Parsons, a U.S. builder, faulted in array of Iraq projects

[IDemo]

Source: International Herald Tribune

Rebuilding failures by one of the most heavily criticized companies working in Iraq, the American construction giant Parsons, were much more widespread than previously revealed and touched on nearly every aspect of the company's operation in the country, according to a report released by a federal oversight agency.

Previous reports by federal inspectors and by news organizations had identified numerous examples of construction failures in Parsons projects in Iraq, including dozens of uncompleted or shoddily built health care clinics and border forts, as well as disastrous sewage and plumbing problems at the Baghdad police academy that left parts of it unusable.

But the new report, released Monday by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, an independent federal agency, examined nearly 200 Parsons construction projects contained in 11 major "job orders" paid for in a huge rebuilding contract. There were also three other nonconstruction orders. The total cost of the work to the United States was $365 million.

The new report finds that 8 of the 11 rebuilding orders were terminated by the United States before they were completed, for reasons including weak contract oversight, unrealistic schedules, a failure to report problems in a timely fashion and poor supervision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which managed the contracts.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/29/africa/rebuild.php

[canoeist52]

1. $458M Big Dig Settlement Reached; Criminal Charges Dropped

Big Dig Boston News
"The main management consultant and contractor on Boston's $15 billion Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Big Dig) has agreed to pay more than $407 million to resolve civil and criminal liabilities in connection with the partial ceiling collapse and other defects in the project.Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, which was paid more than $2 billion to manage the project, is not barred by the settlement from obtaining future government contracts, as some critics had urged.

The Big Dig is recognized as one of the biggest and most complex engineering undertakings in modern times. In 2002, the risk manager for the Big Dig described the project as larger than the Panama Canal or the Alaskan pipeline, more complex than the Hong Kong Airport (which involved land reclamation) and more expensive than the Chunnel connecting France and England underwater.

Officials said that the majority of the total $458.2 million will be held in a new state Central Artery/Tunnel Project Repair and Maintenance Trust Fund to provide for future non-routine repairs and maintenance of the Big Dig. Any future recoveries from Big Dig contractors will also be deposited into this fund."


http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2008/01/23/86666.htm

[IDemo]

2. It's time someone got a HeckuvaJob medal..

[geardaddy]

4. I'm not sure this is PB

I think it could be another company called Parsons http://www.parsons.com/about/bus_unit/gbu/infrtech/capabilities/capabilities02.asp

[The Blue Flower]

5. No current projects in Iraq

There are no projects in Iraq listed at the Parsons website. Is this the same contractor that's the prime on Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct project?

[geardaddy]

6. Don't know.

I just did a google search. It sparked my interest because it's my last name. :o

[IDemo]

7. Here you go->

This is one, I haven't checked them all out. http://www.parsons.com/about/press_rm/potm/09-2004/index.html

This is the same Parsons as in Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff of Big Dig fame.

edit to add: Jim McNulty, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Parsons, recently spoke with the Pasadena Star News about the recent Iraq contracts awarded.

[ixion]

3. 365 million down the drain, and somewhere, another republican has increased their wealth

at taxpayer expense.

Gotta love those "free market" rethugs. :sarcasm: