BAFO, that's best and final offer for those of you that have no experience in federal contracting, turned in for LANL bid teams. The clock is ticking on running out the current contractor and who will come in next?
http://www.defensedaily.com/final-bids-lanl-contract-uc-says/
28 comments:
Who will come in next?
We are going to go FULL BECHTEL. It only makes sense, they have the political power to make it happen, they will be able to get more money, they will abuse they employees, they play to win, and best of all they will keep it for profit.
Putting aside the the snark an actual reason is that LANL is becoming a production facility, its what NNSA wants and by putting an industrial partner in charge rather than a university would make sense. Despite what many say NNSA does like Bechtel and there only a couple of entities than can do this and if Bechtel is the only industrial lead team than it will win.
"Bechtel" is not an industrial partner, they are a construction company. If you are ever employed by them the first thing they indoctrinate is "we do not manufacture anything, we don't make airplanes, we don't make cars, we are an EPC company. They do not do well with repeat business as you may be aware.
they may have the political power, but they are not a good M&O type operator. Better stock up on garlic and holy water if they win.
they may have the political power, but they are not a good M&O type operator. Better stock up on garlic and holy water if they win.
April 24, 2018 at 9:45 AM
They are going to WIN. They may not by a manufacturing company but NNSA perceives them to be one and that is all that matters. What choice does NNSA have, they do not want a university in charge for many reasons, (1) it did not work very well last time, (2) it could delay the transfer over to a more manufacturing based LANL, (3) It is a liability since if anything goes wrong congress will ask why a university is in charge of a nuclear facility, (4) the state of New Mexico does not want it and could make life for NNSA very hard if they go non-profit.
The writing is on the wall Bechtel is the only game in town, it may not be ideal but NNSA has to go with them for reasons I outlined. Your are right of course they will do a horrible job, but that is just one consideration which will be outweighed by the many others so Bechtel it will be.
"We are going to go FULL BECHTEL. It only makes sense, they have the political power to make it happen..."
Perhaps they do have political power. Bechtel settled with the Justice Department to resolve allegations that Bechtel "improperly used federal contract funds to pay for a comprehensive, multi-year lobbying campaign of Congress and other federal officials for continued funding at the WTP." The $125 million settlement also resolved "allegations under the False Claims Act that they made false statements and claims to the Department by charging the Department for deficient nuclear quality materials, services, and testing that was provided at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the Hanford Site..."
Given Bechtel's track record, does the NNSA want Bechtel elbow deep in LANL pit production or other high consequence mission objectives? Which Congressman and federal officials were on the receiving end of the Bechtel "lobbying campaign"?
https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/11/f46/DOE-OIG-18-09.pdf
The arrogance and corruption at WTP are legendary, EVMS fraud, using contract funds to pay for the bidding teams for other work, dumping senior mgmt on the project (several dozen over time) when they didnt want to swallow the OH costs, it was a sight to see.
BNI was a 4th rate engineering firm at best. You want concrete and rebar? Best in the world. You want something other than a warehouse or a runway? don't bother..
"Which Congressman and federal officials were on the receiving end of the Bechtel "lobbying campaign"? "
Ok, you are starting to see why Bechtel is going to win. Congress loves this kind arrangement, NNSA people can get perks, the state of New Mexico could get paid off as well. There is just too many things tied together for Bechtel not to win so be assured Bechtel is going to win.
Bechtel is not winning the LANL contract. The RFP evaluation criteria is clearly weighted against the team that they put together - specifically the top two on Past Performance and Lab Organization/Key Personnel. I do not see NA-1, given her background with university management at LLNL, signing off on Bechtel taking over a physics and science lab like LANL.
5:41 AM
As far as past performance goes, UC and Bechtel are both scored lowly as per the RFP criteria. It depends on the individual Key Personnel proposed by each team as to how they are scored. For example, in the SNL competition the Battelle/UT/A&M team was knocked down on this point.
So you're sayin' if UC chooses a zookeeper or a second-rate geologist to lead LANL that they'll be scored poorly? Wait....didn't the nuts at UC already do this?
So the new capt projects PAD at LANL is a Bechtel person. The rumors is that Bechtel is moving
its people up since they already know they won.
Mr. "Bechtel is god" is a regular and annoyingly so. His disconnection from reality is readily apparent. Why Scooby, et al, tolerates his craziness is a real wonder. Since Bechtel has no credibility inside or outside government, it seems evident they will be long-gone black smoke after the new contract is awarded. Good riddance to bad garbage.
"Mr. "Bechtel is god" is a regular and annoyingly so. His disconnection from reality is readily apparent. Why Scooby, et al, tolerates his craziness is a real wonder. Since Bechtel has no credibility inside or outside government, it seems evident they will be long-gone black smoke after the new contract is awarded. Good riddance to bad garbage."
Perhaps you are right however it would seem very odd that Bechtel would put in a bid if was really true that they had no
credibility. They must think they do have credibility and a chance at winning. In any case we should know by May 11 and we shall see who has a connection to reality. In case you have not noticed reality is not exactly how NNSA decides things.
April 26, 2018 said: "So the new capt projects PAD at LANL is a Bechtel person. The rumors is that Bechtel is moving its people up since they already know they won"
More like Bechtel is taking full advantage of its last six months to continue using Los Alamos as a temporary dumping ground for displaced employees or outright losers, which is exactly what it has been doing since day one of the contract.
While Rechtel likes to tout its corporate presence (aka giving displaced personnel top salaries and no accountability in its New Mexico colony) as "value-added," the LANL parent company's penchant for filling the ranks with unethical losers and dunderheads has led to nothing other than disaster. Recall the most recent, in which Bechtel stooges got in a rush to capture tens of millions of dollars in bonuses for the parents and ended up blowing up the WIPP site. It was Bechtel's New Mexico version of the Big Dig, only with plutonium. Outstanding!
No, Bechtel hasn't won anything. Washington is corrupt and all, but it ain't that corrupt. But if it is, and Rechtel does end up getting a second bite at the rotten apple, it probably would be a good idea to flee Los Alamos after contract transition, particularly now that LANL is on a path to morph into the new Rocky Flats. Talk about a dumpster fire in the making.
" But if it is, and Rechtel does end up getting a second bite at the rotten apple, it probably would be a good idea to flee Los Alamos after contract transition, particularly now that LANL is on a path to morph into the new Rocky Flats."
The fact that LANL is going turn into the new Rocky Flats is exactly why Bechtel is going to win since it is the only industry lead team bidding and it makes no sense to have a University in charge or even part of managing a manufacturing facility. The problem is Bechtel is a bad choice even for this so NNSA would be wise to say forget this and try again with a new RFP in which they state specially no Universities and up the fee and they could get more industrial bidders. Perhaps they know they will simply not get any bids and Bechtel is the best they can do so odds are Bechtel has already won or will win, I do not see how NNSA has any other choice.
...and why pray is it a “fact” that LANL is going to turn into Rocky Flats?
Rectel? This a typo or comment?
Why would you think that Bechtel is capable of running a manuf. facility? (Other than bettis, which is still Westinghouse engineering really) they are an oversized contractor, no different than the guy overcharging for tile work or sealing your driveway.
the only issue is it seems that DOE works for Bechtel, at least they act like they do.
You don't know a lot about Bechtel. Take a quick swing by the website.
"Why would you think that Bechtel is capable of running a manuf. facility?"
I don't think they can run a manufacturing facility. The issue is that since NNSA and New Mexico want LANL to be a manufacturing facility than of the three teams bidding Bechtel would by definition be the front runner. What does U of Texas know about manufacturing or industry. The average NNSA person has no idea that building a dam is any different than manufacturing it is all the same to them. They just know that a University cannot build a dam so therefore they cannot do manufacturing.
"“fact” that LANL is going to turn into Rocky Flats?"
It is not a fact, but lets look at a few things. (1) Pits need to be made and LANL is one of the only places that it can be done. (2) New Mexico wants LANL to be a manufacturing facility, it will hire more local people than a science facility. (3) NNSA can deal with LANL being a manufacturing facility much better than it can with a science lab of arrogant eggheads. (4) A manufacturing facility is much better to sell to congress than a science facility. We need pits, it is easy to understand. (5) The idea of science lab and a manufacturing facility coexisting will be complicated so just having it be a manufacturing facility will make life easier for NNSA.
I am not saying Bechtel is the ideal choice but unless they can get another bidder it is all NNSA has to go with. I think in terms of dealing with congress it would be far better for NNSA to have Bechtel than a university lead team. New Mexico has also been very happy with how things have turned out in LANL so they of course are strongly pulling for Bechtel and do not underestimate how much they can influence things. There is simply too much money at stake for too many stake holders to allow Bechtel to be pushed out of LANL at this point. Lets put it this way, Bechtel wants to this contract very very badly, way more than UC or U of Texas, they are not go going to let this slip away, and one way or another they are going to win.
If Bechtel wins, it will be because someone was bought and sold.
"...and why pray is it a 'fact' that LANL is going to turn into Rocky Flats?"
Please see the "missing pit" story.
Anonymous said...
"You don't know a lot about Bechtel. Take a quick swing by the website. "
Sir, you seem to believe that B actually built H dam. They were part of a 7 company cabal that did, time has claimed the others leaving B to say "they built it", just like they are now taking credit for Westinghouse nuclear work on naval propulsion.
Terry Dentons book is illuminating, if you at so inclined to do some research, not website corporate propaganda.
I hear that Northrop has won? I did not even know they were bidding!
hear that Northrop has won? I did not even know they were bidding!
April 30, 2018 at 9:12 PM
Very interesting, I am not sure if it is true but it would follow with what happened at Sandia, some complety unknown team that no knew was bidding. Perhaps all they had to do was not have a single person at LANL on the team. The other possibly is that it is the team with U-Texas? I had heard rumors that a fourth team did bid so perhaps it was Northrop lead.
Terry Denton's book was poorly researched and very uninformed. Third grade writing with tabloid punchlines. You do get better and less bias information from a website.
Northrop?!!
That would be fantastic. We can finally get rid of all of these horrible hanger-on UC managers and get to some serious people and fire half of the people at LANL that do nothing. Goodbye pension, hello 401k.
Sandia saw the public loss by BWXT, UT, A&M, Boeing, Lockheed, Battelle and some others. Could always be that NNSA was staying away from them for a reason?
Honeywell runs the Kansas city complex, and Northrop has most of palmdale's complex, either would make more sense than some construction outfit, should the shift to recooking/reforming pits come to pass.
I'm a bit of a cynic, so I have a tough time believing that DOE will make sense when the award is made.
Post a Comment