Westinghouse Hanford Co. v. United States

47 Fed. Cl. 665, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 187, 2000 WL 1310495
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedSeptember 14, 2000
DocketNo. 97-756C
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 47 Fed. Cl. 665 (Westinghouse Hanford Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Westinghouse Hanford Co. v. United States, 47 Fed. Cl. 665, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 187, 2000 WL 1310495 (uscfc 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

MARGOLIS, Senior Judge.

This contract action is before the Court on cross-motions for summary judgment. After careful consideration of both the written and oral arguments of both parties, the Court concludes that the contracting officer acted in accordance with the terms of the contract in reviewing actual costs and adjusting the fees awarded to Westinghouse. Therefore, plaintiffs motion is denied. Defendant’s cross-motion is granted.

FACTS

Contract DE-AC06-87RL10930 (the contract) was awarded to Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse) in 1987 by the United States acting through the Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations Office (RL). Under the contract, Westinghouse became the management and operating contractor at the Hanford Site in Washington State.

The contract provided that DOE would pay Westinghouse an incentive fee, under certain circumstances. The fee was to be based on cost savings achieved as a result of efforts by Westinghouse that went beyond the normal procedures and routine business practices expected under the contract.

In 1994, when this dispute arose, the incentive program was called Employing Consolidated and Cost Effective Leadership (ECCEL). Two contract clauses, H-17 and 1-57, governed the ECCEL program. Under the ECCEL program, Westinghouse would submit a Cost Reduction Proposal (CRP) to the contracting officer to be forwarded to a DOE review board. The review board was comprised of representatives of RL’s budget, finance, program and contracting offices. Using the recommendation of the board as one factor, the final decision regarding acceptance of a CRP was made by the contracting officer. After a CRP was accepted, the contract provided for further reviews by DOE. Westinghouse does not dispute that the contract permitted DOE to review the actual costs of accepted CRPs and to adjust the amount of fee earned if the actual net savings were significantly more or less than the estimated net savings. However, this dispute concerns the interpretation and application of those contractual rights of review.

I. THE CONTRACT

Before Fiscal 1994, the contract contained Clause 1-57, entitled “COST EFFECTIVENESS INCENTIVE CLAUSE.” It provided:

(a) General.
The Department of Energy is strongly committed to the effective and efficient management of its Management and Operating (M & 0) contracts. Accordingly, the Contractor is encouraged to prepare and submit Cost Reduction Proposals (CRPs) to the Contracting Officer for approval or rejection. A CRP is a proposal from the Contractor which, if approved, will reduce the cost of managing and operating DOE programs and facilities through efficient, cost effective, safe, and environmentally sound practices. The Contractor may be paid a fee as set forth in paragraph H.10 for accepted CRPs.
(b) Procedure for submission of CRPs.
Each CRP submitted by the Contractor shall include, as a minimum, the following information:
(1) A description of the existing requirement to include baseline costs, methods, procedures, or processes and a description of the proposed require[667]*667ment, to include cost improvement methods, procedures, or processes, the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each, and the effect of the proposed change.
(2) A list of the requirements that must be changed if the CRP is accepted, including changes or waivers to design requirements, maintenance requirements, regulatory requirements or DOE policy documents, etc.
(3) A separate, detailed cost estimate for the normal requirements, methods, procedures, or processes and the proposed CRP requirement. The estimate for the proposed CRP requirement shall list separately the costs of preparing and implementing the CRP.
(4) A description and estimate of the costs the DOE or the Contractor may incur in implementing the CRP, such as test and evaluation and support costs.
(5) A statement of the time by which acceptance of the CRP must be issued in order to achieve the maximum cost reduction, including any effect on schedules.
(c) Supporting Cost Data for CRP’s. [sic]
The Contractor shall submit supporting cost data with each CRP, together with a statement to the effect that such cost data is accurate, complete, and current as of the date of final agreement on incentive fee. In the event that such cost data is not accurate, complete, and current as of the date that the Contractor and the DOE finally agree upon the amount of incentive fee, the DOE reserves the right to adjust the amount of such fee previously awarded to the Contractor. The Contracting Officer’s decision on the adjusted amount of incentive fee to be awarded under the CRP is not subject to the Disputes Clause or otherwise subject to litigation under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. §§ 601-613).1
(d) Calculation of Estimated Net Savings. Net savings shall be calculated by subtracting the actual total costs of the proposed approach (including all necessary preparation, submission, and implementation costs to the Contractor and DOE) from the actual costs of the existing requirement. Collateral savings and savings on future contracts shall not be permitted.
(e) Acceptance of CRPs and Award of Fee.
The DOE will unilaterally indicate acceptance or rejection by letter from the Contracting Officer, citing this clause within the acceptance period stated in the CRP. The letter of acceptance will include the amount of estimated net savings and the Contractor’s estimated fee to be paid under the CRP as calculated by the Contracting Officer in accordance with paragraph H.10. The letter of acceptance will set forth the procedures and the time schedules for payment of the CRP award, if any. Until an acceptance is issued, the Contractor shall perform in accordance with existing requirements. The Contracting Officer’s decision to accept or reject the CRP, as submitted, is not subject to the Disputes Clause or otherwise subject to litigation under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. § 601-613). No subcontracts shall be awarded for the preparation of CRPs without the written approval of the Contracting Officer.
(f) Rejection or withdrawal of a CRP.
If the DOE rejects a CRP, the Contracting Officer shall notify the Contractor in writing, explaining the reasons for rejection. The Contractor may withdraw any CRP, in whole or in part, at any time before it is accepted or rejected by the DOE.
(g) Validation of actual savings.
The DOE shall have the right to review the actual costs of an accepted CRP, and to determine the extent of actual net savings. If the actual net savings are significantly more or less than the estimated net savings, the amount of the fee awarded under the CRP will be adjusted in accordance with the terms of the

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 Fed. Cl. 665, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 187, 2000 WL 1310495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/westinghouse-hanford-co-v-united-states-uscfc-2000.