Crews with Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos (N3B) load drums with transuranic (TRU) waste for shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). N3B certified and completed more than 30 legacy TRU waste shipments to WIPP – exceeding an EM 2021 priority. Photo Courtesy EM-LA

DOE/EM-LA NEWS RELEASE

Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos (N3B), the EM-LA legacy cleanup contractor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, earned more than $8.37 million, or 85.7%, of the fee available during fiscal 2021.

“N3B delivered a solid performance based on EM-LA’s evaluation. Their progress in legacy waste operations and safety basis procedures helped to lay a strong foundation for fiscal year 2022,” said Michael Mikolanis, EM-LA manager and the fee determining official. “Another strength identified was N3B’s integration of characterization with the cleanup of the Middle DP Road Site, which resulted in a faster cleanup at less cost for a priority project. And with N3B’s renewed senior management focus on improving performance, I am confident EM-LA will make further advancements on the legacy cleanup with our contractor partner.”

N3B received a rating of “excellent” for regulatory compliance; “good” for quality assurance/safety, schedule and management; and “satisfactory” for cost control, according to its scorecard.

The contractor achieved two significant accomplishments during the period: executing offsite transuranic waste shipments with strong collaboration with the National Nuclear Security Administration and its contractor, Triad National Security, and completing all fiscal 2021 proposed Consent Order milestones with the New Mexico Environment Department.

The N3B scorecard also noted areas for improvement, including occupational safety performance, incurred unnecessary costs for avoidable project delays, and schedule performance.

View the N3B scorecard here.