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$3.2M for improved drainage at CUC power plants OK’d
U.S. District Court for the NMI designated Judge David O. Carter approved yesterday the U.S. government’s request to amend a task order relating to projects with total budget ceiling of $3.2 million that aim to improve the surface drainage systems at the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s power plants 1, 2, and 4 on Saipan.
Senior attorney Bradley R. O’Brien of the U.S. Department of Justice Environmental Enforcement Section said the original Task Order 12 is intends to improve surface drainage systems at Power Plants 1 and 2 in Lower Base and Power Plant 4 in Puerto Rico.
That includes controlling surface water, minimizing and containing oily water, and minimizing offsite migration of oily runoff.
The original funding ceiling of Task Order 12 was $2.38 million. With a budget of $833,026 for the amended Task Order 12, this brings the total budget ceiling to $3,209,526 for the entire facility drainage improvements.
O’Brien said amended Task Order 12 includes projects at the three power plants and would authorize Gilbane Federal, CUC’s engineering and environmental management company, to install new oil/water separators and associated infrastructure.
O’Brien said amended Task Order 12 would be funded by redirected surplus grant funds from previously completed task orders and U.S. District Court for the NMI’s registry funds.
O’Brien said the recommended projects in the amended Task Order 12 that relate to Power Plant 4 include installing new multi-unit oil/water separators, constructing surface discharge features for the OWS-treated effluent, and installing a new or repairing an existing storm drain collection system.
The lawyer said the storm drain collection system efforts will focus on collecting high-risk contact water and conveying it to the OWS system and its discharge features.
O’Brien said the recommended projects that relate to power plants 1 and 2 include installing an OWS system, surface discharge features, and a storm-water collection system to collect high-risk contact water and convey it to the OWS system and then discharged.
He said additional engineering design work will be necessary to prepare complete design and construction bid documents.
Required work will start on Nov. 15, 2019, and will be completed on Feb. 5, 2021.
