BARKING SANDS — U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink yesterday announced Primatech Construction, Inc. was awarded a $7,198,000 U.S. Navy contract for work at the Pacific Missile Range Facility here. The Honolulu firm, which used to have a Lihu’e office, will construct
BARKING SANDS — U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink yesterday announced Primatech
Construction, Inc. was awarded a $7,198,000 U.S. Navy contract for work at the
Pacific Missile Range Facility here.
The Honolulu firm, which used to have
a Lihu’e office, will construct two, earth-covered, reinforced concrete missile
magazines, and a large, above-ground, metal missile assembly building.
“I
am pleased that this contract was won by a Hawai’i small business firm,” Mink
said.
Primatech, a contractor on the county’s Kilauea Neighborhood Center
gym project, is led by Jack Ho, and was awarded the contract after the Navy
reviewed 40 proposals and received seven offers.
Mink also was able to get
wording and $1.2 million into legislation in Washington, D.C. to fund observer
positions mandated by a federal judge to be aboard all long-line fishing
vessels in Hawai’i’s fleet.
She filed her amendment to the National Marine
Fisheries Service appropriation legislation last week, prior to federal Judge
David Ezra’s ruling that 100 percent of the fishing fleet must have observers
aboard, or all longline fishing must cease within 30 days.
The longline
fishing fleet is 130 vessels, employs 2,000 people, and is a $165 million
industry.
Mink made an impassioned plea to U.S. Rep. Harold Rogers,
committee chair, citing the threat to Hawai’i’s fishing industry posed by
noncompliance by NMFS with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act to
monitor the fleet to prevent accidental hooking or netting of endangered sea
turtles, shearwaters and other animals.
After Mink’s speech, Rogers
recommended adoption of the amendment.
“Passage of my amendment on the
floor of the House will allow further negotiations with NMFS regarding their
compliance efforts with the National Environmental Policy Act,” Mink
said.
“It is critical that we both protect these endangered species and
ensure the survival of the Hawai’i-based fishing industry,” she added.
“The
approval of my amendment will signal to the court that there is a good-faith
effort being made in Congress to meet the requirements of the law,” Mink
continued.
“I hope it can serve as the basis for modification of the
decree, and to give the industry and the NMFS more time to address these
important issues.”
