Palm Beach County commissioners approve energy plant contractor

SUBURBAN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Palm Beach County commissioners have approved a contract for Babcock and Wilcox, a contracting company, to start construction on a waste-to-energy facility.

The facility will be built near in suburban West Palm Beach, near the Solid Waste Authority headquarters.

The meeting to approve Babcock and Wilcox lasted from 9 a.m. until 6:17 p.m. Wednesday. Two other companies had also put in a bid for the job.

In March, a Solid Waste Authority evaluation committee unanimously recommended Babcock and Wilcox to design, build and operate the project.

Several construction workers protested that decision Wednesday morning at the Solid Waste Authorities headquarters on Jog Road.

The reason the construction workers are upset is that Babcock and Wilcox guaranteed 20 percent of skilled workers and 70 percent of unskilled construction workers would be hired locally for the project.

Unemployed construction worker George Bell said, "I need a job and so do a lot of people with unemployment with double digits in Palm Beach County."

BE&K, a company working with Babcock and Wilcox, says the percentages may be misunderstood.

"We have to bring in additional money to hire people from the outside so we always want to hire as many local workers as possible," said BE&K vice president of power Lance Hendrix.

Hendrix says the percentages for local hires are guarantees and the company can go over that number.

The new waste to energy facility will burn 3,000 tons of trash per day.

One of the goals for the facility is create less of a need to create more landfill space.

The facility is expected to be up and running in 2015.

BE&K STATEMENT ON BID/ HIRING FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY SWA PROJECT

From the inception of our work with the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority, BE&K has been and will continue to be fully committed to hiring locally. Local content is a factor that is integral to our business execution plans and includes not only hiring but training local residents in skilled crafts, engaging local businesses and donating to local charitable organizations.

BE&K guarantees to the Palm Beach County community local hiring that includes 70% unskilled labor and 20% skilled labor on the upcoming Solid Waste Authority waste-to-energy project. Our goal is ultimately to take a large unskilled workforce and build a strong skilled workforce through on-the-job training in nationally-recognized construction skills offered by BE&K.

In 2009, when the Solid Waste Authority selected BE&K as its contractor of choice, KBR made a commitment to successfully deliver the County’s waste-to-energy facility refurbishment. To execute the project, KBR hired and trained approximately 190 County residents, providing not only jobs, but careers for the future. The company also actively engaged business and community organizations in the county.

We have maintained an open and honest dialogue regarding local workforce recruiting efforts with the Palm Beach County Commissioners and its residents and will continue to do so throughout our work with the County.