DOE Seeks Deactivation Contractor for Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant

Cincinnati – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a Request for Task Proposal (RTP) for deactivation activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP) in Paducah, Kentucky. These services are required so that DOE can address the return of the Paducah GDP facilities that are currently being leased by the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), a private company. USEC is expected to return the facilities to DOE in the near future.

The procurement will result in a three-year Task Order containing both cost reimbursable and firm fixed-price elements. It will be competed against a set of existing contracts, the DOE Environmental Management Nationwide Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) - Unrestricted Contracts for Environmental Remediation Services, Deactivation, Decommissioning, Demolition, and Removal (DDR) of Facilities (Contaminated), Waste Management Services, and Regulatory Services, that were awarded on December 16, 2010.

In this procurement, the Department seeks to align contractor and taxpayer interests by including firm-fixed-price line items, and requiring the contractor to establish an initial contract performance baseline based on its proposed cost, technical approach and schedule at award. Additionally, it aims to incentivize contractor cost control, schedule and performance achievements by paying only provisional fee to the contractor throughout the Task Order period of performance and delaying the final determination of earned fee until the end of the of the Task Order. This will allow the Department to hold the contractor accountable for meeting all of the Award Fee and Task Order requirements because some or all of the entire provisional fee would be returned to the Government if the conditions are not met.

The Paducah GDP is a Government-owned uranium enrichment plant that was constructed in the early 1950’s and operated by DOE for the purpose of manufacturing enriched uranium for the fabrication of fuel assemblies for commercial and military nuclear reactors and weapons development activities.

The Paducah GDP is located on a Federal reservation in Western Kentucky, approximately 10 miles west of Paducah, and 3.5 miles south of the Ohio River.

A site tour was conducted when the draft RTP was issued. Under this solicitation, a presolicitation conference may be held. Questions from industry will be answered on the EMCBC procurement website for this procurement. Proposals are to be submitted to DOE no later than September 20, 2013.

Website address: http://www.emcbc.doe.gov/pgdp%20deactivation