Contract Award
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District announced today that it is moving forward with the initially awarded contractor for the $350-million radiological waste clean-up project in Parks Township, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.
The Corps completed a re-evaluation in response to protests of the Shallow Land Disposal Area remediation contract.
This re-evaluation determined that Jacobs Field Services North America, Inc. of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, remains the best value to the government for the SLDA project.
Due to the protests, Jacobs was issued a Stop-Work Order on May 12, 2017. The district lifted the order on Sept. 25, 2018 as a result of its re-evaluation.
Jacobs will now begin the development of site work plans in coordination with the Army Corps and with support from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other agencies as necessary.
This work plan process could take a year to accomplish and will detail safety protocol; site and security operations; material removal, storage and transport processes; staffing requirements; emergency response plans; and project oversight.
Physical work on the SLDA site involving infrastructure improvements is estimated to begin in mid-2020 pending completion of work plans, availability of funding, and favorable weather conditions. Remediation activities are expected to commence in mid-2021.
The project is authorized under the agency’s Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program or FUSRAP.
“This extensive re-evaluation confirms the selection of this highly-qualified contractor,” said Col. Andrew “Coby” Short, commander, Pittsburgh District. “We’re committed to worker and public safety, and to building a team of experts that will safely and efficiently remediate the site.”
Annual Water Monitoring Results
The Corps also announces the release of its annual groundwater monitoring results, which can be viewed on its public website at www.lrp.usace.army.mil. The overall sampling results are consistent with past findings that indicate no FUSRAP‐related radionuclides exceed the U.S. EPA or dose‐based drinking water standards.
Public Meeting
The Pittsburgh District will hold a public meeting from 7 – 9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the Parks Township Volunteer Fire Department Hall, 1119 Dalmation Drive, Vandergrift, Armstrong County, PA 15690. District staff and supporting agencies will present an update on the air and water monitoring results, the contract status, site activities, funding and other issues of public interest.
Background
The SLDA, encompassing 44 acres of privately owned land, is located approximately 23 miles east-northeast of Pittsburgh in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. It is on the right bank of the Kiski River, a tributary of the Allegheny River, near the communities of Apollo and Vandergrift. Radioactive waste disposal operations were conducted between 1960 and 1970 at the site.
As part of work done under Atomic Energy Commission contracts, low-level radioactive materials were produced, primarily for fuel for nuclear powered submarines and power plants. Disposal operations were conducted by the firm NUMEC, Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation, in the early 1960s. In 1967, ARCO purchased stock in NUMEC. In 1971, ARCO sold the stock of NUMEC to Babcock & Wilcox which has changed to BWX Technologies. BWX Technologies is the current owner of the Parks Township Shallow Land Disposal Area.
For more information, visit the Army Corps’ SDLA website: www.lrp.usace.army.mil; hardcopy documents related to the study, site testing, and removal plans are available online and at the Apollo Library, 219 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Apollo, PA 15613-1397. Due to its size, the Corps' Remedial Investigation study is available on disc upon request.
For additional information, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 412-395-7500 or email: celrp-pa@usace.army.mil.