Subcontractors Informed Of Areva’s Suspended Work

Leaders at Areva said a letter sent to its subcontractors on Monday is not as bad as its sounds.

Areva officials clarified on Tuesday they are continuing with the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility, just at a slower pace.

They’re looking for funding and need $1 billion in addition to the conditional loan of the $2 billion from the Department of Energy, said Bob Poyser, Vice President at AREVA Enrichment Services.

Poyser said they have suspended their contract with the construction company, URS Nuclear. But the contractor will still have the opportunity to work with Areva once approval has been made for construction.

“We’ve given them additional time under the suspension agreement that we have, to relocate and put their people to work on other projects and that’s exactly what’s going on,” said Poyser.

All construction supervisors for the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility have been reassigned to other projects, Procurement Manager Marc Thalheimer with URS Nuclear said Monday night.

In a letter addressed to subcontractors and vendors obtained by Local News 8 and Eyewitness News, Thalheimer said the “project has been placed on indefinite suspension until further notice.”

UBS Nuclear Letter Sent To Subcontractors

Thalheimer said design efforts for the facility are continuing, but there is currently no specific time set aside for construction.

The indefinite suspension is due to a company-wide refinancing effort, according to Thalheimer. AREVA will place its resources toward what Thalheimer calls more pressing projects.

It was in December 2011 when news first broke that AREVA was delaying the construction and hiring of new employees for its Eagle Rock project.