URS Corporation

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Background

URS Corporation is an global engineering, design and construction firm working for both public agencies and private sector companies. With its headquarters in San Francisco, URS has more than 47,000 employees in a network of offices in more than 30 countries. [1]

URS claims to have 'the best safety record in the US nuclear industry' and from 1989-2008 it was the lead contractor for the Savannah River Site, the US equivalent to Sellafield.[1]

It was merged with engineering technology US firm AECOM in November 2014 after the US company bought it for $US 4 billion.

Nuclear activities in the UK

URS Corporation is part of the Nuclear Management Partners (NMP) consortium, which manages the Sellafield nuclear complex and was formed by URS with AMEC, a British construction firm working in the nuclear industry, and French nuclear clean-up specialists Areva. [2] NMP's remit includes the commercial operations, waste management, support services, decontamination and decommissioning and new construction projects. [3]

Decommissioning

URS International Holdings (UK) Ltd is also part of a consortium with CH2M HILL, International Nuclear Services , and Babcock which was awarded a £1.6bn contract in April 2012 by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for the management and decommissioning of the Dounreay nuclear site in Caithness, Scotland.[4]

Nuclear waste management

UK is also part of the UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd (UKNWM) consortium, along with Areva, Studsvik UK and Serco Assurance. This runs LLW Repository Ltd on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which manages the national Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg in West Cumbria and oversees the national Low Level Waste programme. UKNWM has held the contract to run LLW Repository Ltd since 1st April 2008. [5] In 2013 the NDA awarded the consortium a five-year extension on its contract from 31st March. [6]

Employing former government ministers

Former Cabinet minister Lord Strathclyde became a part-time paid senior adviser to URS in May 2013. [7]

Executives

UK & Europe

  • Terry Selby - Director of Government & Regulatory Affairs URS Nuclear Power Europe at URS Corporation.
  • Bob Bonner, Vice President, Business Development at URS Corporation since 2007 and Chairman at British Chemical Engineering Contractors Association (BCECA) since 2013. Currently leading URS’s drive for nuclear decommissioning business in Japan and mainland Europe. Was a senior member of the teams that won the NDA sponsored competitions for the contracts to manage and operate the Sellafield and Dounreay sites. Previously Executive Director, INS Relations & Business Development at Sellafield Ltd, Vice President, Customer Relations & Sales at Westinghouse Electric Company, Head of MOX Commercial at BNFL. [9]

External lobbyists

Former lobbyists

Affiliations

Contact

Website: http://www.urscorp.com/

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Sellafield Ltd Executive team, acc 21 June 2012
  2. Tim Webb, Caborn lands nuclear job with Amec, The Observer, Sunday 11 November 2007
  3. work=Energy Central URS-Led Team Named as Preferred Bidder for Sellafield UK Nuclear Complex, July 11, 2008
  4. Dounreay Site Restoration PBO Competition, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority 2nd April 2012, accessed August 2012 and Amec and Energy Solutions combine to bid for Dounreay clean-up contract, Amec Press Release 20th May 2010
  5. LLW Repository Ltd website, undated, accessed July 2012.
  6. NDA awards 5 year extension to International Consortium UKNWM to manage and operate LLW Repository Ltd, NDA, 27 March 2013
  7. Appointments taken up by former Ministers, ACOBA website, last updated 2 October 2013
  8. Graham McKendry, LinkedIn, undated, accessed 10 October 2013
  9. Bob Bonner, LinkedIn, undated, accessed 10 October 2013
  10. Register 1st September 2014 - 30th November 2014 APPC, accessed 29 January 2015
  11. Association of Professional Political Consultants. APPC Register Entry, 1 Sep - 30 Nov 2010
  12. Nuclear Development Forum 27 October 2011, 12noon – 2pm, List of Attendees
  13. Cogent, Nuclear New Build Expert Panel - Employer Consultation Report 02 July 2009