The U.S. Department of Energy plans to extend two key contracts worth about $23 billion at the Hanford site. The U.S. Dep

The Office of River

Protection intends to extend the tank operations contract with Washington River

Protection Solutions, and the Richland Operations Office intends to extend the

plateau remediation contract with CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co.

DOE made the

announcement in an Aug. 13 memo to staff.

The tank contract,

valued at up to $13 billion over a 10-year period, is held by WRPS.

The plateau

remediation contract, valued at up to $10 billion over a 10-year period, is

held by CH2M Hill.

Both yearlong extensions

would run from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2020. The current contracts were set to

expire Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

The bid process for the new contracts began in late 2018.

The proposed

extensions will allow the contractors to continue their work uninterrupted, DOE

said.

“Evaluations of

proposals for both follow-on contracts, the Tank Closure Contract and the

Central Plateau Cleanup Contract, continue in earnest. Extension of the current

contracts would only be in force as long as needed after award of new contracts

and transition periods to the new contractors,” DOE said in the memo.

DOE did not provide a

timeline for awarding the essential services contract, valued at up to $6

billion over a 10-year period, that is currently held by Mission Support

Alliance. This contract was set to expire in late May but the company received

a six-month extension through November.

DOE said it is

currently evaluating the solicitations for this contract.

DOE awarded a contract

July 31 of up to $4.6 million for the management and administration of workers’

compensation claims.

The contract was

awarded to Penser North America for up to five years. Penser is based in Lacey

and will open offices in Richland.

DOE said the new

contract will have significant changes from the previous contract and includes

requirements for improving and increasing customer support and service.

Penser will be

responsible for processing claims and working with all parties involved,

including the state Department of Labor and Industries.

The new contract includes requirements for improvements in

communications with claimants and among the stakeholders involved in managing

compensation claims, DOE said.