MWH Americas in Broomfield, CO and ARGO/LRS JV in Glen Burnie, MD have joined 42 other companies in being eligible to compete for $3 billion in US Air Force environmental work.

The two companies received contracts from the US Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment at Brooks City-Base, TX to compete for task orders to provide environmental requirements that include completion of conceptual design, construction, implementation, demolition, repair and operation and maintenance of installed systems prior to delivery to the government.

The work includes environmental remediation construction at US military facilities…

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The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) awarded a $51.5 million firm-fixed-price contract to KBE Ventures, a Farmington, CT-based joint venture of KBE Building Corporation and Derita Construction, to build an Armed Forces Reserve Center at Cucia Park in Middletown, CT.

The contract includes construction of a 164,000-square-foot training facility with administrative, educational, assembly, library, learning center, vault, weapons simulator, and physical fitness areas for 4 Army Reserve units and 6 Connecticut Army National Guard units…

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Not to be outdone by the US Air Force’s recent environmental contracts announcement, the US Army is paying out up $945 million in environmental remediation contracts to a number of the same firms.

The US Army Corps of Engineers awarded [pdf] shared-capacity indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts for worldwide environmental remediation services to 4 contractors.

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The US Air Force is awarding 42 contracts worth a maximum value of $3 billion for environmental requirements that include completion of a conceptual design, construction, implementation, demolition, repair and operation and maintenance of installed systems prior to delivery to the government. At this time each contractor receives just $3,000, and they will compete for task orders as these become available.

The contracts are being awarded by the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment at Brooks City-Base, TX under the Worldwide Environmental Restoration & Construction program. The primary focus of the program is environmental restoration construction, including Military Munitions Response Program restoration. The MMRP addresses the potential explosives safety, health, and environmental issues caused by past US Department of Defense munitions related activities.

And the winners are…

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The US Army awarded a total of $8.6 million in performance-based task orders for environmental remediation services at Army facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Army has two environment remediation programs for active/operating Army installations – the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) and the Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP). The IRP is a program to identify, investigate and clean up hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants resulting from past US Department of Defense (DoD) operations and activities. The MMRP addresses the safety, health, and environmental issues caused by past DoD munitions-related activities. Congress established the MMRP to address unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions and munitions constituents located at sites on other than operational ranges.

The recent Army task orders are for both types of remediation programs…

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Weston Solutions in Houston, TX won an $82.7 million contract for levee work in the Houston-Galveston navigation channel. Weston will undertake levee repairs, levee raisings, and shore protection to placement areas used for the Houston–Galveston navigation channel. The placement area includes the following: Lost Lake, Peggy Lake, Alexander Island, Spilman Island, Atkinson Island, Mid Bay, and Redfish Island.

Weston will perform the work in Harris and Chambers Counties, TX with an estimated completion date of Sept 30/11. 4 bids were solicited with 3 bids received by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston (W912BV-08-D-2012). Other firms that were eligible to bid for the project were Environmental Chemical, Kellogg Brown & Root Services, and Kiewit Texas Construction.

Nordic Air ECU with Trailer
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Nordic Air in Geneva, OH received a $9 million task order to supply environmental control units (ECUs) for the US Marine Corps. The units [PDF] provide heating and cooling for tents, shelters, vans, containers and trailers.

The units’ vertical skid mounts are designed for ease of transport and hookup. The USMC selected Nordic Air to replace its existing inventory of ECUs, according to the company.

Nordic Air will perform the work in Geneva and expects to complete it by Dec 31/09. The task order was part of a blanket purchase agreement (M67854-08-A-5023) between the company and the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA.

Solar Farm at Nellis AFB
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The US Air Force Academy is having a 3 megawatt solar farm built on its campus in Colorado Springs, CO to provide solar electricity to the educational complex. Currently, all of the academy’s electricity comes from external sources.

USAFA’s 10th Contracting Squadron awarded a $18.3 million contract (FA700-09-F-0023) to Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to provide renewable photovoltaic solar electrical energy through construction of the solar farm.

The CSU sent an interoffice memorandum to the Colorado Springs mayor and city council about talks it was having with the USAFA concerning the solar farm…

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K-Dog: disco is worse
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The global proliferation of advanced, ultra-quiet diesel electric submarines has prompted a number of responses around the globe, from initial-stage efforts to mimic a shark’s senses in the USA, to the most obvious route of using more powerful active sonars. In Western countries, concerns have been expressed that these sonars may disorient or scare marine mammals, leading to decompression sickness or disruption of their biological sonar navigation systems. This has led to (unsuccessful) lawsuits aimed at curtailing submarine exercises by Western navies.

In December 2007, USN Rear Adm. Lawrence S. Rice, director of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness, discussed some of the measures that are being taken to investigate the issue, and also mitigate any possible effects. In January 2008, a court battle erupted over undersea training off the coast of San Diego, CA, throwing the issue back into the limelight and potentially crippling Navy training before a dangerous deployment to the Persian Gulf. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ follow-on ruling was predictable, but in November 2008, the US Supreme Court issued its ruling.

In light of that favorable ruling, a settlement has now been reached on the Navy’s terms. The Navy has just been given permission to conduct exercises near Hawaii, and this, too, is likely to end up in court, along with its planned training near Florida. Meanwhile, the US Navy continues to fund marine mammal research – which may begin to include UUVs and/or USVs…

• Sonar and Marine Mammals
• Updates and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) awarded 5 companies firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contracts for assessment, repair, and construction of petroleum, oils and lubricant (POL) fuel systems at various U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) locations worldwide.

The value for all the contracts combined is $70 million. The contracts also include unexercised options, which if exercised would increase their cumulative value to $350 million.

DID has more on the winning companies and the contract numbers…

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