Fluor to lead nuclear site management

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Energy announced it has contracted Fluor Corp. to lead a team for the management of the Savannah River nuclear solutions site.

Under the five-year, $4 billion contract, Fluor will lead a team to manage and operate the Department of Energy Savannah River Nuclear site near Aiken, S.C., maintaining the nuclear-weapons stockpile and processing and storing nuclear materials. Officials say the contract includes five one-year extension possibilities bringing the contract's potential value to $8 billion.

"Fluor has a long track record of achieving significant milestones and maintaining exemplary safety records within the Department of Energy complex," Alan Boeckmann, Fluor chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "Now, we will leverage all that Fluor has to offer to support the Department of Energy's mission and deliver safe, on-time, on-budget performance at Savannah River."

Officials say additional contract work will include environmental management and the cleanup of legacy materials, facilities and waste left over from the Cold War among other tasks.

"This win is a significant accomplishment for our team," said John Hopkins, Fluor group executive. "We are confident that our combined visions, knowledge and expertise will enable us to meet the Department of Energy's expectations, as well as those of the site employees and the neighboring South Carolina and Georgia communities. The team looks forward to turning the Savannah River Site and Savannah River National Lab into catalysts for job growth and commercial innovation in the region."