Review of four teams vying for INL contract nearly done

With a month or so left before the expected announcement of the winning team for one of the largest contracts in the history of nuclear energy research, things seem quiet.

But behind the scenes, a flurry of action is going on as various groups try to prove their mettle.

By Dan Boyd – Journal Writer

http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2004/10/20/news/local/news08.txt

"We are actively interacting with community members in the Idaho Falls and Pocatello areas," said Ed Berkey, the proposed lab director of a team headed up by Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc.

"We are meeting with Idaho State University administrators, members of the chamber of commerce and those in the Idaho delegation. We’re explaining the kind of program we’d put in if we’re the winners," he said.

Four teams, including Berkey’s, representing a cross-section of top-notch scientific expertise, have submitted proposals for the Idaho National Laboratory contract, which will consolidate parts of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory with Argonne National Laboratory West to form a streamlined facility that national leaders are already touting as the future leader of nuclear research.

Tim Jackson, Idaho Department of Energy spokesman, said the review process is on target.

"The department hopes to have it completed by the month of November," he said. "That’s the goal."

Jackson said a source evaluation board will work with a selection official to determine who will win the contract.

"(The board) has been busy for several months evaluating proposals from teams," he said.

The INL contract will last 10 years with a DOE option for an additional five years. Although the winning contractor will be named sometime in November, the selected team won’t take control until Feb. 1, 2005.

Still, the various teams are doing their best to make themselves visible at community events such as the INEEL Science and Engineering Expo that took place Sept. 23 through 25.

Berkey, a Hispanic-American with nine years experience working with INEEL administration, said he can relate to Idahoans and feels optimistic about his chances of leading the site into the future.

"We have a very strong and competitive team that is committed to the success of the lab," he said.

In the final request for proposals, the DOE estimated that funding for the INL will range from $400 to $600 million per year with a maximum contractor’s fee of $18.7 million annually.
Dan Boyd – Journal Writer">