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Carter increases EEMC’s funding ceiling by $320,000
U.S. District Court for the NMI designated Judge David O. Carter granted yesterday the U.S. government’s request to increase by $320,000 the ceiling for the Engineering and Environmental Management Company that is tasked to oversee some stalled Commonwealth Utilities Corp. projects.
That means the EEMC’s funding ceiling is now $1.5 million.
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Department of Justice, informed the court in a status hearing yesterday that raising the funding ceiling for EEMC’s activities does not mean an authorization to pay the EEMC
The EEMC will first submit invoices to the court after the activities are completed and the parties may advise the court whether the invoiced costs should be paid, said Bradley R. O’Brien, senior attorney of the DOJ’s Environmental Enforcement Section
O’Brien said EEMC’s task order relates to performing Stipulated Order No. 2 activities such as construction management and oversight, administration, and assisting CUC with projects.
SO2 refers to court-mandated CUC projects that focus on oil issues and also apply to oil spills and remediation of contaminated power plants.
O’Brien said the amended task order would increase the funding ceiling for these activities by $220,000 and earmark these funds to be paid by grant funding.
He said the additional $220,000 is expected to fund these activities through Aug. 31, 2020.
O’Brien said the task order also relates to EEM’s activities such as participating before the court in telephone conferences and status conferences.
He said the amended task order would increase the funding ceiling for these activities by $100,000 and earmark these funds to be paid by court registry funds.
O’Brien said the additional $100,000 is expected to fund these activities through Aug. 31, 2020.
Gilbane Federal, a California-based construction company, is CUC’s EEMC until Feb. 5, 2021.
