The Dept. of Energy has awarded a contract to a unit of CH2M Hill Cos.Ltd. to clean up DOE's former nuclear weapons facility in Miamisburg, Ohio. The contract, to CH2M Hill Mound Inc., is valued at $314 million.

In announcing the contract award on Dec. 5, DOE said the project will speed up remediation and transfer the site to a local community improvement corporation for industrial use by March 31, 2006, nine months ahead of schedule. DOE also says the contract price amounts to a savings of $100 million.

The Miamisburg contract is the first major one since DOE's review of its environmental management program. The contract is to take effect on Jan. 1.

The contract calls for demolishing 66 facilities and transferring nine at what is known as the Mound site to the Miamisburg Mound Community Improvement Corp. to become an industrial park. It also involves clearning up and closing all areas where contamination was released and storing, processing and shipping the waste.
Other members of the CH2M Hill team are Washington Group International Inc., Boise, and BWX Technologies Inc., Lynchburg, Va.