2019 Project Management Awards | Department of Energy

2019 Project Management Awards

The following awards were presented in 2020.

Click to learn more about the DOE Project Management Award Program.

Award	Recipient	Award Citation
Federal Project Director of the Year	Image Scott Cannon National Nuclear Security Administration	Mr. Cannon demonstrated exceptional leadership, courage, project management excellence, empowerment of team members and exemplary communication skills while potentially generating over $30 billion in lifecycle costs avoidance. Mr. Cannon highlighted degrading project performance and deficiencies and advised senior Departmental and Congressional leadership of the actual and future cost implications. His flawless analysis laid the foundation to gain Congressional support and to bolster the Secretary’s decision to terminate the $4.8 billion project. He developed and executed a highly complex project termination plan under budget and ahead of schedule. This termination will ultimately result in faster disposition of surplus weapons grade plutonium while saving the American taxpayers billions of dollars.
Project Management Excellence	Image D Area Ash Project Office of Environmental Management	The D Area Ash project team delivered the $65.8 million project 8 months ahead of schedule and $8 million under budget. This project remediated and closed the D Area coal ash landfill, two coal ash basins, and a coal pile runoff basin, an area consisting of over 90 acres. Building on a strong working relationship with regulators from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project team successfully negotiated a cleanup schedule under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) within the timeframe of the 1993 Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). Remediation was complicated by the immense volume of rain resulting from multiple hurricanes during project execution as each inch of rain resulted in roughly one million gallons of storm water which had to be managed and pass quarterly toxicity testing prior to discharge.
Project Management Achievement	Image Low Level Liquid Waste Project National Nuclear Security Administration	The Low Level Liquid Waste Project Team, which is commended for delivering a state-of-the art facility that will meet mission need to treat radioactive low level liquid waste for the next several decades at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. As a result of the perseverance, attention to detail, and focus on cost and schedule outcomes, the project team was able to overcome logistical and security risks and initial performance issues to successfully deliver the project in a safe and effective manner. The outstanding efforts by the project team greatly enhances the low level liquid waste processing mission of the NNSA at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Project Management Achievement	Image U.S. ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) Upgrade project Office of Science	The U.S. ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) Upgrade project was initiated to further enhance the performance of the current ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. This $30 million project will enable more detailed study of the Higgs Boson particle and even rarer processes that will shed light on the unexplored corners of our understanding of how the universe works. The new electronic components and firmware will enable better identification of particles and is the first step towards the High Luminosity run 4, scheduled for 2026. The U.S. ATLAS Upgrade project team is commended for completing the project on budget and schedule, and for delivering equipment that will enable new discoveries in science for years to come.
Project Management Achievement	Image U.S. Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Upgrade Project Office of Science	The U.S. Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Upgrade project was initiated to further enhance the performance of the current CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. This $32 million project will enable more detailed study of the Higgs Boson particle and even rarer processes that will shed light on the unexplored corners of our understanding of how the universe works. The U.S. CMS Upgrade project team is commended for completing the project on budget and schedule, and for delivering equipment that will enable new discoveries in science for years to come.
Project Management Improvement	Image Infrastructure and Operational Improvements (IOI) Project Office of Science	The Infrastructure and Operational Improvements (IOI) project executed by the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) from 2013-2019 overcame many impediments that could have otherwise resulted in a less than successful project. However, the perseverance of the federal staff, PPPL, and the contractor helped to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and deliver a successful project. The IOI project designed, renovated, and commissioned more than 71,000 gross square feet of high-quality research and office space that is now fully utilized to attract and retain technical talent in support of PPPL’s scientific mission. The IOI project team is commended for completing the project ahead of schedule, on-cost, and meeting all scope and performance parameters.