Knowing your partner (updated) ...

Seems CH2M Hill (one of the companies building Toowoomba's I-PU! project) have annoyed more than one US Senator. In one Senator's view, CH2M Hill has a conflict of interest relating to contracts awarded to it in Iraq:

"Another instance of a conflict of interest involves Parson’s partner on the contract to oversee the public works and water projects, CH2M Hill, a global engineering and construction firm. CH2M Hill has ongoing domestic contractual relationships with Washington Group International, Fluor, and AMEC – three of the firms that it and Parsons are supposed to oversee. For example, CH2M Hill and Washington Group International are 'integrated partners' on a $314 million Department of Energy contract in the United States."

See: http://wyden.senate.gov/media/2004/05182004_iraq.html
Also:
http://democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20040623123249-86281.pdf
And:
http://www.planetsave.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4758&Itemid=33

Another interesting comment:

CH2M Hill's "public relations wing helps with 'community involvement' so that no pesky activists get in the way of a project".

See: http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/green-power-archive/msg00073.html

Even more interesting is an investigation in Cleveland, Ohio into bribes paid by a CH2M Hill consultant to a Council. Apparently, money was paid for consulting fees not to be passed on as bribes. It was noted that none of the companies involved have been indicted.

"The indictment says CH2M Hill paid Gray as much as $10,000 a month in fees while the firm had a contract to operate the East Cleveland water system. Gray bribed then-East Cleveland mayor Emmanuel Onunwor to keep the company's contract, prosecutors said. A CH2M Hill lawyer said the business had no idea that Gray was paying bribes to Onunwor and would never have approved such a thing."

The "federal indictment ... charges prominent Cleveland consultant Nate Gray with creating a secret machine that corrupted public officials with cash, Super Bowl tickets, massages and limousines".

"Gray ... sought technically complex engineering and energy-savings contracts for such national firms as ... CH2M Hill ... even though his education ended with high school and he has no training in engineering or architecture, according to the indictment."

See: http://www.waterwebster.com/ClevelandOhiowaterinvestigation.htm
Also: http://www.cleveland.com/gray/plaindealer/index.ssf?/gray/more/1106217314245491.html
And: http://www.cleveland.com/gray/plaindealer/index.ssf?/gray/more/110613076892791.html

It should be noted that, at a senior corporate level, CH2M Hill is committed to zero tolerance to combat corruption and bribery.

See: http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/62+Companies+Commit+to+a+Zero-Tolerance+Policy+to+Combat+Corruption+and+Bribery

And yet more problems:

In March 2005, CH2M Hill "failed in a bid to suppress testimony of an expert who is expected to say the firm's negligence led to a large explosion at a sewage treatment plant that caused more than $2 million in damage and seriously injured a worker at the plant."

In 1999, CH2M Hill apparently "settled a separate lawsuit filed by the injured worker for $550,000, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel."

See: http://www.storyhill.net/IssuesCH2MHillSuit.htm

And still more problems:

In March 2004 in Hanaford, Central Washington, vapors were reported to be seeping out of massive waste tanks buried at a cleanup site, the largest clean up project in the US.

CH2M Hill "acknowledged that the employees exposed to vapors didn't have protective masks, despite the fact that a venting system that draws away fumes had not been working for more than a week. Technicians were monitoring the area and had not detected dangerous levels of chemicals, namely ammonia and organic chemicals".

A "department auditor found that CH2M Hill had not done proper testing to assure that its instruments could accurately measure high levels of ammonia, although the issue was discovered 'a few years ago'. CH2M Hill officials did not comment on the auditor's findings, but said that work is halted well before ammonia concentrations reach the levels in question."

"CH2M Hill officials said improvements have been made to better protect employees, including sealing tanks with foam to prevent vapor leaks, construction of stacks so fumes are released away from workers and the increased availability of protective masks."

"Lewis's complaints resulted in company-sponsored "harassment, ridicule, taunting and a hostile working environment, his lawsuit said. Last fall, CH2M Hill settled the lawsuit with Lewis and two other electricians for an undisclosed sum."

"Workers and some union officials say that these are steps in the right direction, but that more needs to be done. That, too, was the finding of an expert panel that CH2M Hill commissioned to evaluate vapor risks. Four outside experts recommended in a report last October that the company should require that all tank farm workers wear hooded respirators on the job -- until workers, unions and outside critics can agree with the company on health risks caused by tank vapors."

"CH2M Hill, however, killed the report. In its place, the company asked the four experts to each write separate opinions because they 'don't all agree on everything'. But in interviews three of the four authors said they all had been in agreement and two of them said they believe the report was killed because the company did not like it."

See: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/166256_hanford25.html
Also:
http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/index.cfm?Page=Article&ID=1368

And more:

"In March 1992, the GAO reported on its investigation of excessive charges made by one of the EPA's largest Superfund contractors, CH2M Hill. It found that CH2M Hill had charged EPA for providing clients with tickets to sporting events, supplying alcohol at company parties, and paying social club dues. The EPA inspector general in 1992 found that CH2M Hill had received $21.4 million in ineligible or unsupported charges between 1987 and 1988."

See: http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg16n3f.html


Interesting ...