USAID Contracts Start Flowing in $750 Million Palestinian Infrastructure Project

U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor ^ | Jan. 14, 2012 | Steve Peacock

[Steve Peacock]

The first round of Palestinian infrastucture contracts worth upwards of $750 million were awarded this week by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Infrastructure Needs Project Phase II (Solicitation #RFP294-2010-108), as the USAID endeavor is known, will help the Palestinians build or improve public works initially in the West Bank and, "if conditions permit, in Gaza" at a later time.

Task orders could be awarded under this indefinite quantity contract (IQC) for initiatives including:

• Transportation networks such as primary and secondary roads, bridges and/or other transportation infrastructure;

• Water systems including the supply, storage, treatment, transmission and/or distribution of water;

• Sanitation infrastructure including solid waste management and disposal, wastewater treatment and reuse, pollution control, and/or ecological sanitation;

• Vertical infrastructure including schools, clinics, health facilities, public buildings, government buildings and facilities, sports facilities, warehouses, food storage facilities, youth and sports centers, and/or other vertical infrastructure designed to benefit the public interest;

• Electrical Power sector infrastructure to include alternative, sustainable and/or traditional forms of power generation (such as wind turbines, photovoltaic, solar thermal, geothermal, and/or fossil-fuel-fired thermal power plants), and/or electricity transmission and distribution systems in the West Bank;

• Other critical infrastructure that USAID may decide to support subject to USAID development objectives and/or the availability of funds;

• Operations and Management of Water Facilities;

• Design/Build contracts are anticipated under this solicitation;

• Procurement, transport, shipment, storage of equipment and materials;

• Drilling and Equipping of Deep Water Production and Monitoring Wells and Facilities

• Construction and Rehabilitation of Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution systems.

Contractors receiving the task orders on Jan. 9 were:

APCO/ArCon of Dearborn, Michigan (Contract award #AID-294-I-00-12-00005). APCO/ArCon, it should be noted, is a construction firm that likewise received $100 million in task orders during Phase One of the project;

The Morganti Group, Inc., of Danbury, Connecticut (Contract award #AID-294-I-00-12-00002);

BLD Services, LLC, of Kenner, Louisiana (Contract award #AID-294-I-00-12-00004);

American Intercontinental Constructors, LLC (AIC) of Arlington, Virginia (Contract award #AID-294-I-00-12-00006);

International Relief & Development (IRD) of Arlington, Virginia (Contract award #AID-294-I-00-12-00003); and:

CDM Constructors, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts (Contract award #AID-294-I-00-12-00001).

Under the IQC arrangement, the total potential ceiling is $750 million for all contracts awarded to these, and possibly other, vendors. It is not the total for each vendor.

[ronnie raygun]

There’s that American tax payer money again. Went will we be able to feel good about our money being used for things that benefit our people and our country?

[jdsteel]

What doesn’t get siphoned off into weapons used against Israel will get ruined with the retaliation from said weapons. Just burn the money; it’s a lot quicker and will yield the same results. Including the amount of “good will” we get from the Pali’s.

[DJ MacWoW]

Did You Know?

The Current FReepathon Pays For The Current Quarters Expenses?

Now That You Do, Donate And Keep FR Running

[Captain7seas]

The Gov. of Mass. request for $21 million in economic aid for American fishermen was turned down.

The Economic Disaster was created by the restrictive fishery policies forced on the New England fishing industry by the current regime.

[Captain7seas]

The Gov. of Mass. request for $21 million in economic aid for American fishermen was turned down.

The Economic Disaster was created by the restrictive fishery policies forced on the New England fishing industry by the current regime.

[foundedonpurpose]

Well at least the GOVERNMENT helped Texas with it’s drought and fires...... oh, wait!

We’re spending money on Palestinian infrastructure????

Sorry for the fishing industry in Mass. Let me guess the restrictions had to do with saving something that is prevalent elsewhere.

[Oatka]

Don’t report $750-million went to the Palestinians - report that the $750-million in taxes paid by the citizens in city X in state X were peed away on this “noble” endeavor. Maybe that would get the wheels to squeaking. $750-million is just a number and doesn’t hit home - mention where YOUR specific taxes go might do the trick.

[Captain7seas]

“Let me guess the restrictions had to do with saving something that is prevalent elsewhere”

It has to do with Agenda 21 which they are fully into.

The marine resources are at high levels despite what the enviro’s say.

They restricts access to our natural resources and transfer our wealth to foreign countries. Re-distribution of wealth. That’s why we now import 84% of seafood and export over $10 billion with the seafood trade deficit.

There is hardly any part of our economy that they have not screwed up.

[Publius6961]

The koranimals are threatening israel daily, they can affor to buy rockets and explosives and train several generations of killers but need the "enemy's" money to create essential infrastructures for their own people?

Somebody remind me. How much infrastructure did we pay for in Germany prior to 1939?

Financing the enemy's ability to attack us and our national interests borders on the treasonous. Did our "republican" House approve this?
Why?

[Steve Peacock]

I entirely respect your position. While sometimes I indeed phrase it that way, I try to keep my reporting as such: simply reporting, and leave it to intelligent readers such as yourself to come the inevitable conclusion that the taxpayer is getting screwed while our government executes insane policies. Others times I must word it just as you emphatically declare: “US taxpayers are footing the bill for [insert project and $ amount].”

Indeed, I encourage anyone who reads these posts to also submit comments to US Trade & Aid Monitor. In fact, I would love to post some comments as Featured Posts.

[Oatka]

I didn’t mean it to sound like it was directed at you personally, just a boilerplate gripe at the approach of reporting in cyphers and not personalizing the “donations”.