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SIMCO Contributes to STEM Education at the Elementary Level

SIMCO Media Contact:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

George R. Rangel

(240) 586-1332

George.Rangel@wipp.ws

Company contributes $10,000 to STEM education

SIMCO becomes Inspired by Science ‘Community Lab Partner’

CARLSBAD, New Mexico — Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) recently presented a $10,000 donation to the Inspired by Science organization as part of its community commitment to support local STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education at the elementary school level. Through its contribution, SIMCO also becomes an Inspired by Science ‘Community Lab Partner’ which enables the purchase of new science equipment and materials that are critical to providing a quality experience for ‘young scientists’.

“SIMCO is proud to be partnering with Inspired by Science and its founder and CEO, Deena Antiporda, to bring STEM to life in tangible ways.”

Ken Harrawood
SIMCO President and Program Manager

Inspired by Science was established in 2013 by Deena and Mike Antiporda with their three young sons, and it has thrived with the help of many dedicated volunteers who help make the organization successful. Its purpose is to promote STEM education at the elementary school level through hands-on science experiences that are both educational and fun in hopes of inspiring students to pursue education and careers in STEM-related fields.

Deena was inspired to create this program because of the extreme interest her son had in science at a very young age.

“He asked me to do science experiments with him starting in the second grade, and his love of science was so contagious that I found myself looking for more experiments to do,” she said. “It occurred to me that we could create a program that would provide opportunities for our community’s youth to do hands-on STEM activities and learn so much from them. This program is near and dear to my heart because it started as an organization run by my family in our kitchen and has grown to become a 501(c)(3) organization supported by a team of 30 people.”

Inspired by Science’s main event is a summer STEM camp, which is held every year on the campus of Southeast New Mexico College during the first week of June. Volunteers train and prepare for a variety of science activities and ensure that the young scientists have a safe, educational, and fun-filled experience.

The partnership between SIMCO and Inspired by Science helps the young scientists to participate in Inspired by Science events.

Ken Harrawood (right), Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) President and Program Manager, and SIMCO Education Outreach Lead Dr. Joy James Foster recently presented a $10,000 donation to Deena Antiporda (left) with Inspired by Science. Through its contribution, the company also becomes an Inspired by Science ‘Community Lab Partner’ which enables the purchase of new science equipment and materials that are critical to providing a quality experience for ‘young scientists’.

April 25, 2023
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Contract Transition Complete

Dept. of Energy authorizes SIMCO to begin operations work Feb. 4

CARLSBAD, New Mexico — On Feb. 4, Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, or SIMCO, will assume full responsibility for management and operation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) that performs a vital mission for the U.S. Department of Energy’s national nuclear cleanup.

SIMCO is the company chosen by DOE to manage and operate WIPP, a work scope valued at up to $3 billion over 10 years if all options are exercised. In early November, the company began a 90-day effort to safely transition the management and operations for the WIPP to a new contract.

“We appreciated the incumbent workforce and local communities’ support and collaboration that ensured a smooth contract transition,” said Mark Bollinger, DOE’s acting manager for its Carlsbad Field Office that oversees WIPP. “The WIPP team did a great job to maintain its focus on safe and uninterrupted plant operations throughout the contract transition.”

SIMCO’s authorization to begin work under the new contract comes after DOE accepted the company’s ‘Declaration of Readiness’ for operations. The Declaration of Readiness capped off SIMCO’s transition effort that encompassed a comprehensive ‘People, Plant, Paper’ approach. This included a series of detailed activities for onboarding nearly 1,100 employees and people to the new contract; performing more than 110 plant inspections and program reviews; and transferring more than 5,500 existing procedures, policies, and documents to SIMCO. The company also met and consulted with dozens of local community leaders and elected officials throughout the transition.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside everyone and continuing safe and efficient operations at WIPP to support the DOE’s national cleanup mission,” said Ken Harrawood, SIMCO’s President and Program Manager at WIPP. “Our team is excited to begin a new era and partnership here at WIPP with our employees, local communities, and stakeholders.”

SIMCO’s core values of safety, quality, productivity, and cost effectiveness guided its approach during contract transition and will carry over into its operations under the new contract.

SIMCO is a single-purpose entity comprised of Bechtel National, Inc. SIMCO will utilize Los Alamos Technical Associates as a New Mexico-based small business teaming subcontractor.

About the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
WIPP, the United States’ only deep geological repository for nuclear waste, is a system of disposal rooms mined out of an ancient salt bed more than 2,000 feet underground. It has operated since 1999, accepting waste from 22 government sites across the U.S. The waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other human-made radioactive elements, known as transuranic or TRU waste. The waste has been accumulating since the 1940s as part of the nation’s nuclear defense program.

About Bechtel National, Inc.
Bechtel National, the U.S. government services arm of Bechtel Corp., has more than 44 years of experience successfully managing DOE sites in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Through Bechtel’s global operations, the team brings world class mine construction, safety, and maintenance experience including cutting edge design and operations knowledge, and methods and tools to improve safety, schedule, and cost.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the nation’s only deep geologic long-lived
radioactive waste repository. Located 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, WIPP permanently isolates
defense-generated transuranic (TRU) waste 2,150 feet underground in an ancient salt formation. Salado
Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) has safely transitioned the management and operations for the Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to a new contract.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has operated since 1999, accepting
waste from 22 government sites across the U.S. The waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and
other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other human-made radioactive elements,
known as transuranic or TRU waste. Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) has finished a comprehensive
three-month transition to onboard employees, inspect facilities, review procedures, and establish the structure
and processes for managing and operating the plant under its new DOE contract.

February 6, 2023
Contract Transition Begins at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

90-day effort underway for safe transfer of management and operations

CARLSBAD, New Mexico — Tularosa Basin Range Services (TBRS) doing business as Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) announced today the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has authorized the company to lead a 90-day effort that will safely transition the management and operations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to a new contract. TBRS dba SIMCO is the company recently chosen by DOE to manage and operate WIPP, a work scope valued at up to $3 billion over 10 years if all options are exercised.

The methodical and comprehensive transition will include a detailed set of scheduled activities to onboard employees, inspect facilities, review procedures, and establish the structure and processes for managing and operating the plant under the new contract. SIMCO’s core values of safety, quality, productivity, and cost effectiveness will guide its approach to contract transition and into eventual operations.

“The WIPP and its workforce have a proud legacy of supporting our nation’s nuclear cleanup mission, and we’re excited to begin a transition to ensure we achieve safe and productive operations for today and well into the future,” said Ken Harrawood, SIMCO’s President and Program Manager at WIPP. “We are looking forward to working collaboratively with the DOE, incumbent employees, regulators, and our local community and stakeholders during this transition phase so that we maintain continuity from the first day we assume responsibility of WIPP.”

SIMCO is a single-purpose entity comprised of Bechtel National, Inc. SIMCO will utilize Los Alamos Technical Associates as a New Mexico-based small business teaming subcontractor.

About the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
WIPP, the United States’ only deep geological repository for nuclear waste, is a system of disposal rooms mined out of an ancient salt bed more than 2,000 feet underground. It has operated since 1999, accepting waste from 22 government sites across the U.S. The waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other human-made radioactive elements, known as transuranic or TRU waste. The waste has been accumulating since the 1940s as part of the nation’s nuclear defense program.

About Bechtel National, Inc.

Bechtel National, the U.S. government services arm of Bechtel Corp., has more than 44 years of experience successfully managing DOE sites in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Through Bechtel’s global operations, the team brings world class mine construction, safety, and maintenance experience including cutting edge design and operations knowledge, and methods and tools to improve safety, schedule, and cost.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is the nation’s only deep geologic long-lived radioactive waste repository. Located 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, WIPP permanently isolates defense-generated transuranic (TRU) waste 2,150 feet underground in an ancient salt formation. Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) is leading a 90-day effort that will safely transition the management and operations for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to a new contract.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) has operated since 1999, accepting waste from 22 government sites across the U.S. The waste consists of clothing, tools, rags, debris, soil, and other items contaminated with small amounts of plutonium and other human-made radioactive elements, known as transuranic or TRU waste. Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (SIMCO) has begun a methodical and comprehensive transition that will include a detailed set of scheduled activities to onboard employees, inspect facilities, review procedures, and establish the structure and processes for managing and operating the plant under its new DOE contract.

November 14, 2022