Fernald Closure Project Named Project Management Institute's 2007 Project of the Year
October, 2007

On October 29, 2006, Fluor Fernald declared contract completion at the Fernald Closure Project (FCP). On January 22, 2007 DOE accepted that declaration. Over the past year the FCP has received a great deal of very positive recognition and publicity. Most recently the site was named as the 2007 Project Management Institute's "Project of the Year," their single highest annual award for project management excellence. The success and lessons learned at FCP have been presented recently at forums in the United States, England and Belgium.



The Fernald Project completion was a great success. This achievement was in large part due to the teamwork that developed between DOE, the contractors, the regulators and the stakeholders.

A common vision, excellent project performance, effective oversight, involvement of all interested stakeholders led to this success. Significant credit goes to the dedicated DOE employees that were affiliated with the site office, the Ohio Field Office, DOE-HQ, and the EM Consolidated Business Center. The DOE employees shared a project completion vision and demonstrated personal ownership, dedication and accountability in the project. The Federal oversight at Fernald has been cited as an excellent example for safety, project management and stakeholder involvement.

The site has been remediated to meet the requirements of the approved and signed Records of Decision. The groundwater remediation infrastructure is in place and working as designed. The silo's project warehouse is being refurbished and will open as a visitors' center in June 2008. The Office of Legacy Management is overseeing and maintaining the site, which has become a sanctuary for wildlife such as birds, ducks, geese, beaver, turkey and deer. It has developed into a diverse ecological wildlife system of ponds, lakes, wetlands, prairies and forests. We are leaving an asset for the community.

All that have been and are affiliated with the Fernald Project can be proud of the Legacy they are leaving for future generations. Congratulations on a job well done and thank you for your dedication and hard work. You made the difference.