[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]Kurion, Inc., an innovator in nuclear and hazardous waste management, announced the appointment of Matthew McCormick as Project Director. McCormick previously oversaw the Department of Energy’s (DOE) multi-billion dollar cleanup at the Hanford nuclear waste site, a role that capped a 32-year career in public service. Beginning in July, McCormick will oversee deployment of the new Kurion Mobile Processing System (KMPS, http://goo.gl/NAeEd4) at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

“I am honored to welcome Matt to the Kurion team,” said John Raymont, Kurion founder and president. “Matt brings a tremendous level of senior project and program management expertise that will immediately benefit our work at Fukushima.”

Raymont continued, “Matt will be responsible for the commissioning and operational oversight of the KMPS. David Carlson, our Project Director who successfully oversaw the system concept, design and fabrication, will now lead other challenging international projects where his waste-management expertise is needed.”

McCormick is a nationally recognized executive for his leadership roles at the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash., the Savannah River Site (http://goo.gl/GJJWRz) near Aiken, S.C., and the Rocky Flats Site (http://goo.gl/ofuBvd) near Denver, Colo. Most recently he served as manager of Richland Operations for the DOE from 2010 through June 6, 2014. In this role he managed one of the largest and most complex decontamination and decommissioning projects in the world with an annual budget that exceeds $1 billion; covers more than 586 square miles; and includes more than 1,500 facilities and waste sites, nine plutonium reactors, 2,300 tons of spent nuclear fuel and 20 tons of leftover plutonium.

During his time at Hanford, McCormick’s achievements include serving as co-author and executive publisher of the Hanford Site Cleanup Completion Framework that provides the overall approach, strategy, priorities, and challenges for the Hanford cleanup; the installation and operation of three new groundwater pump-and-treat facilities with a combined capacity of over 2,000 gallons per minute; placing N Reactor, the largest plutonium production reactor at Hanford, in interim safe storage; and the removal and disposal of over seven million tons of contaminated soil and building debris.

“Kurion’s technical edge, proven operations and global reach attracted me to the company,” said Matt McCormick, newly appointed Project Director for Kurion. “I have had the opportunity to work on some of the toughest domestic nuclear waste challenges while at the Department of Energy, and I look forward to offering my experience at sites like Fukushima to advance nuclear and hazardous waste cleanup around the world.”

“I’m delighted that an executive of Matt’s caliber has elected to join Kurion to help the company execute increasingly sophisticated international projects,” added Bill Gallo, Kurion CEO. “Matt’s track record of management and operational excellence strengthen the experience we bring to the projects and markets Kurion is pursuing worldwide.”