Aircraft carrier to get post-Fukushima decontamination

JULY 25, 2016 – Earlier this year, defense media reported Navy officials as saying that 16 ships remained contaminated with low levels of radiation five years after taking in part in relief efforts following Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.

Among those ships was the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and funding for remediation of the Fukushima contamination is included in a $194,802,989 contract modification awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to extend the period of performance from 12 months to 18 months for continued advance planning of the refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) of the carrier

The contract modification will continue CVN 73 RCOH advance planning, shipchecks, design, documentation, engineering, fabrication, and preliminary shipyard or support facility work to prepare for and make ready for the RCOH accomplishment on CVN 73, which is expected to commence in August 2017.

The modification establishes the labor requirement for engineering and production services in support of Fukushima remediation of CVN 73 during the advance planning of its RCOH, as well as provide for engineering, planning, and production oversight of work performed by the Navy, Norfolk area providers, and other contractors in managing remediation efforts.

Work will be in Newport News, VA, and is expected to complete by August 2017. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of 194,597,702 will be obligated at time of award.Funding in the amount of $1,246,448 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.