DOE Announces Decisions on Key Contract Issues for Idaho National Lab and Idaho Cleanup Project

4/26/2004

From: Joe Davis of the U.S. Department of Energy, 202-586-4940

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- The U.S. Department of Energy today announced that it has finalized decisions on several key issues that will be included in the final Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for missions related to the new Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP).

As previously announced, the Department has scheduled release of the final RFPs in May 2004. While the Department had anticipated issuing the final RFPs in early April, the high level of interest in both procurements has resulted in a large number of comments that merited careful attention.

"We seek to ensure both the development of a world-class research laboratory and the accelerated environmental clean-up of the site, and I am determined to make sure that the RFPs we issue support the success of both of these vital national initiatives," said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

"The final RFPs will clearly delineate the scope of work and performance expectations to enable prospective offerors to submit their best proposals to support our ambitious goals for the Idaho site," he added.

Based upon the feedback received on the draft RFPs released in February, the Department of Energy has made the following decisions on key aspects of the work in Idaho which will be incorporated into the final RFPs:

-- In light of the Department's focused initiative to revitalize the nuclear energy mission of the laboratory, the base term for the Idaho National Laboratory contract will be ten years and the contract will contain an option for up to an additional five years.

-- The Department announced in February that it would consider a separate award of a Safeguards and Security contract to a small business. After a detailed review, the Department has decided that it is preferable to retain a fully integrated function within the management and operating contract for the INL.

-- The Idaho National Laboratory RFP will ask offerors to propose a plan to establish a joint laboratory/university center for advanced energy studies in Idaho. Universities based in Idaho, the northwest region, and elsewhere are expected to be engaged in this initiative. The Department believes a center of this type would contribute significantly to the establishment of a world class research facility.

-- In the interest of providing a smooth and orderly transition, the current site infrastructure and services will be maintained and shared by the INL and ICP contractors for two years. This decision will maintain, at substantially the current level, work force transportation services, Laboratory Directed Research and Development, and overhead services for a two-year period.

Other comments are still under consideration and decisions on those items will be reflected in the final RFPs.