Explosives waiver, an EIS and other Milcon news

The military construction field is a volatile one with several contracts awarded, already in play, or yet to be awarded.

Among recent developments, the explosive safety requirements have been exempted from March 28 for “Department of the Navy construction, maintenance and repair projects in the U.S. Indo-Pacific area of responsibility, with the exception of the State of Hawaii.”

There are some exceptions. These include “projects involving schools, playgrounds, recreation areas or family housing.”
The requirement for an inspection for munitions and explosives of concern — or MEC — include unexploded ordinance — also known as UXO — and other hazardous munitions materials left behind by military operations, was first introduced in 2011, according to Journal files.

Since then, various businesses – particularly small ones that do business throughout the islands of Micronesia – have developed a lucrative program to meet the MEC contractual requirement. However, such inspections are one area that contributes to slow projects in an environment where certain military construction awards have been delayed for various reasons. The Navy –certainly Naval Facilities and Engineering Command Marianas – did aim previously through the years to assist contractors to efficiently adapt to requirements, according to Journal files.  

Military construction news on infrastructure included the U.S. Department of Defense’s $990 million multiple award construction contract or MAC contract April 25 CHamoru Standard Time of through the Pacific Deterrence Initiative.

Awardees include the Black Construction Corp.–Tutor Perini JV, and Pacific Rim International LLC. Both Black and Pacific Rim are longtime Mariana Islands- based groups. Other familiar names drawn by the buildup are ECC Expeditionary Constructors LLC, Nan Inc., and RELYANT Global LLC.

Other awardees among the 12 include CDM Constructors Inc. of Boston, Mass., Conti Federal Services LLC of Orlando, Fla., Icon SI (AUST) Pty. Ltd. of Richmond, Victoria, Australia, MVL USA Inc. of Lansing, Mich., RORE Inc. of San Diego, Calif., Sea Pac Engineering Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif., and SLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas. Sea Pac was awarded a $1.26 million task order for the design and construction of a command-and-control facility/interagency fusion center in Isabela, in the Philippines, expected to be completed by July 2026.

This PDI MACC may include projects in the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Midway Atoll, Wake island, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, the Philippines, and other areas in the Pacific.

The expected completion date of this MAC contract is April 2033. Naval Facilities Engineering and Systems Pacific made the MAC contract award for which received 16 proposals.

Awards through the PDI were first planned for 2023. The Request for Proposals for this MAC contract was issued in September 2024.

Two other proposals are expected.

NAVFAC Pacific said at a September 2024 meeting of the Society of American Engineers Honolulu Post that the PDI includes 120 projects at a value of $16.6 billion.

Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz was awaiting about 150 Marine Corps logistics staff to join its approximately 100 personnel in December. The base is now expecting “about 74 junior Marines of sergeant and below rank” and sailors to move into bachelor enlisted quarters, according to Maj. Diann M.Rosenfeld of Camp Blaz, who was quoted by various media in Japan. The base has eight enlisted barracks under construction she said. Those can take about 600 personnel each, Rosenfeld said.

The first “chow hall” (a dining facility) was opened at the North Ramp of Andersen Air Force Base, with an opening ceremony on April 24, according to a release. The release did not say which contractor built the facility. Andersen will host the
U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys, when they are eventually based in Guam.