| Abstract |
The US Department of Energy Office of River Protection is currently overseeing the construction of the new Hanford Site Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (more commonly referred to as the Waste Treatment Plant). In December 2000, a contract was awarded to Bechtel National, Inc. for the design, construction, and commissioning of the $5.8 billion facility to treat and vitrify a significant portion of the waste currently stored in large underground tanks on the Hanford Site. As the owner, the Office of River Protection has developed an organization to oversee the design, construction, and commissioning of the facility. A Federal Project Director is responsible for all aspects of the project, including safety, design, construction, commissioning; and the baseline (scope, cost, and schedule). The Project Director reports to the Manager of the Office of River Protection and recommends changes to the contract requirements, safety basis documents, or the baseline. Approximately 30 engineers, scientists, and other support personnel have been assigned to a unique organization that supports the Federal Project Director in providing oversight of each phase of the project (i.e., design, construction, and commissioning). The organization includes an Engineering Division, a Programs and Projects Division, a Safety Authorization Basis Team, and an Operations and Commissioning Team. This organization is unique within the Department of Energy and provides a focused team to resolve issues of safety, cost, schedule, technical design changes, and construction. This paper will describe this team and show how the Office of River Protection utilizes this oversight team to manage this complex, accelerated project. The size and technical complexity of the facility poses unique challenges for safety, permitting, commissioning, engineering, and baseline control. A robust training and qualification program has been developed that will insure the Departmental personnel working closely with contractor personnel obtain intimate knowledge of the research and technology, engineering, design, and construction operations. In all aspects, Departmental personnel are assessing contractor proposals, design, and construction to ensure compliance with contractual commitments and to ensure the facility will meet long term Department of Energy mission needs. |
