DOE awards contract to small business for mercury project at Y-12

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management, or EM, awarded the task order to Strata-G in Knoxville on Wednesday. The company will collect data and perform characterization at Outfall 200 at Y-12.

The task order is the first project in a five-year, multi-phase contract estimated at $15 million, DOE said in a press release Friday. The contract uses a bidding process among three small businesses for various characterization projects at EM’s cleanup sites in Oak Ridge.

Under the task order, Strata-G will collect data about the soil and existing structures in the Outfall 200 area and provide a Sampling and Analysis Plan to DOE by July 2014, the press release said. These documents will help DOE’s EM program determine the number and location of samples and the appropriate removal and disposal actions when cleanup activities begin. Additionally, the contractor will develop a plan to determine the geotechnical properties of the area to aid the design of the mercury water treatment facility. DOE will use this data on soil types and the depth of bedrock to develop the final design for the structure.

“Today’s announcement is a two-fold accomplishment for our program,” said Mark Whitney, manager of the Oak Ridge Office of EM. “We’ve initiated field work for an important project in Oak Ridge, and utilized small business to help us achieve our goals.”

Outfall 200 is a crucial element in EM’s cleanup strategy because several major storm water discharges converge at this location. For this reason, EM selected the site for its mercury water treatment facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2017. When operational, the facility will be able to process 3,000 gallons per minute to reduce offsite mercury migration, especially during future demolition projects.