Hanford contractor earns $3.8M in government incentive pay

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Associated Press

RICHLAND — The U.S. Department of Energy says the contractor building the massive nuclear waste treatment plant at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation earned nearly 48 percent of possible incentive pay for the work last year.

The Tri-City Herald reported the department announced Tuesday that contractor Bechtel National will receive nearly $3.8 million in incentive pay for the 2018 work on the vitrification plant.

The maximum incentive pay possible was nearly $7.9 million.

The contractor is reimbursed for costs, but it can make a profit through the incentive earnings.

Bechtel’s plant project director, Valerie McCain, told employees Tuesday that the contractor’s performance was rated by the department as “satisfactory” or “good” for each area evaluated.

The $17 billion plant will turn radioactive waste into a glass for disposal.