Project Management Awards Announced for 2003: Three Teams Receive Top Awards

5/20/2003

From: Jacqueline Johnson of the U.S. Department of Energy, 202-586-5806

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Deputy Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow today announced the winners of the Secretary of Energy's Third Annual Project Management Awards at a ceremony at the Department of Energy. The awards recognize outstanding performance based on successful completion or near completion of a project and overall management of the project or program.

Three winning teams receiving this year's project management awards are:

Fissile Materials Disposition, Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Blend-Down Project Team - supported the NNSA strategic goal to protect or eliminate weapons and weapons-usable nuclear material and/or infrastructure - Secretary's Excellence in Acquisition Award;

Office Of Nonproliferation Research And Engineering, Nonproliferation And International Security Center (NISC) Project Team - consolidated NIS program and division resources and functions with occupancy of new laboratory office complex. The $63 million project ended construction nearly $9 million under budget, seven weeks ahead of schedule, and with an outstanding safety record - Secretary's Award of Achievement and the Secretary's Acquisition Improvement Award; and

Rocky Flats Field Office, Building 371 Closure Project Team - had primary goal to stabilize and repackage 106,000 kilograms of plutonium residue to improve safety to the worker, public and environment - Secretary's Award of Achievement.

"Over the past several years the department has had a concerted effort to improve the way we manage our projects," Deputy Secretary McSlarrow said. "All of you involved in these projects should be proud of what you have accomplished, and I personally applaud your efforts. It is a pleasure to see that your hard work is paying off."

Other project teams receiving honorable mention include:

-- Rocky Flats Field Office, Building 771/774 Closure Project -- Savannah River Operations Office, K Area Nuclear Material Storage Project -- Oak Ridge Operations, EM, Hydrofracture Well Plugging and Abandonment Project -- Chicago Operations Office, Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor Decontamination and Decommissioning Project -- Oak Ridge Operations, Science, Facilities Revitalization Project -- Environmental Management Waste Management Facility Project

The Secretary's Project Management Awards program was initiated in the fall of 2000 to recognize individuals and teams whose outstanding accomplishments and commitment in acquisition management deserve special recognition.