CB&I AREVA MOX Services vs DOE/NNSA Smackdown!!!
MOX Contractor Contradicts DOE on Construction Problems at MOX Plant at the Savannah River Site; Full Investigated Warranted by Congress and Investigative Agencies
CB&I AREVA MOX Services Undocumented Claim of “Less than 1%” Rework Rate of Construction Problems is Wildly Divergent from DOE’s Figure of 25%
MOX Services Unsubstantiated Claim that MOX Plant Construction is 68% Complete at Disturbing Odds with Congressional Testimony by DOE’s that MOX Plant is 35% to 41% Complete
Columbia, SC – Directly contradicting the assessment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) about construction problems at the plutonium fuel (MOX) factory, the contractor building the facility has made an unsubstantiated claim that there are few construction problems with the contentious project being slowly carried out at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina.
A spokesperson for CB&I AREVA MOX Services stated on December 3, 2015 that the “reinstallation” rate – the rate at which improperly installed components are torn out and reinstalled – is not the alarming 25% as DOE has formally testified to Congress but “less than 1%”:
“That figure is inaccurate – in fact, ever since MOX construction began up until this point, rework has been less than 1 percent — well below industry standards. (The project is also over 68 percent physically complete).” (email to Tom Clements, Director, SRS Watch)
No documentation was provided to back up the claims presented by CB&I AREVA MOX Services.
According to Savannah River Site Watch, the reinstallation problem is significant as it could indicate both design problems and poorly trained staff. Having to tear out and reinstall equipment and components such as piping, wiring, welds, walls and duct work result in significant cost increases and schedule delays. Improper installations could indicate an improper sequencing of installation of component and equipment, resulting in a possible domino effect of problems.
“Given the magnitude of money involved and the importance of plutonium disposition, the problems with construction of the MOX plant at SRS warrants a full investigation not only by Congress but by a host of federal investigative agencies,” said Tom Clements, director of the public interest no-profit group Savannah River Site Watch. “Reports of waste, fraud, abuse and inspection problems at the MOX plant necessitates in-depth reviews and investigations by the Government Accountability Office, the DOE’s Office of Inspector General, the NRC’s Inspector General and the Department of Justice. It is imperative that the MOX project be scrutinized under the False Claims Act to determine if the government has been defrauded in any way during design and construction of the problem-plagued MOX plant.”