MOAB, Utah - EM Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project Cleanup Director Russell McCallister recently approved a newly revised partnering agreement with the site’s two prime contractors focusing on teamwork, project quality, early conflict resolution, and partner consensus.
McCallister made partnering a top priority after becoming the director in December 2017. EM and contractor employees - some of whom are new to the project or have new roles and responsibilities - met over the summer to advance the project’s existing agreement and align it with the group’s priorities. Used across the EM complex, the pact provides a framework for collaborative working relationships centered on mutually desired outcomes.
“The partnering process was a helpful exercise and a reminder that we are teammates who share a mission to get the Moab Site cleaned up," McCallister said. “As the agreement outlines, working together and maintaining good communication will help us overcome roadblocks and get the job done."
Officials with the project’s prime contractors - North Wind Portage, the remedial action contractor, and S&K Logistics Services, the technical assistance contractor - welcomed the revised accord.
“Partnership and collaboration are key to the continued success of the project and provide perspective and opportunity that may not otherwise be recognized or sustained," said Greg Church, project manager with North Wind Portage.
Joe Ritchey, the program manager with S&K, envisioned successful collaboration from the agreement.
“As a contractor, we welcome the partnering process and the cooperation it brings. It allows us to use our various areas of expertise for the overall good of the project," Ritchey said.
In addition to the partnering-specific objectives, the team identified overall cleanup goals, including safety, efficient resource management, environmental stewardship, open communication, and continuous improvement.
EM introduced a partnering policy eight years ago to improve contract and project management with the goal of delivering results on time and within cost.
The Moab Site’s partnering agreement lays out the project’s mission, vision, commitment statement, strategic project goals, partnering goals, and logistics.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
