Uranium Processing Facility team signs partnering agreement

The Uranium Processing Facility Project Office and Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC signed a partnering agreement to move forward on delivering the UPF mission. Shown in the photo are, front row, left to right: Bill Priest, CNS; John Eschenberg, UPO; Brian Reilly, CNS; and Dale Christenson, UPO; and back row, left to right: Joe Brown, CNS; Brant Morowski, CNS; Mike Pratt, CNS; Jim Sowers, CNS; Matt Crookshanks, CNS; John Clayton, UPO; Art Haugh, UPO; Laurie Folden, UPO; and Steve Wellbaum, UPO. (Submitted photo)

Officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Uranium Processing Facility Project Office and Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC recently signed a partnering agreement to create a cohesive and effective team united in accomplishment of the Uranium Processing Facility mission.

“The UPF partnering agreement is an important step to ensure our team carries out its mission to deliver a new UPF, a key infrastructure investment for our country, with Building 9212 capabilities, for not more than $6.5 billion by 2025,” said UPF Federal Project Director John Eschenberg.

The agreement also emphasizes a collaborative approach to problem-solving and issue resolution focused on early identification and rapid communication.

UPF Project Director Brian Reilly said, “This agreement, which has been signed by 25 of the leaders of the project from both UPO and CNS, is a joint acknowledgement that there is one UPF team comprised of contractor and federal staff, and that we will only succeed by working together.”

Partnering is an industry best practice that has been used by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Program, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and throughout large commercial construction projects. UPO’s partnering agreement with CNS represents the first such agreement for NNSA and serves as yet another example of the way in which NNSA is using industry best practices to improve project management.

CNS assumed responsibility as the management and operating contractor for the Pantex Plant, located near Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge on July 1. The contract includes project management of the UPF project at Y-12.