Bid Protest Pushes DOE Review Of Hanford Site Cleanup Award

Losing bidders of a U.S. Energy Dept.’s $3-billion cleanup contract at the agency’s Hanford site in Washington state may get a chance to rebid after the agency agreed on Dec. 29 to reevaluate the “mission support” contract award made in September. The decision comes at the urging of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which reviewed a protest of the award by a losing bidder that claimed problems with DOE’s solicitation. GAO dismissed the protest but only after DOE agreed to take “corrective action” in its cost evaluation. A limited-liability company led by Lockheed Martin won the contract, but another led by Computer Sciences Corp. protested the decision. DOE says the four original bidders, which also included ventures led by Parsons Corp. and AECOM, are the only rebidders that will be considered. The contract has a potential term of 10 years. A GAO official says DOE could reconsider the existing four bids or allow the bidders to submit new one.