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<br />
<br />
<br />] ,~lUJOURNAL
<br />~~v Conez, co
<br />(Montrose County)
<br />, . Tu, TtIU, SaI. 6.628
<br />
<br />Colorado PresS
<br />Clipping Service
<br />
<br />133bG1enaJUl P1ace. [)enYes; CO 80204
<br />.'O3-571-5l17. FAX30J...571-
<br />
<br />I'\..v)
<br />\' .'1
<br />
<br />002297
<br />
<br />A~ttcy takes blame
<br />for Cproject overruns
<br />
<br />Proponents reach agreement in 'secret
<br />
<br />"",.
<br />
<br />BY cHARLES ASHBY
<br />JOURNAL DENVER BURFAU CHIEF
<br />
<br />Proponents of the Animas-
<br />La Plata Project have joined
<br />forces to lay blame for $162,1
<br />million in cost overruns solely
<br />on the U.s, Bureau of Reclama-
<br />tion _ blame the bureau says it
<br />will accept.
<br />Forty-four proponents' and
<br />lawyers, meeting in secret Aug,
<br />14 alSIey Ute Casino in Ignacio,
<br />agreed to try to get the bureau
<br />to take responsibiliry for the
<br />ballooning construction costs.
<br />rather than to point fingers at
<br />one another.
<br />The meeting took place twO
<br />weeks after the bureau dis-
<br />closed that its estimate of A-
<br />LP's construction cost had
<br />
<br />JUlY UldL U
<br />
<br />, er "vastly
<br />underestimated" or were sim-
<br />ply not considered
<br />Th .
<br />h d ;;, Ule Mountain Ule Tribe
<br />a e contract to estimate
<br />~~~ts for A,~P' including the
<br />ge~ Basm Reservoir, a
<br />pumpmg plant on the An'
<br />River ad. Imas
<br />. ,n a, pipeline connect-
<br />;;;: the two. The tribe hired
<br />lca~o-based Harza Con-
<br />structIOn Co. to pr
<br />estimates H epare the
<br />. arza spokes-
<br />woman Cheryl Preidling would
<br />not say what cost estimates the
<br />company gave the tribe,
<br />Rogers said this week th t h
<br />used" a e
<br />a poor choice of words"
<br />
<br />~-'.
<br />"'"
<br />
<br />gforit.
<br />The A-LPWater Conservanq
<br />tnet referred calls to 't(
<br />nver-based 'lawyer, Da~d
<br />bIOS. Robbins, who also
<br />resents the Southwest Wate,
<br />o servatlon District 'd
<br />t I' ' sal
<br />mey-c ,ent privilege pre.
<br />ts ,hun from saying what
<br />dIscussed at the meeting
<br />e bureau is conducting ~
<br />nal review of the cost
<br />ases. That review is
<br />cted to be released latel
<br />o':!th. It will be based in I
<br />on mformation from pro-
<br />n nts subject to the nondis-
<br />5 re agreement.
<br />project is a result of an
<br />:COUft selllement in 1986
<br />b 109 water to the Ute
<br />N tam, Southern Ute and
<br />a a 0 trIbes. The An'
<br />Pia Imas- La
<br />h onservancy District and
<br />t e S n Juan Water Commis-
<br />I get a share of the
<br />~a~ r. Durango' is negotiating
<br />o uy about 3,800 acre feet 01
<br />water from the project. .
<br />I Plant, construction began
<br />~st sprm?, The Weeminuche
<br />. b onstructlOn Authority, owned
<br />y the Ute Mountain Ute T 'b
<br />~as won noncompetitive ~OI~~
<br />racts to build th d
<br />. I' e am
<br />pIpe me and pumping plant:
<br />Sky Ute Sand and Gravel
<br />~,;ed by the Southern Ut~
<br />n !~n Tflbe, won a noncom-
<br />petitive contract to su I
<br />some materials, PP y
<br />Charles Ashby call be reached
<br />at cllasby@durallgo/lerald.com,
<br />
<br />~and~~...._........--sn..'" R5t1.IIidiIe.~.~r.nry.----.$.U""
<br />~N;IlD1,...IdpaIP'ipeb..._____......_......$1u"", lIIilI~ICllII5lIIJ:lIOnrelDd).".~....._...$u""
<br />Dela7ouelll~~sdIcDdI.......$U~ "",~~IdY_....,.w~w.._......_,.~._.$U""
<br />=~:.:::::::::::,..._..,.,..., ::.:.:::'~= ,i'!l':!.~:'1:j~~~~-AA-!~,
<br />
<br />risen to $500 million, 48 per-
<br />cent more than the $338 mil-
<br />lion estimated previously. The
<br />
<br />meeting lOok place one week
<br />
<br />~OVERRUNSonPage5A
<br />
<br />TO n)U~~ r.gov, click on ALP Project.
<br />-LP' Phone 385-6500,
<br />
<br />to be productive."
<br />The tribes and districts were
<br />concerned that the bureau and
<br />opponents would try to blame
<br />the ':Ite Mountam Utes for the
<br />cost mcreases. Rogers said
<br />He said a July 31 burea~ let-
<br />ter. to the tribe seemed to be
<br />laymg blame on the Ute Moun-
<br />tam Utes,
<br />The bureau, which has
<br />already accepted some of the
<br />responsibility for the cost
<br />mcreases, later apol ' d
<br />the tribe, oglZe to
<br />
<br />"I apologize for any 'finger
<br />
<br />San Juan, water districts calls on
<br />the distncts to pay a fixed pric
<br />for t fr e
<br />wa er om the reserv .
<br />and .. Ole
<br />any reasonable and
<br />unforeseen" costs in build'
<br />it. 109
<br />
<br />The cost overruns R
<br />.ct ' ogers
<br />SaJ , are unreasonable and
<br />~hould have been anticipated'
<br />y the bureau. If the bureau
<br />takes all the blanle for the
<br />Increase th
<br />, e proponents
<br />would be off the hook for pay-
<br />
<br />I
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