Los Alamos Reporter

N3B Receives 84 Percent Award Fee On LANL Legacy Waste Cleanup Contract

49530649_277074882969712_1633642715713372160_oLegacy waste cleanup contractor N3B-Los Alamos earned an $8,644,729 award fee for year ending Sept. 20, 2019. Courtesy photo

BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com

Los Alamos National Laboratory legacy waste cleanup contractor Newport News Nuclear BWXT (N3B)-Los Alamos, LLC received $8,644,729 out of a possible $10,298,701 of the Total Available Award Fee for the period Oct. 1, 2018 through Sept. 30, 2019.

The Total Available Award fee for FY2019 is split with 30 percent going to the Subjective Award Fee and 70 percent to the Performance-Based Incentive Award Fee. The almost 84 percent award follows an 83 percent award  for the first five months of N3B’s contract in FY2018.

The fee award scorecard noted several areas of strength for N3B including:

  • Waste shipments resumed at Los Alamos. 250 cubic meters of mixed and low level waste shipped from legacy inventory
  • Area G radiological controls re-worked to maintain controls close to the point of radiological work
  • Work initiated at TA-21 DP west, and building 21-257
  • Procurement process improvements
  • Stakeholder outreach
  • Permit management

Opportunities for improvement noted were:

  • Response time in repairing safety systems after failures
  •  Completing budgeted work scope
  •  EVMS reporting fidelity
  • Forecasting and reporting costs
  • Other Direct Cost (ODC) cost control
  • Managerial integration and communication
  • Early planning and kick-off of field operations
  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) inspections

The Subjective Award Fee Criteria are quality assurance/safety, cost control, management and regulatory compliance. The fees determined are as follows:

  • Quality Assurance/Safety  – $667,356  of a possible $926,883
  • Schedule:  – $271,886 of a possible $617,922
  • Cost Control – $197,735 of a possible $617,922
  • Management – $173,018 of a possible $308,961
  • Regulatory Compliance – $444,904 of a possible $617,922

Of the 29 metrics listed for Performance-Based Incentive, the maximum available amount was received by N3B with four exceptions. A possible fee of $288,364 was not received for the Westbay Wells Reconfiguration project for which N3B was denied an extension for the completion date. The New Mexico Environment Department issued a $58,000 fine for N3B’s failure to complete that project on time.

N3B received $194,645 out of a possible $216,273 for the Middle Los Alamos Canyon Phase II Addendum. The contractor was awarded $216,273 out of a possible $288,364 for the Technical Area 21 Delta Prime West Report and $1,045,318 out of a possible $1,081,364 for contact-handled transuranic waste removal (CH-TRU).