budget and ahead of schedule.”
The K-27 demolition project is proceeding at a rate that will support OREM’s Vision 2016 objective. Vision 2016 calls for the removal of all five large gaseous diffusion buildings from ETTP by year’s end. K-27 is the last of the five buildings.
UCOR continues to work to maintain and improve its safety culture. During the performance period, the company established a Human Performance Improvement Practitioners group and “Mission Possible: Zero” initiatives and strengthened its industrial hygiene program. UCOR and its subcontractors also performed over 5.5 million work hours without a lost-time injury.
The contractor also continued recycling initiatives that have resulted in reduced disposal volumes and cost savings. UCOR received regulatory approval to recycle 250,000 pounds of scrap metal and 8,000 pounds of reusable materials and transferred reusable shipping containers to other sites for use and cost savings rather than disposal.
While OREM noted UCOR’s significant accomplishments during the six-month period, the office also pointed to opportunities for improvement.
For example, the contractor experienced multiple electrical safety issues, and OREM noted deficiencies in the surveillance and inspection rigor for operations outside of the major deactivation and demolition efforts during the period. Job hazard analysis, work planning and control, and work execution are areas that warrant ongoing focus.
View the scorecard here.