DOE ANNOUNCES BNL CONTRACTOR/PENA STATEMENT

[Andy Hull <hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov>]

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>Subject: DOE ANNOUNCES BNL CONTRACTOR/PENA STATEMENT
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>EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE 10:30 a.m., November 25, 1997
>NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS:
>Jeff Sherwood, DOE Headquarters, (202) 586-5806
>Carol Morrison, Brookhaven Group, (516) 344-2252
>Gary Pitchford, Chicago Operations Office, (630) 252-2013
>
>ENERGY DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW CONTRACTOR TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF
>BROOKHAVEN LAB
>PROCUREMENT SELECTION MADE IN RECORD TIME
>
>Completing a major step in its ongoing effort to improve management and
>restore confidence at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Department of
>Energy today announced selection of Brookhaven Science Associates as the
>new contractor to manage and operate its Long Island, N.Y., research
>facility.  The Brookhaven Science Associates team is led by the Research
>Foundation of the State University of New York on behalf of the State
>University of New York at Stony Brook and Battelle Memorial Research
>Institute of Columbus, Ohio.
>Secretary of Energy Federico Pena said, "Brookhaven Science Associates has
>demonstrated leadership at their institutions, and I will look to them to
>fully integrate safety and environmental protection into scientific
>research, to accelerate and intensify recent efforts to rebuild community
>trust, and to achieve overall excellence.  Working together, we will make
>it possible for the laboratory to carry out its mission as a world-class
>research facility and prove itself a good neighbor to Suffolk County and
>Long Island."
>"I want to thank all those who provided input into this contract process
>and selection -- our neighbors on Long Island, members of the scientific
>community, lab employees, and many others.  I also want to thank the
>selection team which worked tirelessly to create an open, fair and
>efficient process.  This is the fastest competition we have ever held for a
>management and operating contract, and reflects a new way of doing business
>at the Department of Energy," he added.
>Brookhaven Science Associates will manage and operate the laboratory for a
>five-year term at an estimated cost of $2 billion, with a contract to be
>awarded in early January 1998.
>Two proposals from nonprofit-led teams were submitted in response to a July
>18, 1997, Request for Proposals.  One proposal was from Brookhaven Science
>Associates.  The other competing team was led by the IIT Research Institute
>of Chicago, Illinois.  Both teams provided excellent proposals and
>demonstrated their ability to manage scientific, environmental, safety and
>health, and community involvement initiatives at the laboratory.  The
>selected team demonstrated the best total capability to improve the
>laboratory's performance.
>Stony Brook is a national leader in high energy and nuclear physics.
>Battelle Memorial Research Institute has operated the department's Pacific
>Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., for the last 32 years and
>has long been a leader in applied science and technology, including
>environmental, safety and health management.  Battelle manages
>environmental, safety and health activities at the department's Pantex
>Plant.
>Brookhaven Science Associates committed to exceeding the requirements of
>the department's Request for Proposal in several areas, including: the
>department's safety management program that integrates safety into
>employees' daily work activities; implementing IS0 14001, an international
>standard for environmental management systems; and instituting a Voluntary
>Protection Program whereby the lab will subscribe to meeting proven
>industrial standards for worker safety.
>Other immediate organizational commitments include retention of existing
>salary, benefits and tenure systems for employees and appointment of
>separate deputy directors for science and operations. In addition, offices
>for environment, safety and health, environmental management, reactor
>operations and community involvement will report directly to the laboratory
>director.
>The Brookhaven Science Associates proposal identified Dr. John Marburger as
>the new Brookhaven Laboratory director.  Dr. Marburger is a distinguished
>science administrator and served as State University of New York at Stony
>Brook's president for 14 years.  He has committed to integrate laboratory
>safety with scientific excellence and to regain community trust and
>confidence.
>The department's streamlined process for selecting a new contractor,
>limited to nonprofit organizations or teams led by nonprofit organizations,
>was completed in six months, rather than the usual 18, and was developed
>with extensive community, industrial and academic involvement.  The
>department initially planned to award the contract in mid-November 1997.
>However, an early January 1998 award is now contemplated in order to comply
>with recently enacted legislation requiring 60-day notice to Congress
>before awarding certain contracts.
>Brookhaven Science Associates will assume responsibility for laboratory
>operations following a transition period of  60 days after the contract
>award.  Until that time, Associated Universities Inc., the current
>contractor for Brookhaven, will continue to manage the laboratory.
>The new five-year performance-based contract with Brookhaven Science
>Associates embodies concepts developed in the department's contract reform
>initiative.  Distinct performance measures have been included in the
>contract, reflecting the department's performance improvement objectives at
>Brookhaven.
>In addition to performance measures for Fiscal Year 1998 in science and
>technology, environment, safety and health, and community involvement
>areas, the contract also contains an "off-ramp" provision.  If the Energy
>Department determines that the contractor is not performing in an excellent
>manner after contract performance of 33 months, the agency may terminate
>the contract short of completion of the initial term of five years.
>Alternatively, the department could also choose to continue through the
>initial five years, but not exercise the option under the contract to
>continue the contractor's performance for an additional five-year period.
>Attached is a statement by Secretary Pena that was read at the public
>announcement of the contractor's selection.  The source selection statement
>will be available on the Internet at: http://www.ch.doe.gov/bnlseb
>Brookhaven National Laboratory carries out basic and applied research in
>high energy, nuclear and solid state physics, nuclear medicine, biomedical
>and environmental sciences and selected energy technologies.
>-DOE-
>
>
>Statement from Secretary of Energy Federico Pena on the Announcement of a
>New Contractor for Brookhaven National Laboratory
>With today's announcement, the Department of Energy is meeting a commitment
>I made to the people of Long Island.  On May 1st, I said that we would take
>the necessary steps to change the management of Brookhaven National
>Laboratory, increase community input and improve our approach to protecting
>the environment, preserving worker safety and ensuring public health.  And
>I said that these priorities could go hand in hand with scientific
>excellence.
>I am pleased to help introduce Brookhaven Science Associates to Long Island
>citizens and Brookhaven employees.  The team members have demonstrated
>leadership at their institutions, and I will look to them to fully
>integrate safety and environmental protection into scientific research, to
>accelerate and intensify recent efforts to rebuild community trust, and to
>achieve overall excellence.  Working together, we will make it possible for
>the laboratory to carry out its mission as a world-class research facility
>and prove itself a good neighbor to Suffolk County and Long Island.
>I want to thank all those who provided input into this contract process and
>selection -- our neighbors on Long Island, members of the scientific
>community, lab employees, and many others.  I also want to thank the
>selection team which worked tirelessly to create an open, fair and
>efficient process.  This is the fastest competition we have ever held for a
>management and operating contract, and reflects a new way of doing business
>at the Department of Energy.
>I invite the people of Long Island and our employees to join me in
>welcoming the new contractor and supporting this transition.  The
>Department of Energy will demand excellence from itself and our new
>contractor -- we ask you to demand the same.  But let's also celebrate this
>new chapter for a laboratory that's respected worldwide and valued by so
>many Americans for its discoveries in basic research, medicine, energy and
>the environment.  The Department of Energy is committed to continuing this
>tradition of excellence.
>--  DOE --
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