Multi-billion-dollar Hanford bidding process delayed

The Department of Energy has delayed the release of its draft request for bids for a new central Hanford cleanup contract, but should have it available by the end of September, it announced Tuesday.

The delay was not explained. DOE said in April that the draft document would be released between early May and early June.

CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co. now holds a central Hanford cleanup contract that is set to expire at the end of September after a decade.

DOE said in June that the CH2M contract likely would be extended for up to a year to allow time to get the new contract awarded.

No estimated value of the new Central Plateau Cleanup Contract has been released, but the CH2M contract is worth an estimated $5.8 billion, if $1.3 billion in economic stimulus money for work under the Obama administration is included. CH2M employs about 1,500 workers.

More information is posted at bit.ly/HanfordCPCC.