WESTON in the News

May 2005

WESTON’s Tim Sanford Comments on DOD/BRAC Programs in Engineering News Record

Tim Sanford, Vice President of DOD programs for WESTON, was quoted in the May 23, 2005 issue of Engineering News Record (ENR) concerning his view of the DOD’s plans to remediate closed and realigned military bases. When asked about the DOD’s remediation process with regard to the recent BRAC decisions, Tim said, “We’ve heard that they’re going to expedite that process with public-private partnerships.” Many members of the civilian population hope that these public-private partnerships mean there will be a faster remediation process for the bases and an easier transition for the communities surrounding those bases.

According to the ENR article, the DOD/BRAC plan includes shutting 33 major domestic bases, closing or realigning another 775 smaller bases, and expanding about 49 installations (these numbers were given at the time of publication and may have changed since). For major redevelopment companies around the world, the list of closures means major business opportunities. William Choquette, Senior Vice President of Gilbane Building Co. in Providence, RI, says “As this thing unfolds, I think it’s going to be one of the big areas of focus for our industry.” Individuals familiar with the industry say that they are hoping the DOD will invest in site environmental cleanups as the bases are expanded, realigned, or closed. Sources are also hoping that the remediation processes will include the repair and construction of structures and infrastructure on the bases and in their surrounding communities.