SRSCRO May 2021 Update

$5 Million DOE Grant to Boost Future Workforce at Savannah River Site

From [Office of Environmental Management, EM Update, Vol. 13, Issue 18, page 3 (2021)] Reprinted with permission.

A $5 million grant that DOE recently awarded to a local nonprofit will strengthen the workforce pool needed to support the EM and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) missions, particularly at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

“EM will need a talent pipeline to continue forward with progress tackling the environmental cleanup legacy. Continuing our partnership with the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO) and the regional academic community is a great resource to accomplish that goal,” said Kristen Ellis, EM senior advisor for STEM and talent acquisition.

Mindy Mets, director of regional workforce programs for SRSCRO, said the grant award allows local citizens across the South Carolina and Georgia region to have multiple pathways to develop critical skills needed in today’s workforce.

“DOE’s support of the Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers (WORC) program is making a meaningful impact in the lives of local citizens in our community,” Mets said.

With a total estimated value of $5 million for five budget periods, the grant helps ensure that local residents have opportunities to develop skills needed for careers relevant to the EM and NNSA missions. Through the grant, local colleges and universities will provide education and training that align with SRS and regional employer requisite skills, experience, certifications, and proficiency across multiple scientific, engineering, technical, craft, and business-support disciplines.

Augusta University’s nuclear science program is funded by the WORC grant. Brooke Stagich was a student in the program, and she is grateful for the experience. She currently works as a senior scientist at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL).

“The WORC grant and Augusta University’s nuclear science program made up a significant part of shaping my future. They opened the door to a long road of opportunities that eventually led to my current career path,” Stagich said.

Alaina Adams works as a laboratory technician at SRNL. She completed the Environmental Remediation and Restoration Program at the University of South Carolina Aiken. The program is supported by the WORC grant.

“I am blessed with a great job, which I may not have attained if it was not for my education,” Adams said. “Things in life tend to fall in line where they are supposed to when you take the right path in life.”

The latest $5 million grant is a renewal of the first $5 million WORC grant DOE awarded to the SRSCRO in 2016. Both grants build on the previous EM-funded Advancing Nuclear Skills Regionally (ANSR) Program. That program, which began 10 years ago, established new nuclear training certificate and degree programs at local colleges and universities.

The WORC programs include student scholarships, student retention strategies, student outreach, and promotion of relevant education and training programs, including those developed through the ANSR Program. To date, over 1,200 local scholarships have been awarded to students through these programs, helping fill the SRS workforce pipeline.

WORC academic partners in South Carolina are Aiken Technical College, University of South Carolina Aiken, and University of South Carolina Salkehatchie. WORC academic partners in Georgia are Augusta Technical College and Augusta University. SRSCRO serves as the fiscal agent and provides management and coordination of regional efforts for the WORC programs.

SRS Operations Draft RFP and Contract Re-Bid Review

The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently in the acquisition planning stage, pertaining to the Savannah River Site (SRS) Operations Acquisition. On April 28, 2021, DOE released its Draft Request for Proposal (RFP), Solicitation No. 89303720REM000076. The purpose of the Draft RFP is to solicit questions and comments from all interested parties, and to assist DOE-EM in developing a Final RFP for this procurement.

Since SRS is a multi-program site that involves various long-term missions for Environmental Management (EM) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), this draft RFP contains a scope of work which includes both missions. The EM and NNSA missions are national interest programs that must be continued to complete environmental cleanup, achieve long-term nuclear materials management, and support nuclear weapons stockpile and nonproliferation requirements at one-of-a-kind facilities at SRS.

The contract’s maximum period of performance, including the transition period and option period(s), if exercised, shall not exceed 10 years and 90 days. The contract is estimated to be worth up to $21.5 billion over the potential time period. The Draft RFP has been posted to the website for review and comment. DOE is seeking interested parties (organizations and the public) to thoroughly review the Draft RFP and provide comments, questions, suggested changes, and feedback by May 28, 2021.

As a review, SRS is confronting four (4) different contract renewals or awards:

Savannah River Site Paramilitary Security Services – Originally awarded to SRS Critical Infrastructure Security, LLC (SCIS) in February 2021. Due to a protest investigation over the award, DOE filed a “Notice of Corrective Action and Request for Dismissal” in March 2021. DOE “will either reaffirm the existing award or make a new award determination". No decision has been announced to date.
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) - Awarded to Battelle Savannah River Alliance, LLC (BSRA) and is currently going through transition.
Savannah River Site Integrated Mission Completion Contract (IMCC) – Final proposals were due December 2020. No award has been announced to date.
Savannah River Site Operations Acquisition – Draft RFP released.

In This Issue

$5 Million DOE Grant to Boost Future Workforce at Savannah River Site

SRS Operations Draft RFP and Contract Re-Bid Review

Spotlight

Vogtle Unit 3

Congratulations Georgia Power and Southern Company!

This month Georgia Power has started hot functional testing on Vogtle Unit 3, which marks the last series of major tests underway for the new nuclear unit ahead of initial fuel load. The testing represents a significant step towards operations and providing customers with a reliable, carbon-free energy source for the next 60 to 80 years. Hot functional testing is conducted to verify the successful operation of reactor components and systems together and confirm the reactor is ready for fuel load. This process is expected to take six to eight weeks.

Sunburn Myths &

Fun Facts

1. Sunburn is the painful reddening of your skin caused by the UV (ultraviolet) rays in sunlight.

2. You're most likely to get sunburn in the middle of the day (10 AM to 3 PM) because that's when UV rays are strongest.

3. Sunburn is not immediately apparent. Redness starts to show up around 3-5 hours after being in the sun and peaks 12-24 hours after sun exposure. It usually subsides after 72 painful hours.

4. People with lighter skin are more at risk for getting sunburned. This is because they have less melanin compared to darker skinned people. As a matter of fact, some people can develop a sunburn within 15 minutes of being in the sun.

5. Despite all the steroid creams on the market that are thought to help treat pain from sunburn, studies show they are not effective.

6. Cool compresses, aloe-based lotions and topical analgesics are not harmful, but they are not necessarily helpful, either. The best medicine for sunburn is time.

7. Humans are not the only ones who can get sunburn. Animals can, too. The animals that are most at risk for getting cooked in the hot sun include pigs, walruses and horses (particularly light-colored ones).

8. Sunscreens lose their effectiveness after one year. They should be applied 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapplied every two hours.

MYTH 1: The odd sunburn won’t hurt

FACT: Getting sunburnt doesn't mean you will definitely develop skin cancer but getting sunburn - particularly when you are young - massively increases the risk of skin cancer. For example, recent research based on almost 100,000 people showed that one sunburn between the age of 15 and 25 increased the risk of melanoma skin cancer by over 50 per cent, and four episodes of sunburn more than doubles your risk of developing melanoma.

MYTH 2: You won’t burn in the shade

FACT: A common error many make is believing that they cannot burn in the shade, so resort to lying under an umbrella or tree when they need a ‘break’ from the sun. However, this is far from the truth; you can burn even when under a shade, due to UV radiation reflected off nearby surfaces.

MYTH 3: You can’t burn through cloud

FACT: Not only can you burn when it’s cloudy – you might get an even worse sunburn, as it is unlikely you will realize how powerful the UV rays are.

The 2021 SRSCRO meeting schedule is available here.

Closing Thoughts

"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied." -- Claud Cockburn

"Furious activity is no substitute for understanding." -- H. H. Williams

"The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught." -- Marquis de Vauvenargues

"The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities." -- Sophocles

"Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong." -- Dandemis

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action." -- Frank Tibolt

"The perfect bureaucrat everywhere is the man who manages to make no decisions and escape all responsibility." -- Brooks Atkinson

Contact Information

SRSCRO, PO Box 696, Aiken, SC 29802

Staff:

Rick McLeod | President/CEO | 803.508.7402

Mindy Mets | Director of Regional Workforce Programs |803.508.7403

Amy Merry | Administrative & Business Manger | 803.508.7401

Kim Saxon | Assistant Coordinator | 803.508.7656

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