Recovery Act
Increasing the Public's Understanding of What Funds Are Being Spent on and What Outcomes Are Expected Gao ID: GAO-10-581 May 27, 2010A hallmark of efforts to implement the $862 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) is to be transparent and accountable about what the money is being spent on and what is being achieved. To help achieve these goals, recipients are to report every 3 months on their award activities and expected outcomes, among other things. This information is available on Recovery.gov, the government's official Recovery Act Web site. As requested, this report covers 11 federal programs focused on broadband, energy, transportation, federal buildings, and civil works activities, representing $67 billion in Recovery Act funding. Primarily, the report (1) describes how the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and federal agencies implemented the act to report funds' uses and (2) assesses the extent to which descriptions of awards meet GAO's transparency criteria. It also describes reported uses of funds for the 11 programs. GAO reviewed requirements for reporting in the act and OMB's guidance. Based on these requirements, GAO developed a transparency assessment and applied it to a probability sample of descriptions from 14,089 recipient reports. In addition, GAO reviewed 52 projects in detail in states that it had contacted as part of its bimonthly reviews and interviewed federal, state, and local officials about their experiences with reporting descriptions of awards.
This report focuses on one aspect of transparency and accountability: the extent to which descriptions of awards found on Recovery.gov foster a basic understanding of award activities and expected outcomes. Section 1512 of the act created broad requirements for recipient reporting. The act does not further explain these requirements. To implement the act, OMB provided generic guidance instructing recipients to report narrative information, among other things, that captures the overall purpose of the award and expected results. GAO estimates that, for the nine programs with funds awarded by December 31, 2009, 25 percent of the descriptions met its transparency criteria; that is, they had sufficiently clear and complete information on the award's purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, cost, outcomes, and status of work. Two factors may have influenced what GAO found. First, GAO's results were somewhat more positive for programs in which the federal agencies provided program-specific materials that supplemented OMB's guidance with detailed information on what recipients should include in the narrative fields. The highway, transit, and geothermal programs that GAO reviewed tended to have more transparent descriptions compared with programs that only supplied general guidance. Second, officials in many programs told GAO that they did not typically include the narrative fields in their data quality reviews. While an estimated three-quarters of the recipient-reported information did not fully meet GAO's transparency criteria--thus potentially hampering understanding of what is being achieved with Recovery Act funding--GAO found that federal and state Recovery Act Web sites, in some cases, provided additional information that could aid the public in understanding what its tax dollars are being spent on and what outcomes are expected. GAO collected information on the reported uses of funds from federal agencies for the 11 programs it reviewed. These uses ranged from improving infrastructure to improving Internet access. Agencies have obligated program funds at different rates, which may be due, in part, to whether the programs were new, existing, or received sizable funding increases. GAO also asked the federal agencies and selected state agencies in its review about how they make Recovery Act project information available to the public and what feedback they have received. Each agency has established a Recovery Act Web site, as have states, some state auditors and Inspectors General, and some recipients. These sites contain varying amounts of information, such as program objectives, lists of projects, and interactive maps. To further public understanding of what Recovery Act funds are being spent on and the expected results, GAO recommends that the Director, OMB, (1) revise the agency's recipient reporting guidance to remedy the unclear examples and enhance instructions for completing narrative fields; (2) work with agencies to determine whether supplemental guidance is needed to meet the intent of the act and whether that supplemental guidance or other technical assistance proposed by agencies dealing with narrative descriptions of awards provides for transparent descriptions of funded activities; and (3) periodically review, in partnership with federal agencies, the recipients' descriptions of awards to determine whether the information provides a basic understanding of the uses of the funds and expected outcomes, and, if not, encourage agencies to develop or improve program-specific guidance, as well as work with the Recovery Board as the board reviews the results of agencies' data quality reviews to further reinforce actions to meet transparency goals. In commenting on a draft of this report, OMB agreed with GAO's recommendations. OMB and the federal agencies provided a number of specific comments, many of which GAO incorporated.
RecommendationsOur recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.
Director: Susan A. Fleming Team: Government Accountability Office: Physical Infrastructure Phone: (202) 512-4431GAO-10-581, Recovery Act: Increasing the Public's Understanding of What Funds Are Being Spent on and What Outcomes Are Expected
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United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
Report to the Republican Leader, U.S. Senate:
May 2010:
Recovery Act:
Increasing the Public's Understanding of What Funds Are Being Spent on
and What Outcomes Are Expected:
GAO-10-581:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-10-581, a report to the Republican Leader, U.S.
Senate.
Why GAO Did This Study:
A hallmark of efforts to implement the $862 billion American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) is to be transparent and
accountable about what the money is being spent on and what is being
achieved. To help achieve these goals, recipients are to report every
3 months on their award activities and expected outcomes, among other
things. This information is available on Recovery.gov, the government‘
s official Recovery Act Web site.
As requested, this report covers 11 federal programs focused on
broadband, energy, transportation, federal buildings, and civil works
activities, representing $67 billion in Recovery Act funding.
Primarily, the report (1) describes how the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) and federal agencies implemented the act to report funds‘
uses and (2) assesses the extent to which descriptions of awards meet
GAO‘s transparency criteria. It also describes reported uses of funds
for the 11 programs.
GAO reviewed requirements for reporting in the act and OMB‘s guidance.
Based on these requirements, GAO developed a transparency assessment
and applied it to a probability sample of descriptions from 14,089
recipient reports. In addition, GAO reviewed 52 projects in detail in
states that it had contacted as part of its bimonthly reviews and
interviewed federal, state, and local officials about their
experiences with reporting descriptions of awards.
What GAO Found:
This report focuses on one aspect of transparency and accountability:
the extent to which descriptions of awards found on Recovery.gov
foster a basic understanding of award activities and expected outcomes.
Requirements and Guidance Regarding Descriptions of Awards Section
1512 of the act created broad requirements for recipient reporting.
For example, it requires recipients to report the amount of funds
received and to list projects or activities, including the project
names and descriptions. The act does not further explain these
requirements. To implement the act, OMB provided generic guidance
instructing recipients to report narrative information, among other
things, that captures the overall purpose of the award and expected
results. OMB created guidance to require general information that
could be applied broadly across a wide range of programs expecting,
but not requiring, federal agencies to supplement it with program-
specific materials. However, this baseline guidance on narrative
information, which OMB views as a work in progress, was sometimes
unclear.
Extent to Which Descriptions Met GAO‘s Transparency Criteria GAO
estimates that, for the nine programs with funds awarded by December
31, 2009, 25 percent of the descriptions met its transparency
criteria; that is, they had sufficiently clear and complete
information on the award‘s purpose, scope and nature of activities,
location, cost, outcomes, and status of work. (See table on next
page.) Another estimated 68 percent partially met the criteria because
they had some or most of the information, but not all, and an
estimated 7 percent provided little or none of this information.
Recipient-reported narrative information varied widely in its
completeness and clarity. For example, a description of a transit
award clearly indicated that funds will be used to purchase four
hybrid buses and construct a multimodal park-and-ride facility, and,
as a result, the transit fleet will be modernized and the park-and-
ride facility will allow commuters to make more efficient, safe, and
timely transit connections. In contrast, a description of a highway
award for ’chip sealing“ did not explain what chip sealing is, why and
on what it was being used, where the work was located, or how
extensive the work would be.
Two factors may have influenced what GAO found. First, GAO‘s results
were somewhat more positive for programs in which the federal agencies
provided program-specific materials that supplemented OMB‘s guidance
with detailed information on what recipients should include in the
narrative fields. The highway, transit, and geothermal programs that
GAO reviewed”for which agencies supplied such materials”tended to have
more transparent descriptions compared with programs that only
supplied general guidance. OMB primarily reviewed agencies‘ program-
specific formal guidance for consistency with its own general guidance
and overall sufficiency, but not to specifically determine if agencies
developed guidance on the narrative fields. In addition, while OMB
reviews formal guidance, it does not monitor other forms of agency
supplemental material or technical assistance provided to recipients.
Second, officials in many programs told GAO that they did not
typically include the narrative fields in their data quality reviews.
(The act also established a Recovery Accountability and Transparency
Board, which is working with the federal Inspectors General to review
the quality of the data submitted by recipients.) While an estimated
three-quarters of the recipient-reported information did not fully
meet GAO‘s transparency criteria”thus potentially hampering
understanding of what is being achieved with Recovery Act funding”GAO
found that federal and state Recovery Act Web sites, in some cases,
provided additional information that could aid the public in
understanding what its tax dollars are being spent on and what
outcomes are expected.
Table: Estimated Extent to Which Descriptions Met GAO‘s Transparency
Criteria:
Program: Department of Commerce: Broadband;
Number of awards: 46;
Met: 57%;
Partially met: 43%;
Did not meet: 0%.
Program: Department of Energy: Weatherization;
Number of awards: 57;
Met: 12%;
Partially met: 71%;
Did not meet: 18%.
Program: Department of Energy: Geothermal;
Number of awards: 29;
Met: 33%;
Partially met: 62%;
Did not meet: 5%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Airports;
Number of awards: 328;
Met: 18%;
Partially met: 82%;
Did not meet: 0%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Highway;
Number of awards: 10,156;
Met: 25%;
Partially met: 69%;
Did not meet: 6%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Transit;
Number of awards: 641;
Met: 50%;
Partially met: 50%;
Did not meet: 0%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Rail[A];
Number of awards: 5;
Met: 20%;
Partially met: 20%;
Did not meet: 60%.
Program: General Services Administration: Federal Buildings;
Number of awards: 491;
Met: 29%;
Partially met: 64%;
Did not meet: 7%.
Program: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Civil Works;
Number of awards: 2,336;
Met: 14%;
Partially met: 70%;
Did not meet: 16%.
Program: Total;
Number of awards: 14,089;
Met: 25%;
Partially met: 68%;
Did not meet: 7%.
Source: GAO.
[A] Results are for all five awards.
[End of table]
Reported Uses of Recovery Act Funds:
GAO collected information on the reported uses of funds from federal
agencies for the 11 programs it reviewed. These uses ranged from
improving infrastructure (such as widening roads) to improving
Internet (broadband) access. Agencies have obligated program funds at
different rates, which may be due, in part, to whether the programs
were new, existing, or received sizable funding increases. For
example, as of early May, the Department of Transportation had
obligated all of its established highway program‘s $26.7 billion in
funding. In contrast, it had obligated a small portion of its $8
billion in Recovery Act funding for a new high-speed rail program,
which it has to develop before awarding funds. It obligated the funds
for engineering and other services that can be performed while it
negotiates the rail awards. The Department of Energy‘s $5 billion
Weatherization Assistance Program was extant, but it received a
sizeable funding increase, requiring states to develop plans for using
the funds. In addition, certain federal requirements, such as Davis-
Bacon wage requirements, affected the ability of some agencies to
start work in programs, including the Weatherization Assistance
Program. As of late March, about $4.7 billion (94 percent) of these
funds had been obligated. (See appendices I-XI for individual program
results.)
Federal and State Efforts to Make Information Available to the Public
and Public Feedback Received:
GAO also asked the federal agencies and selected state agencies in its
review about how they make Recovery Act project information available
to the public and what feedback they have received. Each agency has
established a Recovery Act Web site, as have states, some state
auditors and Inspectors General, and some recipients. These sites
contain varying amounts of information, such as program objectives,
lists of projects, and interactive maps. For example, the New York
state site details how the state is spending funds through a map that
provides information on each award, and links to over 40 other sites
where more information can be found. Federal officials told GAO that
there has been limited feedback from the public on awards and the
award information made available to public. (See the report and
appendices I-XI.)
GAO Recommendations to Improve the Transparency of Descriptions of
Awards:
To further public understanding of what Recovery Act funds are being
spent on and the expected results, GAO recommends that the Director,
OMB, (1) revise the agency‘s recipient reporting guidance to remedy
the unclear examples and enhance instructions for completing narrative
fields; (2) work with agencies to determine whether supplemental
guidance is needed to meet the intent of the act and whether that
supplemental guidance or other technical assistance proposed by
agencies dealing with narrative descriptions of awards provides for
transparent descriptions of funded activities; and (3) periodically
review, in partnership with federal agencies, the recipients‘
descriptions of awards to determine whether the information provides a
basic understanding of the uses of the funds and expected outcomes,
and, if not, encourage agencies to develop or improve program-specific
guidance, as well as work with the Recovery Board as the board reviews
the results of agencies‘ data quality reviews to further reinforce
actions to meet transparency goals.
In commenting on a draft of this report, OMB agreed with GAO‘s
recommendations. OMB and the federal agencies provided a number of
specific comments, many of which GAO incorporated.
View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-581] or key
components. For more information, contact Katherine Siggerud at (202)
512-2834 or Patricia Dalton at (202) 512-3841.
[End of section]
Contents:
Letter:
Background:
OMB Created Baseline Guidance on Describing Awards Expecting but Not
Requiring Agencies to Provide Supplemental Guidance:
A Quarter of the Descriptions of Awards Provide Sufficient Information
for Transparency; Some Additional Information Is Publicly Available
for Those That Did Not:
Conclusions:
Recommendations for Executive Action:
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
Appendixes:
Appendix I: Broadband Initiatives Program:
Appendix II: Broadband Technology Opportunities Program:
Appendix III: Weatherization Assistance Program:
Appendix IV: Geothermal Technologies Program:
Appendix V: High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program:
Appendix VI: Grants-in-Aid for Airports:
Appendix VII: Highway Infrastructure Investment:
Appendix VIII: Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National
Surface Transportation System:
Appendix IX: Transit Capital Assistance:
Appendix X: Federal Buildings Fund:
Appendix XI: Civil Works Program:
Appendix XII: Federal Agency Actions to Review Recovery.gov for
Accuracy:
Appendix XIII: Additional Information on Methodology:
Appendix XIV: Error Rates Associated with Estimates of the Extent to
Which Awards Met Our Transparency Criteria:
Appendix XV: Comments from the Department of Commerce:
Appendix XVI: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments:
Tables:
Table 1: Programs Reviewed That Received Recovery Act Funding:
Table 2: Estimated Extent to Which Descriptions of Awards Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
Table 3: Example of a Description of an Award That Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
Table 4: Example of a Description of an Award That Partially Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
Table 5: Example of a Description of an Award That Did Not Meet Our
Transparency Criteria:
Table 6: OMB Guidance and Department of Energy Technical Assistance
for Completing the Quarterly Activities/Project Description Field:
Table 7: Recovery Act Obligations for Transportation Enhancement
Projects by Type, as of May 3, 2010:
Table 8: Example of Information on a Selected TIGER Project Made
Publicly Available:
Table 9: Sample Guidance from FTA's Reporting Data Model:
Table 10: GSA's Recovery Act Projects:
Table 11: Corps Recovery Act Funding by Account as of April 23, 2010:
Table 12: OMB Reporting Instructions for Data Fields Included in Our
Transparency Assessment:
Table 13: Estimated Percentage of Award Descriptions That Met Our
Transparency Criteria, with Standard Errors:
Figures:
Figure 1: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Geothermal Funds, as of April
23, 2010:
Figure 2: Locations of High-Speed Rail Projects Selected for Funding:
Figure 3: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Aviation Funds, as of April
22, 2010:
Figure 4: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Highway Funds, as of May 3,
2010:
Figure 5: Categories of Projects Selected for TIGER Funds, on February
17, 2010:
Figure 6: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Transit Funds, as of April 5,
2010:
Abbreviations:
Corps: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration:
FHWA: Federal Highway Administration:
FRA: Federal Railroad Administration:
FTA: Federal Transit Administration:
GSA: General Services Administration:
NTIA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration:
OMB: Office of Management and Budget:
RADS: Recovery Act Data System:
Recovery Act: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
Recovery Board: Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board:
TIGER: Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery:
[End of section]
United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, D.C. 20548:
May 27, 2010:
The Honorable Mitch McConnell: Republican Leader:
United States Senate:
Dear Senator McConnell:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was
enacted to (1) help preserve jobs and promote economic recovery from
the current economic recession, (2) invest in technology to spur
technological advances, and (3) invest in infrastructure to provide
long-term economic benefits, among other things.[Footnote 1] The act
was a massive response to the economic crisis; the cost of that
response is now estimated at about $862 billion in funding and tax
provisions.[Footnote 2] It is expected that the act will be carried
out with an unprecedented level of transparency, so that the public
can see how its money is being spent and what is being achieved.
Both Members of Congress and the President have emphasized the need
for accountability, efficiency, and transparency in the expenditure of
Recovery Act funds and have made it a central principle of the act. As
Congress finished work on the act, the House Appropriations Committee
released a statement saying, "A historic level of transparency,
oversight and accountability will help guarantee taxpayer dollars are
spent wisely and Americans can see results for their investment." To
do so, Congress built into the act numerous provisions to increase
transparency and accountability over spending that require recipients
of Recovery Act funding to report quarterly on a number of measures,
as contained in section 1512 of the act.[Footnote 3] Nonfederal
recipients of Recovery Act funded grants, contracts, or loans are
required to submit reports with information on each project or
activity, including descriptive information on the uses of Recovery
Act awards. In addition, the act called for the establishment of a Web
site through which the public could gain easy access to recipient--and
agency--reported information on Recovery Act spending.[Footnote 4]
Through Recovery.gov, the government's official Web site, users can
search the site a number of different ways for information about
individual Recovery Act awards in their neighborhood and throughout
the country, as well as for summary information. The Web site contains
information on each reported award, such as cost, location, and
description of activities to be carried out.[Footnote 5]
In response to your request, the overall objective of our work was to
assess the extent to which the descriptions of the uses of funds,
published on Recovery.gov, transparently describe how funds are being
spent and what outcomes are expected. More specifically, we (1)
determined how the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and federal
agencies implemented Recovery Act requirements to describe the use of
funds and (2) assessed the extent to which the descriptive information
made available on Recovery.gov meets established requirements and is
transparent. We are also providing information on the reported nature
and types of projects funded by the Recovery Act for the programs
included in this review. This information is contained in appendixes I-
XI.
This report covers 11 telecommunications, energy, transportation,
federal buildings, and civil works programs. These are :
* the Department of Agriculture's Broadband Initiatives Program;
* the Department of Commerce's Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program;
* the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance and Geothermal
Technologies Programs;
* the Department of Transportation's High-Speed Intercity Passenger
Rail, Grants-in-Aid for Airports, Highway Infrastructure Investment,
Supplemental Discretionary Grants, and Transit Capital Assistance
Programs;
* the General Services Administration's Federal Buildings Fund
Program; and;
* the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works Program.
Collectively, funding for these programs accounts for approximately
$67 billion of the $275 billion in Recovery Act funding distributed
through contracts, grants, and loans. We selected these programs
because they represented large programs”$1 billion or more”or were of
interest to you.
To understand how OMB and other federal agencies are implementing
Recovery Act requirements to describe the use of funds, we reviewed
the act and its legislative history for reporting requirements and
guidance on reporting established by (1) OMB, (2) the Recovery
Accountability and Transparency Board[Footnote 6] (Recovery Board),
and (3) any supplemental guidance and other technical assistance
developed by the federal agencies for programs covered by our work. We
met with officials from those agencies to gain an understanding of
these requirements.
To assess the extent to which descriptions of awards transparently
described how funds were being used, we developed a transparency
assessment (described later in this report) based on the Recovery Act;
OMB's guidance, including OMB's Recipient Reporting Data Model; the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act; and professional
judgment.[Footnote 7] Based on these considerations, we considered
descriptions of awards transparent if they conveyed, in a manner
understandable to the general public, a basic understanding of the
activities to be carried out and the expected outcomes. This effort
was meant to be an assessment of transparency only with regard to the
aspects we reviewed, not to Recovery.gov as a whole or to the
administration's efforts to make this information available frequently
and in a timely manner.
In assessing transparency, we took probability (random) samples of 467
of the 14,089 prime recipient award records on Recovery.gov as of
February 10, 2010, from 9 of the 11 programs listed above.[Footnote 8]
Prime recipients are nonfederal entities that receive Recovery Act
funding as awards in the form of contracts, grants, or loans directly
from the federal government.[Footnote 9] In order to determine which
records to sample from Recovery.gov, we used the definition of an
"award"”the prime recipient's record for a contract, grant, or loan”as
defined by OMB and the Recovery Board for the purposes of recipient
reporting. We selected 12 key fields required for recipient reporting
that describe the uses of Recovery Act funds, including 3 narrative
fields.[Footnote 10] To apply this general definition to award
information”hereafter referred to as descriptions of awards or
descriptions”we used the following specific attributes that were
either explicitly stated or inherent in the Recovery Act or OMB's
guidance:
* general purpose of the award (e.g., construction or fire protection);
* nature of activities being conducted (e.g., dredging waterways or
installing security cameras);
* location (where award activities are being conducted);
* cost (amount awarded);
* status (percentage complete); and;
* outcome (what is expected to be achieved; e.g., increased safety or
reduced congestion as a result of a redesigned highway intersection or
increased energy efficiency from the installation of a new heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning system).
To these six specific attributes, we used our professional judgment to
add a seventh that in our view, was needed to provide a complete
description: scope (i.e., information on the magnitude or
extensiveness of an award). For example, scope could be the number of
homes to be weatherized statewide or the number of miles (or lane
miles) of a road to be repaved. Using these seven attributes and our
professional judgment, we assessed information in the 12 data fields
collectively, for understandability, clarity, and completeness. Two
analysts independently reviewed information on each award from the 12
fields and then compared results to reach a consensus on the overall
score (e.g., met the transparency criteria). If they could not agree,
a third analyst reviewed the award information without regard to the
original determinations and made a deciding assessment. Those that
were understandable, clear, and complete we considered to be
"transparent." For those that were not fully transparent, we searched
publicly available information from federal, state, and recipient Web
sites, and reviewed publicly available documents to complete the
descriptions.[Footnote 11]
We also reviewed in-depth 52 judgmentally selected energy and
infrastructure awards in five programs, primarily from programs that
are already covered as part of our bimonthly reviews on Recovery Act
spending: Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, Weatherization
Assistance Program, Grants-in-Aid for Airports, Highway Infrastructure
Investment, and Transit Capital Assistance. For these awards, we spoke
with federal, state, and local officials responsible for developing or
reviewing award information about federal transparency requirements
and any feedback that they have received on these awards from the
public, and assessed the accuracy of select information from source
documents (such as award documents).
In addition to the review described above, we discussed with federal
and state officials how they make information on awards available to
the public. We also gathered information on the nature and scope of
awards (or potential awards) for the 11 programs by reviewing
documentation supplied by the federal agencies and discussing the
programs with agency officials. (See appendices I-XI for this
information.) Finally, for the nine programs with recipient reports at
the time of our review, we (1) performed a number of electronic edit
checks on the awards for the prime recipients, including any
associated subrecipients, in our probability sample to determine
whether there were possible anomalies in the award information and (2)
discussed with federal agencies and reviewed federal Inspectors
General efforts to ensure the reliability of the data reported by
recipients. (See appendix XII.)
We did not assess how federal agencies or prime recipients selected
the awards discussed in this report to ensure that the awards met the
purposes of the act or whether the awards met the act's eligibility
requirements. We conducted this performance audit from September 2009
through May 2010 in accordance with generally accepted government
auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform
the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a
reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit
objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a
reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit
objectives. As part of our work, we assessed the reliability of
certain Recovery Act data that were pertinent to our effort. We
determined that the data elements were sufficiently reliable for our
purposes. See appendix XIII for additional information on our
methodology.
Background:
Congress built into the Recovery Act numerous provisions to increase
transparency and accountability, including requiring recipients of
funds to report quarterly on a number of measures.[Footnote 12] To
implement these requirements, OMB worked with the Recovery Board to
deploy a nationwide system at FederalReporting.gov for collecting data
submitted by the recipients of funds. OMB set the specific timeline
for recipients to submit reports and for agencies to review the data.
Recipients are required to submit the reports in the month after the
close of a quarter, and, by the end of the month, the reports are to
be reviewed by federal agencies for significant errors and missing
information before being posted to Recovery.gov. For the programs
discussed in this report, information was submitted by recipients for
the quarter ending December 31, 2009 (second round reporting[Footnote
13]) and posted on Recovery.gov on January 30, 2010.[Footnote 14]
While OMB's role was to provide governmentwide guidance, one of the
functions of the Recovery Board was to establish the Web site and to
publish a variety of data, including recipient data once it was
reviewed by the federal agencies.[Footnote 15] These data, collected
through www.FederalReporting.gov, are made available to the public for
viewing and downloading on www.Recovery.gov. The Recovery Act set a
demanding schedule for implementing Recovery.gov, requiring the
Recovery Board to establish the Web site within 30 days. The Recovery
Board's goals for this Web site were to promote accountability by
providing a platform to analyze Recovery Act data and serving as a
means of tracking fraud, waste, and abuse allegations by providing the
public with accurate, user-friendly information.
This was an extensive undertaking across the federal government. OMB,
the Recovery Board, and federal agencies, among others, worked to
design a Web site, develop the capability to handle tens of thousands
of submissions, develop guidance on reporting, and assist recipients
in meeting reporting requirements. More specifically, within a short
period of time, OMB and the Recovery Board implemented a recipient
reporting system that covered a wide-range of programs and provided
detailed and up-to-date information on the use of Recovery Act funds.
Our fieldwork and initial review and analysis of recipient data from
www.Recovery.gov indicated that there was a range of significant
reporting and quality issues that needed to be addressed, including
issues with interpretations of reporting guidance.[Footnote 16] OMB
told us that achieving the promised degree of transparency will be an
iterative process, during which the reporting process and submitted
information will improve.
The Recovery Act required recipients to report specific information,
including descriptive information on each award, which we discuss
further in the following section. In the accountability and
transparency section of the act, transparency is not specifically
defined. However, the act requires that the award information on
Recovery.gov be made available to enhance public awareness of the use
of funds. Furthermore, both Members of Congress and the President have
asserted the need for accountability, efficiency, and transparency in
Recovery Act spending, with the administration pledging that the
Recovery Act would "break from conventional Washington approaches to
spending by ensuring that public dollars are invested effectively and
that the economic recovery package is fully transparent and
accountable to the American people." Thus, the transparency of award
information on Recovery. gov, particularly in narrative fields (the
focus of this review) is particularly important.[Footnote 17]
For this report, we reviewed the 11 energy and infrastructure programs
introduced previously. (See table 1.) No awards were made for two of
the programs”the Broadband Initiatives Program and the Supplemental
Discretionary Grant Program”by December 31, 2009. Awards were made for
the other 9 programs by this date, requiring recipients to submit
reports for the second round of reporting.
Table 1: Programs Reviewed That Received Recovery Act Funding:
Purpose:
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Agriculture: Broadband
Initiatives Program ($2.5 billion);
Purpose: Develop broadband (Internet) infrastructure in rural areas
without sufficient access to high-speed broadband service.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Commerce: Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program ($4.7 billion);
Purpose: Increase broadband access and adoption in unserved and
underserved areas of the United States, enhance and expand public
computer centers, encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service,
and fund initiatives to develop and maintain a nationwide broadband
inventory map.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Energy: Weatherization
Assistance Program ($5 billion);
Purpose: Enable low-income families to reduce their utility bills by
making long-term energy-efficiency improvements to their homes by, for
example, installing insulation and modernizing heating equipment.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Energy: Geothermal
Technologies Program ($400 million);
Purpose: Develop innovative geothermal energy technologies to find,
access, and use the nation's geothermal resources.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Transportation: High-
Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program ($8 billion);
Purpose: Support the development of intercity high-speed rail service,
including high-speed rail corridor development, and upgrade the
reliability and service of conventional intercity passenger rail.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Transportation: Grants-
in-Aid for Airports ($1.1 billion);
Purpose: Plan and develop public-use airports to enhance safety,
capacity and security, among other things.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Transportation:
Highway Infrastructure Investment ($26.7 billion);
Purpose: Restore, repair, and construct highways and bridges and for
other eligible uses, such as transportation enhancements.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Transportation:
Supplemental Discretionary Grants ($1.5 billion);
Purpose: Develop highway, public transportation, rail, and port
infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: Department of Transportation:
Transit Capital Assistance ($6.9 billion);
Purpose: Purchase buses and rail cars; build and rehabilitate
stations, track, and maintenance facilities; purchase security and
maintenance equipment.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: General Services Administration:
Federal Buildings Fund ($5.6 billion);
Purpose: Construct new facilities and transform federal buildings into
high-performance green buildings.
Program (amount appropriated)[A]: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Civil
Works Program ($4.6 billion);
Purpose: Provide safe and reliable waterways; reduce risks from
flooding and coastal storms; restore and protect the environment;
prepare for and respond to natural disasters; and address water
resource challenges.
Source: GAO, based on legislation creating cited programs and agency
records.
[A] For the 9 programs for which awards have been made, agencies have
not obligated, and recipients have not spent, all amounts
appropriated. As of early May 2010, obligations ranged from $26
billion for the highway program to $0 for the Supplemental
Discretionary Grants Program. See appendixes I through XI for
information on each program's obligation and expenditure level.
[End of table]
OMB Created Baseline Guidance on Describing Awards Expecting but Not
Requiring Agencies to Provide Supplemental Guidance:
Both the Recovery Act and OMB require recipients to report on a wide
range of items to track the uses of funds. These items include”but are
not limited to”overall descriptions of the awards, projects and
activities funded, funding amounts, numbers of jobs created or
retained, compensation for certain executives, and awards to
subrecipients. As discussed earlier, our focus is on the extent to
which descriptions of awards reported by recipients and published on
Recovery.gov provide a basic understanding of what funds are being
spent on and what outcomes are expected. As a result, we focused on
certain reporting requirements and guidance that provide that basic
understanding, such as the location of the project and the nature of
the award activities.[Footnote 18]
Recovery Act Created Broad Requirements for Reporting on Awards:
The act created broad requirements for recipient reporting.
Specifically, the act requires, among other types of information, that
recipients report the total amount of Recovery Act funds received,
associated obligations and expenditures, and a detailed list of those
projects or activities.[Footnote 19] For each project or activity, the
detailed list must include its name and a description, an evaluation
of its completion status, and an estimate of the number of jobs
created and the number of jobs retained through that project or
activity. The act did not include any more specific interpretation or
explanation of these requirements.
OMB Created Generic Guidance That Applies Across a Wide Range of
Agency Programs:
To operationalize the act's requirements, OMB provided recipients with
a range of guidance through memorandums, supplemental materials, and
reporting instructions. Specifically, starting for the period ending
September 30, 2009 (and repeated for the quarter ending December 31),
OMB's reporting instructions for the Recipient Reporting Data Model
[Footnote 20] specified that recipients would provide, among other
things,
* the Recovery.gov information:
* Recipient name;
* the project name, which should be brief and descriptive;
* a project description that captures the overall purpose of the award
and expected outputs and outcomes or results;
* an award description that describes the overall purpose, expected
outputs, and outcomes or results of the award, including significant
deliverables and, if appropriate, units of measure;
* the project status, which was specified as not started, less than 50
percent complete, completed 50 percent or more, or complete;
* an activity description, which categorizes projects and activities;
[Footnote 21]
* the amount of the award; and;
* the primary place of performance, which is the physical location of
award activities.[Footnote 22]
Three of these fields”project name, project description, and award
description”are narrative fields. OMB's Recipient Reporting Data Model
does not specifically address the clarity of such descriptions,
although OMB, in its December 2009 guidance to heads of executive
departments and agencies, has stated that the narrative information
must be sufficiently clear to facilitate understanding by the general
public.
Several of these fields are defined in ways that are inconsistent with
reporting award project and activity information as required by the
Recovery Act. Where, for example, funds are awarded using a single
award to cover multiple projects, requiring a project description that
captures the overall purpose of the award is not consistent with the
requirement in the act to report a detailed list of all projects and
activities each having its own name, description, completion status,
and potential outcomes. Requiring that status, outcomes, or other
information covered be reported in single fields on an award-by-award
rather than a project-by-project or activity-by-activity basis may
convey an incomplete impression if multiple projects or activities are
being included. Officials from OMB agreed with this assessment but
said that the agency, in creating its guidance and reporting data
model, weighed the level of reporting detail required against the
potential reporting burden.
OMB created the guidance to require general information that could be
applied broadly across a wide range of recipients. OMB defined the
three narrative fields to solicit high-level information that is not
overly specific to a single program. In this regard, the guidance had
to be applicable to awards that:
* are for discrete activities at a single location and for a single
purpose. For example, under the Federal Highway Administration's
(FHWA) Highway Infrastructure Investment program, an award might be
for a single project to widen a section of a road or to replace a
substandard bridge.
* bundle several discrete activities at different locations. For
example, under the Federal Transit Administration's (FM) Transit
Capital Assistance Program, a transit agency could receive an award
that has different purposes at different locations.
* are like block grants in which recipients (i.e., states,
territories, and tribes) receive funds for a broad purpose and make
subawards to local entities, which then decide the specific uses for
which funds are to be spent. For example, under the Department of
Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program, recipients receive funding
to enable low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making
energy-efficiency improvements to their homes. In turn, the recipients
provide grant funds to a number of local agencies to actually carry
out the purposes of the program, which might involve modernizing
heating equipment in one home and installing insulation in another.
* are components of a larger project, but are not linked to the larger
project for reporting purposes. For example, under the Civil Works
Program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) may enter into a
contract (the award) with one company to dredge a river channel and
with another company to build a seawall, all for the purpose of
improving navigable waters at a specific location. Each recipient
reports on the activities conducted under the individual award but not
the overall project being funded as each recipient works on only a
piece of the larger project.
OMB officials also told us the agency created generic reporting
guidance because they expected the guidance to be a baseline, with
agencies providing supplemental guidance that was more specific to
unique program characteristics and situations that OMB's one-size-fits-
all guidance could not effectively address. According to OMB, the
agencies would be better sources of program-specific individualized
guidance, tailored to the awards made under their programs. As
discussed in the next section of this report, most agencies included
in our review did provide some type of technical assistance or
supplemental materials to aid recipients in reporting. However, most
did not develop formal, program-specific supplemental guidance that
was approved by OMB, and OMB did not require agencies to do so. For
agencies that do develop program-specific supplemental guidance, OMB
officials told us that they primarily review this guidance for
consistency with their agency's general guidance, and review the
supplemental guidance to ensure its overall sufficiency. OMB officials
did not indicate if their review includes whether agencies developed
guidance on their narrative fields. Also, while OMB reviews formal
guidance, it does not monitor other forms of agency supplemental
material or technical assistance provided to recipients. (See
appendices I-XI for additional information on the agencies' reporting
assistance and its possible effects on the transparency of
descriptions).
OMB continues to update its guidance based on lessons learned from
early reporting experiences, recognizing that the reporting process is
a work in progress. For example, OMB clarified its guidance on
calculating jobs created or retained to address issues with the jobs
data reported by recipients during the first reporting round. During
the course of our review, OMB officials signaled that they are willing
to revise their guidance should our assessment or other input suggest
that changes are needed, but would need to balance any changes in
guidance against additional reporting burdens.
OMB's Guidance on Narrative Fields Was Not Clear:
We found two instances in which OMB's guidance on narrative fields was
unclear. First, for the award description field, the guidance provided
that recipients of grants should describe the overall purpose of the
award; recipients of contracts should provide a description of the
overall purpose and expected outcomes including significant
deliverables. OMB provided three examples of how to fill in the field,
at least two of which do not conform to OMB's expectations: "community
development" and "special education - part B/preschool." These
examples provide only high-level titles but do not identify the
purpose or outcomes. Furthermore, OMB allowed recipients to enter
descriptions of up to 4,000 characters, providing space for more
robust descriptions. As a result, based on our assessment of award
descriptions, recipients are reporting widely varying types of
information in this field”some of it very detailed, while other
reporting is quite limited and uninformative. This issue is discussed
more fully in the following section and can be seen in award
information from Recovery.gov that we reproduced in appendixes I
through XI.
Second, for the quarterly activities/project description field, OMB
instructed grantees to provide a description of the overall purpose
and expected outputs and outcomes or results of the award. As
mentioned, project description, as that term is used in the act,
refers to listed projects or activities, not awards. Instead, OMB's
guidance anticipated that, for contracts, recipients were supposed to
provide a description of all significant services or supplies
delivered in the current calendar quarter. The example OMB provided in
its Recipient Reporting Data Model, "Powers and Gold Beach Ranger
Districts Curry County OR Has Fuels Item 1 Chetco Area and Item 3 -
Powers Area" is, in our opinion, unclear, and it does not meet the
general requirements that OMB laid out.
As discussed in the next section, the inconsistency and lack of
clarity in OMB's guidance may have contributed to the level of
transparency in some of the award description information that we
reviewed.
A Quarter of the Descriptions of Awards Provide Sufficient Information
for Transparency; Some Additional Information Is Publicly Available
for Those That Did Not:
We estimate that about a quarter of the awards on Recovery.gov for the
nine programs we reviewed were transparent”that is, had sufficiently
clear and understandable information on the award's purpose, scope,
location, cost, nature of activities, outcomes, and status of work.
[Footnote 23] Many others (an estimated 68 percent) had at least some
or most of this information, and a small percentage (an estimated 7
percent) had little of this information. A few factors may have
contributed to the lack of transparency in the descriptions we
assessed, including the type of guidance and technical assistance
provided by OMB and federal agencies. In addition to the information
published on Recovery.gov, federal, state, and other public sources
provide some additional information on the uses of Recovery Act funds.
About a Quarter of the Descriptions of Awards Met the Transparency
Criteria; Others Lacked at Least Some Important Information:
Because the Recovery Act did not define transparency, we developed our
own set of criteria by which to measure the transparency of the
awards' descriptive fields. In order to assess the descriptions, we
selected key fields required for recipient reporting from Recovery.
gov that describe the uses of Recovery Act funds, including the three
narrative fields. Using the Recovery Act, OMB's guidance, and our
professional judgment, we determined that these fields should
collectively contain information on the award's purpose, scope,
location, cost, nature of activities, outcomes, and status of work”
information necessary to make the use of funds transparent to the
public. We also considered the extent to which information in the
fields was clear and understandable. We drew a probability (simple
random) sample of prime recipient awards to review for each of the
nine energy and infrastructure programs that had awards in Recovery.
gov for the second round of recipient reporting and compared the
descriptions of these awards to our transparency criteria. (See
appendix XIII for more information about our transparency criteria and
overall methodology.)
We estimate that 25 percent of the awards for the nine programs we
reviewed (out of a total of over 14,000 awards) were transparent”had
sufficiently clear and understandable information on the award's
purpose, scope, location, cost, nature of activities, outcomes, and
status of work (See table 2.) We estimate that another 68 percent had
some or most of this information, but not all. Importantly, the
descriptions of awards that partially met our transparency criteria
varied widely. Some of these award descriptions had much of the
information needed to make them transparent, but might be missing one
important aspect, such as the expected outcomes. Other descriptions
contained much less information and provided sufficient detail to meet
only a few attributes of our criteria, such as purpose and location.
Finally, an estimated 7 percent of the descriptions provided little or
no information on nature, scope, purpose, location, or outcomes of the
award.
Table 2: Estimated Extent to Which Descriptions of Awards Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
Program: Department of Commerce: Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program;
Number of awards[A]: 46;
Met: 57%;
Partially met: 43%;
Did not meet: 0%.
Program: Department of Energy: Weatherization Assistance Program;
Number of awards[A]: 57;
Met: 12%;
Partially met: 71%;
Did not meet: 18%.
Program: Department of Energy: Geothermal Technologies Program;
Number of awards[A]: 29;
Met: 33%;
Partially met: 62%;
Did not meet: 5%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Grant-in-Aid for Airports;
Number of awards[A]: 328;
Met: 18%;
Partially met: 82%;
Did not meet: 0%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Highway Infrastructure
Investment;
Number of awards[A]: 10,156;
Met: 25%;
Partially met: 69%;
Did not meet: 6%.
Program: Department of Transportation: Transit Capital Assistance;
Number of awards[A]: 641;
Met: 50%;
Partially met: 50%;
Did not meet: 0%.
Program: Department of Transportation: High-Speed Intercity Passenger
Rail Program[B];
Number of awards[A]: 5;
Met: 20%;
Partially met: 20%;
Did not meet: 60%.
Program: General Services Administration: Federal Buildings Fund;
Number of awards: 491;
Met: 29%;
Partially met: 64%;
Did not meet: 7%.
Program: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Civil Works Program;
Number of awards: 2,336;
Met: 14%;
Partially met: 70%;
Did not meet: 16%.
Program: Total;
Number of awards: 14,089;
Met: 25%;
Partially met: 68%;
Did not meet: 7%.
Source: GAO.
Note: Percentages in this table may not add to 100 because of
rounding. See appendix XIV for error rates associated with this table.
[A] In Recovery.gov as of February 10, 2010.
[B] Results are for all five awards.
[End of table]
Recipient-reported information varied widely in its transparency. For
example, a Napa, California, transit recipient provided clear
information in Page 16 GA0-10-581 Recovery Act Transparency
sufficient detail for the general public to understand the award's
purpose, scope, location, cost, nature of activities, outcomes, and
status of work. Specifically, the description of the award states that
it will be used to purchase four hybrid buses and construct a
multimodal park-and-ride facility and, as a result, the transit fleet
will be modernized, and the park-and-ride facility will allow hundreds
of commuters to make more efficient, safe, and timely transit
connections. (See table 3.) Thus, we determined that this description
met our transparency criteria.
Table 3: Example of a Description of an Award That Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
Recipient name: Napa County Transportation & Planning Agency;
Project name: Purchase 4 hybrid buses and construct multi-modal Park
and Ride Facility;
Award description: Invest in Public Transportation--Replace four 15+
yeal [sic] old diesel buses with new, clean air, gasoline/electirc
[sic] hybrid buses. In addition, funds will be used to construct a
multi-modal Park and Ride facility featuring: commuter parking,
transit hub, bicycle accommodations [sic], and a potential future rail
platform. Green building elements (such as solar power) will be
incorporated into the design;
Project description: This grant will allow for the modernization of
the transit fleet with the purchase of 4 gasoline/electric hybrid
vehicles. In addition, once the multi-modal Park and Ride lot is
constructed, hundreds of residents/commuters a day will be able to
make more efficient, safe and timely transit connections;
Project activity description: Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit
Systems;
Award type: Grants;
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported);
Place of performance ” city, state, and postal code:
Napa, CA:
94559-2912;
Award amount: $2,779,727.00;
Project status: Not Started;
Award number: CA-96-X069-00.
Source: Recovery.gov.
[End of table]
Other recipient-reported information was less transparent and
partially met our transparency criteria. For example, a weatherization
program description for the Commonwealth of Virginia partially met our
transparency criteria because it contained some, but not all of the
attributes needed to make the use of funds transparent to the public.
(See table 4.) For example, the description did not provide
information on the scope of the award because it did not indicate how
many homes would be weatherized in the state. From publicly available
information on other federal and state Web sites, we found information
that would have made this description more complete. Specifically, we
found that approximately 9,193 homes throughout the state of Virginia
will undergo weatherization activities such as tests for carbon
monoxide, heating/cooling equipment inspection and repair, domestic
water heater insulation, and refrigerator and stove replacement. (The
extent to which federal agency and state agency Recovery Act Web sites
have material that supplement Recovery.gov recipient-reported
information is discussed later in this section.)
Table 4: Example of a Description of an Award That Partially Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
Recipient name: Housing And Community Development, Virginia Dept Of;
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons;
Award description: To improve home energy efficiency for low-income
families through the most cost-effective measures possible;
Project description: Sub-awardees were expected to complete ramp-up
activities. This includes the purchase of additional or upgraded
vehicles and equipment, hiring of additional personnel, identifying
additional new beneficiaries and limited production increases;
Project activity description Weatherization Award type: Grants;
Place of performance - street address (optional field):
600 East Main Street, The Main Street Centre;
Place of performance ” city, state, and postal code:
Richmond, VA 23219-2430;
Award amount: $94,134,276.00
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed;
Award number: DE-EE0000193.
Source: Recovery.gov.
[End of table]
Finally, some recipient-reported information contained little or no
information on what funds are being spent on and what outcomes are
expected. These did not meet our transparency criteria. For example
information reported by the State of Michigan for a highway project
did not describe the location of the roadway or the extent of the
project, and used technical terminology to describe the nature of the
project”-chip sealine”-[Footnote 24] that is not likely to be familiar
to the general public. (See table 5.) As a result, this description
did not meet our transparency criteria. From publicly available
information on other federal and state Web sites, we found information
that would have made this description more understandable and clearer.
Specifically, we found that the award supports pavement improvement
activities to resurface 7.8 miles of Featherstone Road from M-66 to
Engle Road north of Sturgis. The award will result in improved driving
quality by making the road smoother.
Table 5: Example of a Description of an Award That Did Not Meet Our
Transparency Criteria:
Recipient name: Transportation, Michigan Department Of;
Project name: Single Course Chip Seal;
Award description: Single Course Chip Seal;
Project description: To improve the transportation infrastructure and
the economic development capacity of the State;
Project activity description: Power and Communication Line and Related
Structures Construction;
Award type: Grants;
Place of performance - street address (optional field):
425 West Ottawa Street;
Place of performance ” city, state, and postal code:
Lansing, MI 48933-1532;
Award amount: $86,617.00;
Project status: Not Started;
Award number: 1078007.
Source: Recovery.gov.
[End of table]
For more information on the transparency results for each program, as
well as our assessment of each of the 467 awards that we reviewed, see
appendixes I-XI.
Two key factors may have contributed”positively or negatively”to the
transparency of the award descriptions we assessed from Recovery.gov,
although we cannot directly correlate our specific transparency
results to these factors.
Guidance:
Most notably, the guidance provided may have played a role in the
degree to which recipients transparently described their awards. As
noted in the previous section, OMB's guidance for reporting
information on the uses of an award is unclear, which could have
prevented some recipients from meeting some or all of our criteria in
the transparency assessment. In addition, the type of assistance”
program-specific guidance or technical assistance”as well as the level
of detail, which varied across agencies, may have played a role in the
extent to which awards met our transparency criteria.
* Some agencies supplemented OMB's high-level guidance with program-
specific technical assistance on how to meet OMB's reporting
requirements, including specific instructions on what to write in the
narrative fields. For example, FTA annotated OMB's guidance with
program-specific instructions and examples for all the reporting
fields in FederalReporting.gov. In the project description field, FTA
suggested that recipients "describe the specific outputs and outcomes
that will result from the grant. This entry should include
quantitative information about the activities conducted and items
purchased under the grant." For the most part, the programs in our
review for which agencies provided program-specific guidance or
technical assistance”Highway Infrastructure Investment, Transit
Capital Assistance, and Geothermal Technologies Program”tended to have
more transparent descriptions. However, other program-specific
factors, such as grant applications that involved creating project
descriptions for public dissemination in advance of award selection,
may have also played a role in the degree to which such descriptions
met our transparency criteria. For example, when some applications
required recipients to create project descriptions for public
dissemination in advance of award selection, such as in the Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program, the recipients may have been more
prepared to describe their awards in the narrative fields. For
additional information by program, see appendixes I-XI.
* Other agencies we reviewed only provided general reporting
assistance to recipients, primarily by disseminating OMB's guidance to
help Page 20 GA0-10-581 Recovery Act Transparency recipients navigate
OMB's reporting requirements. However, this assistance did not
necessarily include specific clarification or instructions for
completing narrative fields. For example, the Department of Energy
provides technical assistance to Weatherization Assistance Program
recipients that, for the most part, summarizes OMB's guidance. The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) distributes OMB's guidance and
provides recipient reporting assistance through each of its field
offices, which in turn, determines how to disseminate guidance to
recipients. In one FAA field office, a contractor hired to oversee
Recovery Act efforts distributed information and guidance to every
airport in the region by e-mail. For the most part, the programs in
our review that only provided general reporting assistance to
recipients, mostly through disseminating OMB's guidance”Weatherization
Assistance Program, Grants-in-Aid for Airports, and the Federal
Buildings Fund”tended to have less transparent descriptions. However,
other factors, such as the level of experience of the recipients in
reporting on government awards, may have also played a role in the
degree to which such descriptions met our transparency criteria. For
additional information by program, see appendixes I-XI.
Data Quality Reviews:
Federal agencies' data quality reviews may also have played a role in
the extent to which some recipients met our transparency criteria.
OMB's guidance requires that federal agencies conduct data quality
reviews to address two key data problems”material omissions and
significant reporting errors”but does not specify methodologies for
such reviews.[Footnote 25] However, OMB does require federal agencies
to develop data quality plans to articulate how they intend to detect
and correct material omissions and significant reporting errors.
[Footnote 26] OMB officials told us that given the limited amount of
time federal agencies have to conduct these reviews, identifying
misleading or erroneous information must take priority. Officials from
almost all of the programs included in this review that had awarded
funds for the second reporting round told us that they conduct
automated checks of data, specifically of the numerical fields. For
example, Department of Energy officials told us that they ensure the
quality of recipient reported data for the Weatherization Assistance
Program primarily through an automated analysis of key data fields,
including the award number, recipient name, award amount, and jobs
calculated. In a few cases, they also manually review the data for
other anomalies. However, officials from some of the programs included
in our review told us they did not typically review the information
provided in narrative fields, and, of the three programs that do, none
had a systematic process in place to evaluate the accuracy or
transparency of the information. For example, FHWA officials told us
that they "spot check" the information for significant errors because
of the volume of awards”-over 10,000”-in their program.
In light of the importance of the quality of the Recovery Act data,
the Recovery Board has worked with federal Inspectors General to
establish a multiphased review process to look at the quality of the
data submitted by Recovery Act recipients. To date, this process has
focused on (1) whether agencies developed data quality reviews in
anticipation of the data to be submitted and (2) identified data
errors and omissions in recipients' first cycle reports and factors
that may have contributed to them and the actions taken by agencies,
OMB, and the Recovery Board to improve the quality of the data that
recipients will submit in future reporting cycles. The resulting
report did not comment on the quality of the data in the narrative
fields. According to the Recovery Board, future reports will focus on
the effectiveness of the agency data quality review processes. For
information on each agency's data quality reviews, see appendix XII.
Federal and State Web Sites and Other Public Sources Provide Some
Information to Supplement Recovery.gov, but the Level of Detail Varies:
Recovery.gov includes award information on Recovery Act spending from
both recipients and agencies, as well as various other required agency
reports, including agency-specific Recovery Act plans and weekly
financial and activity reports.[Footnote 27] Aside from the
information on Recovery.gov, descriptive information on the uses of
awards is available through other resources.
At the federal level, agency Web sites provide information on Recovery
Act activities as required by OMB's guidance.[Footnote 28] The level
and type of award information provided on agency Web sites varies
across the programs we reviewed. For example, FHWA has a link to a
spreadsheet on its Web site that provides information such as the
location and obligation amount for each award, as well as a short
description. The Geothermal Technologies Program Web site has detailed
information on each project, including the technology type, recipient
name, location, objectives, description, and targets/milestones.
The Recovery Act did not require states to establish Web sites to
provide Recovery Act information. However, all 50 states and the
District of Columbia do post some information on their state-specific
Recovery Act Web sites. As with the federal agency Web sites, however,
the state Web sites provide varying levels of detail. For example, the
New York State Recovery Act Web site, NYWorks (www.recovery.ny.gov),
details how the state of New York is spending its Recovery Act funds
through a map that provides specific information on each project that
has been announced. In addition, the Web site provides links to over
40 other federal, state, and local entities that have additional
information on Recovery Act spending. Mississippi's Recovery Act Web
site (www.stimulus.ms.gov) provides links to federal guidance and the
recipient reports for projects in the state, but it does not provide
additional information on a project-by-project basis beyond what is
published on Recovery.gov. In some cases, state auditors have also
developed Web pages or sites to provide information to the public on
the oversight and monitoring of Recovery Act spending.
In addition to federal and state Web sites, information on the uses of
Recovery Act funds can be found on some recipients' Web sites and in
other publicly available documents. For example, the Ohio Department
of Transportation has a one-page description and photo for most
recovery projects that provides detail on the activities and outcomes
of that project, as well the expected completion date. Likewise, 36 of
the 58 states, territories, and tribes receiving Recovery Act funds
through the Weatherization Assistance Program have their
weatherization plans on their Web sites. The Department of Energy
requires all states, territories, and tribes to create these plans to
outline how they will use weatherization funds, including Recovery Act
funds.
Program Officials and Recipients Reported Differing Degrees of Citizen
Feedback on Publicly Available Information:
For the most part, the officials we spoke with said they are not
systematically tracking the citizen feedback that they have received
on publicly available award information. The Recovery Board tracks the
total number of comments received on Recovery.gov”it receives about
125 to 200 e-mails per week”but does not categorize the e-mails by
type of comment. However, Recovery Board officials told us that they
plan to begin linking e-mails to specific projects in the future. OMB
officials told us that the information published from the first round
of reporting received public scrutiny and commentary, which they
viewed as evidence that the transparency and reporting processes for
the Recovery Act are working effectively. In fact, based on the
comments OMB received, the agency added an automated check to
FederalReporting.gov to ensure that certain numerical fields, such as
zip codes or congressional districts, were correctly entered.
In general, federal agency officials told us that they have received
some feedback on Recovery Act awards and the award information made
available to the public. Officials from the Weatherization Assistance
Program and Grants-in-Aid for Airports Program told us that the public
has provided little feedback on awards and the award information made
available to the public, while Geothermal Technologies Program
officials told us that the public and media have provided positive
feedback on the program's Web site, which provides detailed
information on each project. According to officials at a few agencies,
many public inquiries on the Recovery Act addressed the availability
of funding and jobs, not individual awards. According to FHWA
officials, the agency has no baseline information for comparing the
feedback on Recovery Act awards with comments on awards made before
the Recovery Act, because they did not previously track feedback on
project information they provided to the public.
Conclusions:
The administration faced a daunting task in simultaneously putting in
place ways to spend large sums of Recovery Act funds that required, in
some instances, developing new programs and, in others, significantly
expanding the size of existing ones, while also seeking to make these
efforts more transparent to the public than previous efforts had been.
Although OMB initially focused on quickly designing a reporting system
that covered a vast array of Recovery Act programs delivered in
different ways, now that such requirements are largely in place, OMB
can begin focusing on other important aspects of its transparency
efforts. Specifically, ensuring that the narrative portions of
Recovery.gov award descriptions prepared by recipients are
understandable is an important aspect of OMB's transparency effort.
These descriptions provide a key mechanism through which the public
can understand clearly how their tax dollars are being spent and what
is likely to be achieved from these expenditures.
Looking forward, OMB has an opportunity to improve the transparency of
the recipient-reported narrative information on Recovery.gov by
revising its guidance to remedy the problems we found. Assuredly, the
more difficult task is having tens of thousands of recipients follow
this guidance and report on their awards in a way intended by the act
and the administration. In our view, one promising approach is for OMB
to work with the executive departments and agencies that seek to
provide supplemental guidance on narrative description information. In
doing so, OMB can use its central position to further mission
agencies' efforts to tailor resulting guidance to their individual
situations in a way that furthers the transparency goals discussed in
this report. A second approach is for OMB, in partnership with federal
agencies, to periodically review the descriptions of awards submitted
by recipients and to work with the Recovery Board on the board's
assessments of agencies' data quality reviews to gain a sense of
whether the information reported is meeting the administration's
expectations.
We are not making recommendations to individual agencies at this time
because we believe that there are actions that OMB can take which may
lead to substantial improvements in recipient reporting of narrative
information. However, as we continue to monitor OMB's efforts to
achieve transparent Recovery Act spending, we will reassess, as
needed, whether actions in these areas are needed.
Recommendations for Executive Action:
To further the goals of public understanding of what Recovery Act
funds are being spent on and what results are expected, we recommend
that the Director, Office of Management and Budget, take the following
three actions:
* Revise OMB's recipient reporting guidance, including the Recipient
Reporting Data Model, to provide recipients with clearer general
instructions and examples for narrative fields aimed at fostering more
complete information on the uses of funds and expected outcomes.
* Work with executive departments and agencies to determine (1)
whether supplemental guidance is needed to meet, in a reasonable and
cost-effective way, the intent of the Recovery Act for reporting on
projects and activities and (2) whether that supplemental guidance or
other agency-proposed technical assistance dealing with narrative
descriptions of awards provides for transparent descriptions of funded
activities.
* Periodically (1) review, in partnership with executive departments
and agencies, the descriptions of awards”in particular, the narrative
fields”submitted by recipients to determine whether the information
provides a basic understanding of the uses of the funds and the
expected outcomes, and, if not, determine what actions to take,
including encouraging agencies to develop or improve program-specific
guidance and (2) work with the Recovery Board on the board's
assessments of departments' and agencies' data quality reviews to
ensure the adequacy of these reviews and further reinforce actions to
meet transparency goals.
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
We provided a draft of this report to the Office of Management and
Budget; the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, and
Transportation; the Corps of Engineers; and the General Services
Administration for their review and comment. OMB officials agreed with
our recommendations. The officials stated that our report would be
enhanced if it better communicated information in three areas. First,
regarding our findings on transparency, the large "partially met"
category contains awards that have a substantial amount of the
information needed to understand what funds are being spent on and
what outcomes are expected as well awards that contained sufficient
information on only a few attributes. Second, OMB asked that we
recognize the need to balance more extensive reporting with the effort
needed to comply with that reporting. Third, OMB officials suggested
that we state more clearly that we assessed the transparency of award
information collectively”that is, from reviewing the 12 data fields as
a whole rather than from looking at the information contained in each
field individually”since some information that might not appear in one
data field could show up in another field. We revised our report to
better communicate these aspects. The officials also provided
technical and clarifying comments, many of which we incorporated.
For the most part, the other agencies' comments were limited to
technical and clarifying comments, which we incorporated where
appropriate. In its technical comments, the Department of
Transportation provided a general comment from FM that the transit
administration believed that many of the award descriptions for
transit projects that we assessed as partially meeting our
transparency criteria could have been assessed as meeting the
criteria. Given the procedures that we used to make our assessment, we
remain confident that these assessments were fair and accurate. We do
note that providing narrative information is a learning experience,
with recipients having opportunities in subsequent reporting rounds to
improve their narrative material to be more transparent. Finally, the
Department of Commerce provided a letter in which it detailed a number
of ways that it undertook to achieve transparency for its Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program. (See appendix XV.)
As arranged with your office, unless you publicly announce its
contents earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until
30 days after the date of this letter. At that time, we will send
copies to congressional committees and subcommittees with
responsibilities for the programs discussed in this report; the
Director, Office of Management and Budget; and the Secretaries of the
agencies discussed in this report. In addition, this report will be
available at no charge on GAO's Web site at [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov].
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please
contact Katherine Siggerud at (202) 512-2834 or siggerudk@gao.gov for
buildings, telecommunications and transportation issues, Patricia
Dalton at (202) 5123841 or daltonp@gao.gov for energy and Army Corps
of Engineers issues. Contact points for our Offices of Congressional
Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this
report. Contributors to this report are listed in appendix XVI.
Sincerely yours,
Signed by:
Gene L. Dodaro:
Acting Comptroller General of the United States:
[End of section]
Appendix I: Broadband Initiatives Program:
Within the Department of Agriculture, the Rural Utilities Service's
Broadband Initiatives Program makes funding available for broadband
infrastructure projects in rural areas that lack sufficient access to
high-speed broadband service. The Recovery Act provides $2.5 billion
of budget authority for the Rural Utilities Service to extend grants,
loans, and loan/grant combinations to projects for the purpose of
facilitating broadband deployment in rural communities. Through the
use of loans, the Rural Utilities Service can support a principal
amount exceeding the appropriation.[Footnote 29]
On July 9, 2009, the Rural Utilities Service and the Department of
Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) released a joint Notice of Funds Availability detailing the
requirements, rules, and procedures for applying for broadband
funding.[Footnote 30] Under this funding notice, the Rural Utilities
Service received 401 applications requesting nearly $5 billion, and
another 833 applications were joint applications to the Broadband
Initiative Program and NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program totaling nearly $13 billion.
Broadband grants and loans fall into several first round project
categories:
* Last Mile projects. Up to $1.2 billion was available for last mile
infrastructure projects in remote and non-remote areas. A "last-mile"
project is defined as any broadband infrastructure project that
provides service to end users or end user devices. A remote area is an
unserved, rural area 50 miles from the limits of a nonrural area, and
an unserved area is defined as a proposed service area composed of one
or more contiguous census blocks, where at least 90 percent of
households in the proposed funded service area lack access to
facilities-based, terrestrial broadband service.[Footnote 31]
* Middle Mile projects. Up to $800 million was available for Middle
Mile projects. A Middle Mile project is defined as a broadband
infrastructure project that does not predominantly provide broadband
service to end users or to end user devices, and may include
interoffice transport, backhaul, Internet connectivity, or special
access.
The Rural Utilities Service released a separate second funding round
notice on January 22, 2010.[Footnote 32] Under this second funding
notice, the Rural Utilities Service received a total of 776
applications requesting nearly $11.2 billion. The second funding
notice retained funding for Last Mile and Middle Mile projects, but
eliminated the funding category for Last Mile Remote projects. Several
new categories have been established for satellite, rural library
broadband, and technical assistance, as described below:
* Last Mile projects. Up to $1.7 billion is available for loans or
loan/grant combinations.
* Middle Mile. Up to $300 million is available for loans or loan/grant
combinations.
* Satellite, rural library broadband, and technical assistance
projects. Up to $100 million is available in grants for satellite
projects, as well as any and all funds not obligated for Last Mile and
Middle Mile projects, and up to $5 million is available in grants for
connecting rural libraries and developing regional broadband
development strategies in rural areas.
Second round awards are expected to be announced starting in June 2010.
Nature and Type of Rural Utilities Service Broadband Projects:
In the first round, the Rural Utilities Service announced over $1
billion in grants and loans for 68 broadband projects in 31 states,
one territory, and 17 tribal lands and Alaska Native regions.
According to the Department of Agriculture, these projects will make
high-speed Internet available to an estimated 529,000 households and
96,000 rural businesses and public facilities. Of the 68 awarded
projects, 49 are for Last Mile non-Remote areas, 13 are for Last Mile
Remote areas, and 6 are for Middle Mile projects. As of May 3, 2010,
the agency had obligated nearly $250 million for 26 of the 68 awards.
There have been no program expenditures to date.
The projects selected include a range of efforts to bring high-speed
Internet to remote and rural communities that currently have little or
no access to broadband technology. Funding has been awarded to a range
of providers--small telecommunications companies, wireless providers,
and rural electric and telephone providers--to build networks in rural
areas. These projects feature a variety of Internet technologies,
including wireline and wireless, and are expected to provide Internet
connectivity to homes, business, and anchor institutions in rural
communities.
No Basis to Judge Broadband Awards for Transparency:
Since no grant or loan money had been obligated to recipients as of
December 31, 2009, there were no awards reported on Recovery.gov for
the second reporting round.
Prospective Agency Guidance and Other Factors That May Affect
Transparency of Reported Information:
The Rural Utilities Service did not issue supplemental technical
assistance to recipients to augment the Office of Management and
Budget's (OMB) guidance on recipient reporting. Because Broadband
Initiatives Program funds have not yet been expended, recipient
reporting for the program will not occur until July 2010. Therefore,
the agency does not have experience with how well OMB's guidance
ensures that the public has accurate information. Based on information
that the Rural Utilities Service received in the first funding round,
the agency developed enhanced application guide procedures and
developed more comprehensive forms for the applicant's use that should
enable an applicant to submit better data.
The agency held a series of workshops together with NTIA in July 2009
and January 2010 coinciding with the first and second funding round
notices and agency officials said that they will be hosting upcoming
workshops to discuss compliance and reporting requirements.[Footnote
33]
Other Ways Award Information Is Made Available to the Public:
The Rural Utilities Service makes broadband stimulus project
information available to the public in several forms, including the
following:
* Department of Agriculture Web site (www.usda.gov/recovery). This Web
site includes an overview of all Recovery Act funds provided to the
Department of Agriculture and a Recovery Act project map that provides
the award recipient, type, and amount, among other things, for all
departmental awards. The agency also publishes a blog for each state
(linked to the project map), with an entry that briefly describes each
award and provides a venue for public feedback.
* Broadband USA (www.broadbandusa.gov). This joint Rural Utilities
Service/NTIA broadband portal includes an information library on
Recovery Act broadband programs and an application database. The
database, which includes funded applications, provides information
such as the project type, proposed project area, description, and in
many cases, a project executive summary.
* Press releases (www.usda.gov/rus). On its site, the Rural Utilities
Service posts press releases announcing awards for the Broadband
Initiatives Program.
According to agency officials, there has been considerable interest
from various groups about projects funded by the Broadband Initiatives
Program. These comments range from full support for a project to
questions about why the agency made an award to a community. Officials
stated that, in most cases, the public is satisfied with the
information that has been made to the general public, but some groups
want more information than the Rural Utilities Service can make
available, such as proprietary information about the award recipient.
The agency plans to make all information available to the public in
conformance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
[End of section]
Appendix II: Broadband Technology Opportunities Program:
Within the Department of Commerce, the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program makes grant funding available to a variety of entities for
broadband infrastructure, public computer centers, and innovative
projects to stimulate demand for, and adoption of, broadband. Of the
$4.7 billion appropriated for the program, up to $350 million was also
available for the State Broadband Data and Development Program
pursuant to the Broadband Data Improvement Act for the purpose of
developing and maintaining a nationwide map featuring the availability
of broadband data.
On July 9, 2009, NTIA and the Department of Agriculture's Rural
Utilities Service released a joint Notice of Funds Availability
detailing the requirements, rules, and procedures for applying for
broadband funding.[Footnote 34] Under this funding notice, NTIA
received 260 applications requesting over $5.4 billion to fund
broadband infrastructure projects in unserved and underserved areas.
In addition, parties filed more than 320 applications with NTIA
requesting nearly $2.5 billion in grants for projects that promote
sustainable demand for broadband services and more than 360
applications with NTIA requesting more than $1.9 billion in grants for
public computer centers. Parties submitted another 833 joint
applications to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and the
Rural Utilities Service's Broadband Initiatives Program requesting
nearly $13 billion for broadband infrastructure projects.
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program funds were available
through the following three categories of eligible projects during the
first round:
* Broadband Infrastructure. Up to $1.2 billion was available for
Broadband Infrastructure projects. This category consists of two
components--Last Mile and Middle Mile--and funds projects to deliver
access to unserved and underserved areas. An "unserved" area is
defined as one or more contiguous census blocks, where at least 90
percent of households in the proposed funded service area lack access
to facilities-based, terrestrial broadband service. An "underserved"
area is defined as one or more contiguous census blocks where (1) no
more than 50 percent of the households have access to facilities-
based, terrestrial broadband service; (2) the rate of broadband
adoption is 40 percent of households or less; and (3) no service
provider advertises broadband speeds of at least 3 megabits per second
("mbps").
* Public Computer Centers. Up to $50 million was available for
projects that expand public access to broadband service and enhance
broadband capacity at entities such as community colleges and public
libraries that permit the public to use these computing centers.
* Sustainable Broadband Adoption. Up to $150 million was available for
innovative projects that promote broadband demand, including projects
focused on providing broadband education, awareness, training, access,
equipment, or support, particularly among vulnerable population groups
that traditionally have underutilized broadband technology.
NTIA released a subsequent funding round notice on January 22,
2010.[Footnote 35] Under this second funding notice, the agency
received a total of 886 applications requesting a total of $11 billion
in funding. For the second funding notice, NTIA is adopting a
"comprehensive communities" approach as its top priority in awarding
infrastructure grants, focusing on Middle Mile projects that connect
community anchor institutions, such as libraries, hospitals, community
colleges, universities, and public safety institutions. The following
project categories are funded in the second funding round:
* Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects. Up to $2.35 billion
is available for broadband infrastructure projects that emphasize
Middle Mile broadband capabilities and new or substantially upgraded
connections to community anchor institutions, especially community
colleges. Under the second funding notice, a Middle Mile project is
defined as any component of a comprehensive community infrastructure
project that provides broadband service from one or more centralized
facilities (i.e., the central office, the cable headend, the wireless
switching station, or other equivalent centralized facility) to an
Internet point of presence.
* Public Computer Centers. At least $150 million is available to
provide broadband access to the general public or a specific
vulnerable population and must either create or expand a public
computer center or improve broadband service or connections at a
public computer center, including those at community colleges, that
meets a specific public need for broadband service.
* Sustainable Broadband Adoption. At least $100 million is available
to fund innovative projects that promote broadband demand, including
projects focused on providing broadband education, awareness,
training, access, equipment, or support, particularly among vulnerable
groups that traditionally have underutilized broadband technology.
Second round awards are expected to be announced starting in July 2010.
Nature and Type of Broadband Awards:
In the first funding round, NTIA awarded and obligated 82 Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program grants worth more than $1.2 billion.
As of May 10, 2010, more than $8.6 million had been expended; however,
NTIA officials said that more funds have been spent, but not yet drawn
down. NTIA has funded 49 infrastructure projects, 20 public computing
centers, and 13 sustainable broadband adoption projects in 45 states
and territories. In addition, NTIA has initially funded 54 broadband
mapping and planning grants in 50 states, three territories, and the
District of Columbia, totaling more than $100 million.
Over Half of Broadband Descriptions Met Our Transparency Criteria:
We assessed the transparency of descriptive information for broadband
awards available on Recovery.gov. We found that an estimated:
* 57 percent met our transparency criteria,
* 43 percent partially met our criteria, and:
* zero percent did not meet our criteria.[Footnote 36]
For broadband descriptions that partially met or did not meet our
criteria, we collected information necessary to make the descriptions
meet the transparency criteria. The descriptions of awards in our
sample, whether they met our transparency criteria, and additional
information that we found to complete the narrative descriptions are
provided at the end of this appendix.
Prospective Agency Guidance and Other Factors That May Affect
Transparency of Reported Information:
Since the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program is an entirely
new program, NTIA focused on developing application processes to
ensure the timely distribution of project funding. NTIA did not issue
supplemental technical assistance to recipients to augment OMB's
guidance on recipient reporting.
The agency held a series of workshops in July 2009 and January 2010
that coincided with the first and second funding round notices, and
agency officials said that they will be hosting upcoming workshops to
discuss compliance and oversight requirements. According to several
grant recipients that we spoke with, agency officials have been very
helpful in providing assistance throughout the application and
reporting process.
Other Ways Award Information Is Made Available to the Public:
NTIA makes broadband stimulus project information available to the
public in several forms. For example:
* NTIA Web site (www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/). On April 7, 2010,
NTIA launched a new Web site for current information on the Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program. The Web site includes sections on
Recovery Act grants awarded and grants management, as well as an
application database, and will make publicly available copies of
reports on award recipients' progress that contain detailed
descriptions of recipient activities. For each award, the agency posts
an award summary that includes the name, location, and amount of the
award, as well as a detailed description of the award activities and
outcomes.
* Broadband USA (www.broadbandusa.gov). This joint Rural Utilities
Service/NTIA broadband portal includes an information library on
Recovery Act broadband programs and an application database. The
database, which includes funded applications, provides information
such as the project type, proposed project area, description, and, in
many cases, a project executive summary.
* Press releases (www.ntia.doc.gov/press). NTIA also posts press
releases announcing awards for the Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program, including the mapping grants. These press releases typically
include short, narrative information on the awards.
In addition, award recipients are using a variety of methods to inform
the public about their projects, including company/institution Web
sites, press releases, and local news media reports. Award recipients
told us that they have received hundreds of phone calls or Web
inquiries from individuals who were looking for employment or vendors
who were attempting to sell goods or services to the award recipients.
According to agency officials, there has been considerable interest
from various groups about projects funded by the Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program. These comments range from full support for a
project to questions about why a project was funded in an area where
there may already be an incumbent broadband service provider.
Broadband Descriptions That Met Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award descriptions contained sufficient information on
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and
expected outcomes to meet our transparency criteria. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: State Library, Archives & Public Records, Arizona.
Project name: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - PCC - Arizona
Public Computer Centers.
Award description: The Arizona Public Computer Centers project plans
to enhance existing facilities in more than 80 public libraries
throughout Arizona. The project expects to deploy more than 1,000
computers across the state to meet the growing demand for public
computers and broadband access. The project intends for users to
access valuable e-resources and enable libraries to provide training
in 21st century skills. The Arizona State Library plans to partner
with a variety of government, not-for-profit, and tribal
organizations. The Arizona State Library expects 84 public computer
centers to serve more than 75,000 users per week or more than 450,000
residents throughout the term of the grant.
Project description; The Arizona Public Computer Centers project plans
to enhance existing facilities in more than 80 public libraries
throughout Arizona. The project expects to deploy more than 1,000
computers across the state to meet the growing demand for public
computers and broadband access. The project intends for users to
access valuable e-resources and enable libraries to provide training
in 21st century skills. The Arizona State Library plans to partner
with a variety of government, not-for-profit, and tribal
organizations. The Arizona State Library expects 84 public computer
centers to serve more than 75,000 users per week or more than 450,000
residents throughout the term of the grant.
Project activity description: Public, Society Benefit, General/Other.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Phoenix, AZ 85007-
2819.
Award amount: $1,278,528.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 04-42-B10001.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connect Arkansas Inc.
Project name: Connect-Arkansas State Broadband Data and Delivery
Program.
Award description: The Connect Arkansas State Broadband Data and
Delivery Program is a two year broadband mapping and community
strategic planning program funded by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. Connect Arkansas has proposed to supply a complete
set of broadband mapping data according to specifications set by NTIA
by March 1, 2010 while further developing state public access mapping
tools, maintaining current broadband coverage maps and engaging in
broadband community strategic planning within nine selected Arkansas
counties. This five year grant program will result in a comprenhensive
map that details the availability of broadband coverage in Arkansas as
well as several unserved and underserved counties enacting strategic
plans on building broadband usage/coverage.
Project description: Starting in September, Connect Arkansas began
reviewing the list of service providers offering broadband access
within the state and began contacting providers about the information
Connect would be requesting for the mapping program. Additionally,
Connect began reviewing and revising the NDA. Connect Arkansas also
began gathering county data and organizing efforts to begin the
planning process for the selected counties. In October, Connect
Arkansas's legal council completed the revised NDA, so Connect re-
issued the NDA to partnered providers. Connect also contacted all the
broadband providers with detailed information regarding the data being
requested by Connect Arkansas for the national and state maps. In
regards to the county mapping efforts, Connect Arkansas engaged the
Delta Center for Economic Development to organize planning committees
within the selected counties as well as assist in the collection of
data on how the internet is used within the counties. Upon the
official grant award announcement by NTIA in early November, Connect
Arkansas moved forward in hiring and additional GIS Specialist to
assist in the data collection and data mapping responsibilities needed
to complete the program deadlines. Additionally, Connect hired a
Compliance Officer to maintain Connect Arkansas's financial and legal
documentation for the duration of this program. During December,
Connect Arkansas purchased and implemented their Fixed Wireless
Propagation (EDX Signal) software and began mapping early submitted
data. The contract with Gadberry Group was signed and the organization
began their work with data analysis and manipulation. Connect Arkansas
also heavily engaged with the service providers and received 50
commitments from providers to submit data by January 4th. By December
31st, Connect Arkansas received data from five providers.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 200 South
Commerce, Suite 400.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Little Rock, AR
72201-1766.
Award amount: $2,081,238.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 05-50-M09009.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Public Utilities Commission, California.
Project name: Broadband mapping and planning.
Award description: For Broadband Mapping, CPUC is gathering and
verifying broadband data and creating a publicly available,
interactive web-based map that will display information about the
broadband services and providers available at each address throughout
California. For Broadband Planning, CPUC is partnering with the
California State University, Chico Research Foundation (CSU), to carry
out activities intended to increase broadband subscribership.
Project description: Broadband Mapping: collection of certain
broadband data from all broadband providers in California, specified
data verification tasks, GEO-coding, and creation and on-going
maintenance of a state-level broadband availability map. Data must be
collected, verified, geo-coded, and submitted to the NTIA twice yearly
for the entire duration of the broadband mapping portion of this Grant
Program. Broadband Planning: identify subscribership levels in order
to develop a plan to identify barriers to broadband adoption, develop
marketing and promotional material aimed at promoting broadband
adoption and usage, and work with broadband providers to encourage
high speed Internet services.
Project activity description; Engineering & Technology.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 505 Van Ness
Ave.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: San Francisco, CA
94102-3214.
Award amount: $2,343,760.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 06-50-M09001.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Governor's Office Of Information Technology, The.
Project name: State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program.
Award description: The State of Colorado Governor's Office of
Information Technology (OIT) is overseeing Colorado's State Broadband
Data and Development Program which will map broadband availability
across the state and provide the information regarding broadband
service required by the NTIA. OIT will verify this broadband service
data through a number of methods. The Broadband Data and Development
Program grant also includes a planning effort, funded through five
years. This planning program will start by working closely with local
stakeholders in several regions of the state to develop local
technology planning teams during the first two years of the grant
period. The teams will assess broadband demand and barriers to
adoption and will disseminate the broadband service information being
mapped. Successful methods in developing these teams' work will then
be generalized across the state over the last three years of the
funded planning period.
Project description: 12/30/09: Finalizing award documents, selection
and contract development of data contractor and defining positions to
be hired.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 601 East 18th
Avenue, Suite 250.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Denver, CO 80203-
1492.
Award amount: $2,108,975.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 08-50-M09032.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Technology & Information, Delaware Dept Of.
Project name: State Broadband Data and Development Grant.
Award description: The Delaware Department of Technology and
Information (DTI) was designated by Governor Markell as the Delaware
entity eligible to receive a federal grant under the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NITA) State
Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. DTI applied for
$1,069,922 to cover broadband mapping activities for the first 2
years, as well as $472,811 for broadband planning purposes. DTI will
oversee the broadband mapping data collection and verification,
including public anchor institution information, and the development
of an interactive state broadband inventory mapping system. The
resulting data will be presented to NITA per their specifications and
also made available to the public from a user friendly website. DTI
will leverage existing IT infrastructure, and will partner with the
University of Delaware's Information for Public Administration (UD-
IPA) to achieve the overall NTIA goals. The longer term broadband
planning activities will be carried out by DTI in partnership with UD-
IPA. Relationships will be built with Technology Planning Teams
comprised of representativies from local governments, small
businesses, and agricultural communities. These teams will be formed
in parallel with mapping activities and will continue for the full 5
years of the program. They will identify (1) broadband best practices
for their community: (2) issues affecting the deployment and full use
of broadband: and (3) potential projects to expand the use and
deployment of broadband in these communities.
Project description: DTI signed the approved grant on December
16,2009. Internal resources for the project have been assigned.
Initial meetings have been conducted within DTI and the Delaware
Office of Management and Budget to review reporting requirements. DTI
is currently working on finalizing the Statement of Work with vendor
to begin data collection.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 801 Silver
Lake Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Dover, DE 19904-
2247.
Award amount: $1,542,733.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 10-50-M09029.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Partnership For A Connected Illinois, The.
Project name: Connect Illinois Mapping and Planning.
Award description: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - SBDD - The
Partnership for a Connected Illinois, Inc. This project, conducted on
behalf of the State of Illinois, seeks to employ GIS toolsets and
experienced personnel to deliver comprehensive broadband mapping data,
develop state-level broadband maps, aid in the development and
maintenance of a national broadband map, and fund statewide
initiatives directed at broadband planning, in a manner compliant with
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration?s
(NTIA) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the State Broadband
Data and Development Grant Program. The ensuing deliverables will
include datasets as required by the NTIA as well as web-based,
interactive broadband maps to inform state and local government
officials, consumers, broadband providers, community development
organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders. This interactive
web site (www.ConnectIllinois.org) will be critical to ensure
accessibility of the broadband data, but it will also be key to
increasing awareness of the mapping program and the benefit of
broadband. It will also play an important role in ensuring local
verification of the mapping data. Data will be compiled directly from
network providers with protection to the proprietary aspects of that
data provided by non-disclosure agreements. Connect Illinois partner
Connected Nation will utilize the value of long-standing relationships
with providers to negotiate the non-disclosure agreements, receive
datasets from individual providers, develop comprehensive datasets of
Illinois providers of all platforms excluding satellite, then
incorporating those datasets into informative GIS mapping that will be
the first of its kind in Illinois. The end product of the mapping
activities will be that of a highly interactive and accessible mapping
suite called BroadbandSTAT. This product will allow easily functional
search activity at street levels and will be combined with U.S. Census
and research data to provide users with the ability to drill down to
neighborhoods, see which companies provide service in their areas,
determine the density of households and populations, and county-level
adoption rates. Also of great value will be the collection of datasets
reflecting the presence of community anchor institutions throughout
the state. Teams are already at work identifying the locations of
various health care providers, K-12 schools, public and private
colleges and universities, public safety answering points (PSAP?s),
fire departments, police departments, and ambulance services, and, to
the extent permissible, other local emergency services agencies.
Community anchor institution data, including connectivity information,
will be submitted as datasets to NTIA, but it will also be overlaid
within a mapping context to create a remarkable graphic depiction of
the locations of these critical connection points from a statewide to
a local level. Community anchor institutions tend to be key junctures
in the development of telecommunications systems nodes that provide
greater access to households and businesses in unserved and
underserved areas. Lastly, SBDD funding under this award will provide
for five years of planning activities that relate to the consistent
and steady communication of the ?messages? of the mapping products
throughout the state, including instruction on the use of the mapping
tools. Through strategic relationships with various organizations
including the Illinois Resource Network, the Governor?s Broadband
Deployment Council, the Illinois Library Association, the Illinois
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Connect
Illinois Broadband Resource Development Council, this project
envisions a steady flow of communication and information that will
ensure full statewide penetration of awareness of the mapping
artifacts and how to employ them at their best and highest uses. Teams
are already at work identifying the locations of various health care
providers, K-12 schools, public and private colleges and universities,
public safety answering points (PSAP?s), fire departments, police
departments, and ambulance services, and, to the extent permissible,
other local emergency services agencies. Community anchor institution
data, including connectivity information, will be submitted as
datasets to NTIA, but it will also be overlaid within a mapping
context to create a remarkable graphic depiction of the locations of
these critical connection points from a statewide to a local level.
Community anchor institutions tend to be key junctures in the
development of telecommunications systems nodes that provide greater
access to households and businesses in unserved and underserved areas.
Lastly, SBDD funding under this award will provide for five years of
planning activities that relate to the consistent and steady
communication of the 'messages' of the mapping products throughout the
state, including instruction on the use of the mapping tools. Through
strategic relationships with various organizations including the
Illinois Resource Network, the Governor's Broadband Deployment
Council, the Illinois Library Association, the Illinois Department of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Connect Illinois Broadband
Resource Development Council, this project envisions a steady flow of
communication and information that will ensure full statewide
penetration of awareness of the mapping artifacts and how to employ
them at their best and highest uses.
Project description: The performing partners of The Partnership for a
Connected Illinois, Inc. have been working diligently and proactively
during the fourth quarter of 2009 to produce the requisite datasets of
broadband availability in the state of Illinois. The federal award
notification sent to The Partnership was dated December 29, 2009. As
such, ASAP registration at this writing is incomplete. No funds have
been received or invoiced as yet. Not withstanding, work continues. A
total of 344 potential broadband providers in Illinois were
identified. Through further research and direct contact, that number
was pared to approximately 250. Non-disclosure agreements were
developed, submitted, negotiated, and signed. Data from providers of
various size and platform are now submitting data. Negotiations,
contacts, and research continues to increase the flow of data.
Foundational work has been accomplished in terms of identification and
location of community anchor institutions. Recruitment has begun by
one subcontractor to hire a researcher specifically assigned to
community anchor institution data development. A hire in this regard
is anticipated in the first two weeks of 2010. Demonstrations of the
BroadbandSTAT product described in the proposal have been made to
several state agencies. The combination of highly granular mapping and
research will be crucial to the information and development of a
statewide comprehensive broadband strategic plan. As described in the
Planning Outcomes section, the Illinois Resource Network has agreed to
prepare an online tutorial about the Illinois BroadbandSTAT product,
increasing access and user-friendliness. Hard work lies ahead, and the
performing partners of The Partnership for a Connected Illinois, Inc.
remain focused on meeting federal deadlines and providing the citizens
of Illinois with quality data, maps, research, education, and
broadband advocacy.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Partnership
for a Connected Illinois, Inc., 150 E. Pleasant Hill Rd, MC 6879.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Carbondale, IL
62903-6162.
Award amount: $1,845,511.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 17-50-M09033.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connected Nation, Inc.
Project name: State Broadband Data And Development Program.
Award description: Recipient DBA Name: Kansas. The State Broadband
Data Program is a competitive, merit-based matching grant program that
effects the joint purposes of the Recovery Act and the Broadband Data
Improvement Act (BDIA) by funding projects that collect comprehensive
and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop state-level
broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of a national
broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at broadband
planning.
Project description: Connect Kansas Progress to Date:
* Commenced with broadband planning efforts in late February 2009 and
included working groups among the public sector and provider
communities;
* Provided a number of staff hours in-kind to the planning effort;
* State of Kansas contracted with professional facilitators to help
with the initial organizing of the planning effort;
* Developed budget/finance cost model for Connect Kansas;
* Developed, distributed, reviewed and finalized project work plan and
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS);
* Assigned project team and distributed project organization chart;
* Developed and launched a Connect Kansas website to explain the
program and gather information from the consumer community;
* Prepared Project Kick-off Plan, Roles & Responsibilities, and
Outreach Plan;
* Created and implemented a outreach strategy;
* Scheduled periodic bi-weekly Connect Kansas project team meetings;
* Produced bi-weekly status reports, data collection activity log and
website statistics: and, distributed to the Connect Kansas project
team;
* Compiled and refined broadband provider list;
* Developed a broadband data collection activity log;
* Developed SBDD compliant Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA);
* Distributed NDAs to provider community;
* Executed NDAs with the provider community;
* Securely stored executed NDAs;
* Conducted webinars with provider community;
* Conducted demonstrations of the BroadbandSTAT product;
* Requested broadband coverage coordinate data sets from provider
community;
* Distributed broadband coverage data sets to GIS Mapping team for
processing.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1020 College
Street, P. O. Box 3448.
Place of performance-city, state, and postal code: Bowling Green, KY
42102-3448.
Award amount: $1,974,083.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 20-50-M09021.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Massachusetts Technology Park.
Project name: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 'SBDD'
'Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation dba MTC ('Mass Broadband
Institute')'.
Award description: The goal of the Massachusetts Broadband Mapping
Project is to develop detailed and accurate statewide broadband
availability and infrastructure datasets to support the development
and updating of a national broadband map that will be made available
to the public. This goal will be accomplished by: developing
collaborative relationships and data sharing agreements with broadband
providers to develop a broadband availability database: validating and
enhancing the provider database through the analysis of cable strand
maps, DSL-equipped central office and remote terminal locations and
wireless tower locations and various modeling methods based on the
transport technology: verifying broadband availability in the field
through a grassroots, civic engagement component using industry
experts, partner organizations, and public participation and: making
the data easily accessible and useable through an innovative web-based
map library, data repository, and searchable broadband map. The MBI
will collect, integrate, verify and submit five substantially complete
datasets to NTIA in the first quarter of 2010 with subsequent semi-
annual updates. A wireline broadband availability dataset will include
availability, technology and speed of wireline broadband services by
census block or street segment. A wireless broadband availability
dataset will include availability, technology, speed and spectrum of
wireless broadband services by census block or street segment. A
residential broadband speed dataset will include average nominal speed
for residential broadband users for each broadband service by
metropolitan and rural statistical areas. A middle-mile infrastructure
dataset will include location, ownership, technology, capacity and
typical speeds of interconnect points between broadband provider
services and the Internet. A community anchor institution dataset will
include address, current broadband subscribership, technology and
typical speed for each community anchor institution in the state
(e.g., public safety entities, medical and healthcare facilities,
libraries, state and local government entities, schools, community
colleges and other higher education buildings). The Massachusetts
Broadband Planning Project will identify barriers and assets to the
deployment of broadband infrastructure and broadband adoption and then
develop and implement innovative solutions to overcome barriers and
best utilize assets. These solutions include: developing and
supporting Local Technology Planning Teams and organizing outreach
efforts to engage, inform, and energize residents, businesses, and
public officials: supporting municipalities in making educated
decisions on broadband issues impacting their communities, including
technology, siting locations, zoning, and permitting: improving access
to broadband and increasing adoption rates by providing technical
assistance, support and coordination to the public, community anchor
institutions, municipalities, and providers and: facilitating the
development of public computing centers, training programs, and other
efforts to improve broadband access and adoption.
Project description: Quarterly activities for the Massachusetts
Broadband Mapping Project included: hiring staff and selecting
consultants: purchasing hardware and software: establishing
information security policies and procedures: requesting data from and
negotiating non-disclosure agreements with broadband service
providers: acquiring publicly available cable and DSL data: performing
cable and DSL availability modeling by census block: submitting
initial statewide availability datasets to the NTIA: and establishing
data verification and web site development plans. Quarterly activities
for the Massachusetts Broadband Planning Project included: approving a
sub-award to WesternMA Connect: developing a community contact
database: planning sub-regional public forums: and coordinating with
other broadband initiatives in western Massachusetts.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 75 North Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Westborough, MA
01581-9999.
Award amount: $2,069,078.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 25-50-M09017.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connected Nation, Inc.
Project name: State Broadband Data And Development Program.
Award description: Recipient DBA Name: Michigan. The State Broadband
Data Program is a competitive, merit-based matching grant program that
effects the joint purposes of the Recovery Act and the Broadband Data
Improvement Act (BDIA) by funding projects that collect comprehensive
and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop state-level
broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of a national
broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at broadband
planning.
Project description: Connect Michigan Progress to Date:
* Developed budget/finance cost model for Connect Michigan:
* Developed draft project work plan and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
* Assigned project team and distributed project organization chart:
* Developed and launched a Connect Michigan website to explain the
program and gather information from the consumer community:
* Prepared Project Kick-off Plan, Roles & Responsibilities, and
Outreach Plan:
* Conducted project kick-off meeting with public stakeholders:
* Scheduled periodic bi-weekly Connect Michigan project team meetings
* Compiled and refined broadband provider list:
* Conducted introductory meeting with broadband provider community:
* Developed a broadband data collection activity log:
* Developed SBDD compliant Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA):
* Distributed NDAs to provider community:
* Started execution of NDAs with the provider community:
* Securely stored executed NDAs:
* Conducted webinars with provider community:
* Conducted demonstrations of the BroadbandSTAT product:
* Requested broadband coverage coordinate data sets from provider
community:
* Distributed broadband coverage data sets to GIS Mapping team for
processing.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1020 College
Street, P.O. Box 3448.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bowling Green, KY
42102-3448.
Award amount: $1,765,754.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 26-50-M09035.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connected Nation, Inc.
Project name: State Broadband Data And Development Program.
Award description: Recipient DBA Name: Minnesota. The State Broadband
Data Program is a competitive, merit-based matching grant program that
effects the joint purposes of the Recovery Act and the Broadband Data
Improvement Act (BDIA) by funding projects that collect comprehensive
and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop state-level
broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of a national
broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at broadband
planning.
Project description: Connect Minnesota Progress to Date:
* Developed budget/finance cost model for Connect Minnesota:
* Developed draft project work plan and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
* Assigned project team:
* Developed and launched a Connect Minnesota website to explain the
program and gather information from the consumer community:
* Prepared Project Kick-off Plan, Roles & Responsibilities, and
Outreach Plan:
* Created draft communications strategy:
* Compiled and refined broadband provider list:
* Developed a broadband data collection activity log:
* Developed SBDD compliant Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA):
* Started distribution of NDAs to provider community:
* Scheduled demonstrations of the BroadbandSTAT product:
* Requested broadband coverage coordinate data sets from provider
community (National Providers in Minnesota):
* Distributed broadband coverage data sets to GIS Mapping team for
processing.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1020 College
Street, P. O. Box 3448.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bowling Green, KY
42102-3448.
Award amount: $1,708,864.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 27-50-M09043.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connected Nation, Inc.
Project name: State Broadband Data And Development Program.
Award description: Recipient DBA Name: Nevada. The State Broadband
Data Program is a competitive, merit-based matching grant program that
effects the joint purposes of the Recovery Act and the Broadband Data
Improvement Act (BDIA) by funding projects that collect comprehensive
and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop state-level
broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of a national
broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at broadband
planning.
Project description: Connect Nevada Progress to Date:
* Developed budget/finance cost model for Connect Nevada:
* Developed draft of project work plan and Work Breakdown Structure
(WBS):
* Assigned project team:
* Developed and launched a Connect Nevada website to explain the
program and gather information from the consumer community:
* Prepared Project Kick-off Plan, Roles & Responsibilities, & Outreach
Plan:
* Scheduled and participated in monthly Connect Nevada project team
meetings with the Nevada Broadband Task Force:
* Presented to the broadband providers association meetings:
* Compiled and refined broadband provider list:
* Developed a broadband data collection activity log:
* Developed SBDD compliant Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
* Started distribution of NDAs to provider community:
* Executed NDAs with the provider community:
* Securely stored executed NDAs:
* Conducted webinars with provider community:
* Conducted demonstrations of the BroadbandSTAT product:
* Requested broadband coverage coordinate data sets from provider
community (National Providers in Nevada):
* Distributed broadband coverage data sets to GIS Mapping team for
processing.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1020 College
Street, P. O. Box 3448.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bowling Green, KY
42102-3448.
Award amount: $1,428,326.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 32-50-M09056.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Cultural Affairs, New Mexico Department Of.
Project name: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - SBA - Fast
Forward New Mexico.
Award description: NM State Library, University of NM-Los Alamos,
Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship, and 1st Mile Institute
partner to sponsor 'Fast-Forward New Mexico, a broadband stimulus
initiative that integrates a statewide broadband awareness campaign, a
NM Broadband Conference, and a series of broadband training
initiatives in public and tribal libraries across the state. Trainings
are in computer literacy and e-commerce. A centralized website and on-
line catalog will support current and future trainings.
Project description: No activities during this quarter.
Project activity description: Public, Society Benefit, General/Other.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1209 Camino
Carlos Rey.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: SANTA FE, NM
87507-5166.
Award amount: $1,457,488.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 35-43-B10002.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Cyber Security & Critical Infrastructure Coordination,
NYS Office Of.
Project name: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - State Broadband
Data and Development Grant Program - NY State Office of Cyber Security
and Critical Infrastucture Coordination.
Award description: In keeping with the Recovery Act's direction that
NTIA develop and maintain a comprehensive and interactive national
broadband map, NTIA established a grant program where awardees will
collect broadband-related data and conduct planning programs at the
state level. In addition to supporting state level planning
activities, these data will be used to construct the following
deliverables: (1) Datasets detailing broadband availability,
technology, speed, infrastructure and in the case of wireless
broadband, the spectrum used, across New York State. (2) A dataset
identifying community anchor institutions and associated broadband
information. (3) Development of a statewide interactive broadband map
identifying available broadband service levels, providers, unserved
and underserved areas. Much of this data will be collected from
broadband service providers. Other data sources, existing and to be
created, will be used to validate the accuracy and completeness of
these deliverables.
Project description: The overall purpose and expected results of the
award are stated above in the Award Description Section. The following
is a summary of quarterly activities: (1) Reviewed grant documentation
and identified reporting requirements and deadlines: (2) Worked with
other NYS agencies to assemble a comprehensive list of companies that
potentially provide end user broadband services or provide
backbone/infrastructure related services. Contacted approximately 120
of these companies thus far in order to execute non-disclosure
agreements and begin the data collection process: (3) Began assembling
community anchor institutions dataset from existing and available
information: (4) Began procurement process to purchase required
hardware and software to complete the project: (5) Began development
of workflows to be used to standardize, cleanse, improve, geo-process
and validate data received from providers: (6) Began hiring process to
staff seven open project team positions. Three were hired in late
December but will not be calculated as jobs created until next
quarter: (7) Began mapping related planning activities in support of
the NYS Broadband Development and Deployment Council.
Project activity description: All Other Information Services.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 30 South Pearl
Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Albany, NY 12207-
3425.
Award amount: $2,548,101.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 36-50-M09010.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.
Project name: State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program.
Award description: The purpose of the project is to develop geographic
information system maps displaying levels of broadband service by
connection speed and type of technology used to integrate the maps
with demographic information to produce a comprehensive statewide
inventory and mapping of existing broadband service and capability.
Project will be compliant and consistent with requirements specified
by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) Notice of July 1, 2009 related to
the ARRA and Broadband Mapping, specifically the State Broadband Data
and Development Grant Program.
Project description: No activities to report for Qtr 4 - 2009 as grant
was awarded on 12/28/09.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 315 Iron Horse
Way, Suite 101.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Providence, RI
02908-5637.
Award amount: $1,542,660.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 44-50-M09052.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connected Nation, Inc.
Project name: State Broadband Data And Development Program.
Award description: Recipient DBA Name: South Carolina. The State
Broadband Data Program is a competitive, merit-based matching grant
program that effects the joint purposes of the Recovery Act and the
Broadband Data Improvement Act (BDIA) by funding projects that collect
comprehensive and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop
state-level broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of
a national broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at
broadband planning.
Project description: Connect South Carolina Progress to Date:
* Developed budget/finance cost model for Connect South Carolina:
* Developed draft project work plan and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
* Assigned project team:
* Developed and launched a Connect South Carolina website to explain
the program and gather information from the consumer community:
* Prepared Project Kick-off Plan, Roles & Responsibilities, and
Outreach Plan:
* Created a outreach strategy:
* Compiled and refined broadband provider list:
* Developed a broadband data collection activity log:
* Developed SBDD compliant Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
* Distributed NDAs to provider community (National):
* Executed NDAs with the provider community (National):
* Securely stored executed NDAs:
* Conducted webinars with provider community:
* Conducted demonstrations of the BroadbandSTAT product:
* Requested broadband coverage coordinate data sets from provider
community:
* Distributed broadband coverage data sets to GIS Mapping team for
processing.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1020 College
Street, P.O. Box 3448.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bowling Green, KY
42102-3448.
Award amount: $1,686,403.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 45-50-M09044.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Connected Tennessee, LLC.
Project name: State Broadband Data And Development Grant Program.
Award description: Recipient DBA Name: Tennessee. The State Broadband
Data Program is a competitive, merit-based matching grant program that
effects the joint purposes of the Recovery Act and the Broadband Data
Improvement Act (BDIA) by funding projects that collect comprehensive
and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, develop state-level
broadband maps, aid in the development and maintenance of a national
broadband map, and fund statewide initiatives directed at broadband
planning.
Project description: Connected Tennessee Progress to Date:
* Developed budget/finance cost model for Connected Tennessee:
* Developed draft project work plan and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
* Assigned project team and distributed project organization chart:
* Refined Connected Tennessee website to include Broadband Provider
page to explain the program and gather information from the provider
community:
* Prepared Project Kick-off Plan, Roles & Responsibilities, and
Communications Plan:
* Conducted project kick-off meeting with stakeholders:
* Scheduled periodic bi-weekly Connected Tennessee project team
meetings:
* Compiled and refined broadband provider list:
* Conducted introductory meeting with broadband provider community:
* Developed a broadband data collection activity log:
* Developed SBDD compliant Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA):
* Distributed NDAs to provider community:
* Started execution of NDAs with the provider community:
* Securely stored executed NDAs:
* Conducted webinars with provider community:
* Conducted demonstrations of the BroadbandSTAT product:
* Requested broadband coverage coordinate data sets from provider
community:
* Distributed broadband coverage data sets to GIS Mapping team for
processing.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 618 Church
Street Suite 305.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Nashville, TN
37219-2437.
Award amount: $1,757,502.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 47-50-M09041.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information.
Recipient name: Vermont Center For Geographic Information, Incorporated.
Project name: VT Broadband Mapping Initiative.
Award description: The VT Broadband Mapping Initiative will initiate
the development of a comprehensive and verified geographic inventory
of broadband service availability in the State of VT. Landline and
wireless services (fixed and mobile) will be mapped, including
wireless voice and data with information from providers and other
sources. The broadband mapping information collected and verified
through this proposed effort will then support the broadband
development objectives identified in the RUS Broadband Initiatives
Program (BIP) and NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
(BTOP) in VT. Most importantly, the geographic inventory will further
refine our understanding of the location of 'unserved' and
'underserved' areas, supporting targeted investments in these areas.
Project description: Comprehensive and verified geographic inventory
of broadband service availability in the State of VT.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 58 South Main
Street, Suite 2.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Waterbury, VT
05676-1559.
Award amount: $1,197,496.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 50-50-M09004.
[End of table]
Broadband Descriptions That Partially Met Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award descriptions did not contain sufficient details on
one or more of the following pieces of information necessary to
facilitate general understanding of the award, based on our criteria:
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, or expected
outcomes. In some cases, only a small amount of additional information
was needed, while in other cases, many pieces of information were
needed to make the description more transparent. The award description
information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did not edit it in
any way, such as to correct typographical or grammatical errors.
Recipient name: Technology Authority, Georgia.
Project name: ARRA SBDD Georgia Technology Authority (GTA).
Award description: ARRA SBDD Georgia Technology Authority(GTA) The
purpose of this project is to provide NTIA (Dept Commerce)and Georgia
Public/Private sector stakeholders with broadband mapping and data
collection, analysis, and broadband mapping display services for the
State of Georgia residents, businesses, and community anchor
institutions. The GTA Broadband office operations will utilize
planning funds to promote sustainable adoption throughout the state as
a part of this project's deliverable.
Project description: The Georgia Technology Authority is in the
process of selecting a vendor through a statement of need process with
qualified vendors. We expected to select a mapping vendor by the end
of January, 2010.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 47 Trinity
Avenue.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Atlanta, GA 30334-
9006.
Award amount: $2,193,700.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 13-50-M09046.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
supports broadband data collection, mapping, and planning activities
across Georgia over a 2-year period. Data on the availability, speed,
and location of broadband across the state will be collected and
verified on a semi-annual basis between 2009 and 2011. These data will
be used to develop publicly available state-wide broadband maps and to
inform the comprehensive, interactive, and searchable national
broadband map that the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) is required by the Recovery Act to create and
make publicly available by February 17, 2011.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Indiana Office Of Technology.
Project name: SBDD-Indiana Office of Technology.
Award description: Mapping Indiana Broadband is a project that will
collect, map, verify, and distribute data that will contribute to a
publicly available national broadband map to inform policymaker's
efforts and provide better information to consumers about the
availability of broadband Internet services.
Project description: State Broadbamd Data and Development Grant. Award
letter received.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 100 N Senate
Avenue IGCN551.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Indianapolis, IN
46204-2259.
Award amount: $1,266,269.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 18-50-M09003.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports collection of information from broadband providers across the
state.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Administration, Louisiana Division Of.
Project name: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act - SBDD - State of
Louisiana Division of Administration.
Award description: Louisiana State Broadband Data & Development Program
- Data Collection & Mapping: Louisiana State Broadband Data &
Development Program - Planning.
Project description: The intent of the award is to allow the State of
Louisiana to collect/verify statewide broadband availability and
submit the findings to the NTIA, according to the requirements
contained in the SBDD NOFA and its subsequent clarification. In this
reporting period, we completed our project kickoff meeting and
finalized our strategy for Service Provider Outreach.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1201 North 3rd
Street, Suite 2-130.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Baton Rouge, LA
70802-5243.
Award amount: $1,688,428.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 22-50-M09030.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
mapping activities including broadband availability data collection,
verification, mapping and analysis. These efforts are expected to
raise awareness of the availability of broadband, identify barriers to
adoption, and develop a plan for sustainable broadband adoption for
currently "underserved" and "unserved" businesses and households.
Further, these activities will increase coordination and collaboration
between the state and regional economic development efforts.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Boston, City Of.
Project name: Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
Award description: Overall Approach/How grant will increase Broadband
Adoption: The city's 3 partners who operate the 66 centers are
established community anchor organizations which provide multiple
services to constituents including public computing. PCCs are embedded
in multi-multiple services organizations providing ideal institutional
setting for reaching a large audience of potential broadband adopters.
These partners are: The Boston Pubic Library (BPL) and its 25
neighborhood branches: Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF),
Boston's largest youth and human services agency serving over 90,000
resident annually in 46 facilities including 29 PCCs: and the Boston
Housing Authority (BHA) operating 62 pubic housing sites, serving
11,500 household with 11 computers labs.
Project description: No fund spent on infrastructure.
Project activity description: Computer & Information Science.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): City of
Boston/Auditing Dept., One City Hall Sq. R-M-4.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Boston, MA 02201-
0000.
Award amount: $1,906,439.10.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 25-42-B10006.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The city is using
the award funds to wire 66 community centers and some public housing
within the City of Boston for Internet use and purchase a few hundred
computers for those centers. These activities will provide internet
access to low-income individuals who may not otherwise have access to
the Internet.
[End of table]
Recipient name: North Dakota, State Of.
Project name: ARRA-SBDD-North Dakota Information Technology Department.
Award description: $1,305,354 is for efforts related to mapping
broadband availability across the state and year two maintenance of
that data. $308,400 is for efforts related to broadband planning
activities to identify how the state could leverage current
organizational structure and relationships, either directly or
indirectly, to provide the broadband requirements for additional
anchor institutions.
Project description: No project activities occurred during this period.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award Type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bismarck, ND
58505-0100.
Award amount: $1,613,754.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 38-50-M09050.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports broadband planning activities, including drafting non-
disclosure agreements, a project plan, and a project schedule. The
award covers personnel salaries, travel expenses, and equipment
associated with this planning.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Executive Office State Of Ohio.
Project name: State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program.
Award description: State Broadband Data and Development program
grant - supports state broadband mapping and related planning
activities.
Project description: Award announced 12/28/09 - no activities to
report for quarter ending 12/31/09.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 30 E. Broad
Street, 39th Floor.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Columbus, OH
43215-6108.
Award amount: $1,772,739.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 39-50-M09039.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the development of a statewide map that will pinpoint areas
in Ohio that do not currently have access to broadband technology. The
activities under this award include collecting broadband data, to be
displayed in a national broadband map, and planning delivery of
broadband services.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Public Utility Commission, State Of Oregon.
Project name: State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program.
Award description: Governor Theodore Kulongoski designated the Public
Utility Commission of Oregon (PUC) as the single eligible entity to
receive a grant under the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) State Broadband Data and Development Grant
Program. The PUC was granted a $1,609,692 million Broadband Data
Collection and Mapping Grant and a $498,610 Broadband Planning Grant.
The OPUC selected One Economy through the state's 'Request for
Proposal' process to assist Oregon with fulfilling the requirements of
these Grant Programs.
Project description: None to date.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 550 Capitol St
NE, Suite 215.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Salem, OR 97308-
2148.
Award amount: $2,108,302.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 41-50-M09042.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the collection and mapping of specific data on broadband
infrastructure and the availability of broadband services throughout
Oregon, including on tribal lands. These data will identify unserved
and underserved areas at the most granular level possible: identify
community anchor points: be displayed on a publicly accessible and
interactive state Web site in the form of a broadband map: be updated
semi-annually through 2011: and be provided to the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). These data
will inform Oregon about the affordability, availability, and adoption
of broadband technology in all areas of the state. These data will
also provide information for analyzing and reporting on Oregon's use
of broadband technology in the telehealth industry and for energy
management, education and government. In year 2, additional data
collection efforts will provide fresh data that may show the effects
of any actions taken by the State of Oregon to address broadband
adoption or availability and allow for further development of state
broadband strategies.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Tincan.
Project name: Spokane Broadband Technology Alliane: Public Computer
Centers.
Award description: This Public Computer Centers project will provide
establish 17 public computer centers throughout the Spokane Washington
Area.
Project description: This is a newly awarded grant. During the 8 days
of the quarter the grant was active, we held a press conference,
notified stakeholders and partners, had front page coverage in the
local newspaper, and established a preliminary calendar.
Project activity description: Public, Society Benefit, General/Other.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 827 West First
Avenue, Suite 121.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Spokane, WA 99201-
3904.
Award amount: $1,283,641.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 53-42-B10004.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
provides 3 new and expands 14 existing public computer centers in
Spokane's poorest neighborhoods, and equips a vehicle to bring
computers and training to other organizations and hard-to-reach
populations. The training will cover basic Internet search training
and links to needed services, video production, and using the Internet
for small businesses. The award is anticipated to serve 298,906
unduplicated users.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Tincan.
Project name: Spokane Broadband Technology Alliane: Sustainable
Adoption.
Award description: This Sustainable Broadband Adoption project will
provide training to individuals and organizations throughout the
Spokane Washington Area. We estimate that we will train 12150 people
over the three years of the project, and that about 1550 will become
new broadband subscribers.
Project description: This is a newly awarded grant. During the 8 days
of the quarter the grant was active, we held a press conference,
notified stakeholders and partners, had front page coverage in the
local newspaper, and established a preliminary calendar.
Project activity description: Public, Society Benefit, General/Other.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 827 West First
Avenue, Suite 121.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Spokane, WA 99201-
3904.
Award amount: $980,591.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: 53-43-B10005.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports sustainable adoption of broadband services, which includes
acquiring broadband-related equipment, developing and providing
education and training programs, and conducting broadband-related
public outreach. The Sustainable Broadband Adoption project in Spokane
will provide training at 11 not-for-profit organizations and community
centers on the benefits of broadband access to enhance work/life
skills. Small businesses are being trained to create an online
presence, sell on the Internet, and use social media and low-cost,
targeted Web advertising. Additional training will be available at 6
public libraries.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Geological & Economic Survey, West Virginia.
Project name: ARRA-SBDD-WV Geological and Economic Survey.
Award description: The purpose of this program is to develop a
statewide broadband coverage map to provide a comprehensive picture of
current infrastructure deployment and availability of broadband
service in the State of West Virginia. Working with providers to
encourage the provision of service in unserved and underserved areas,
and engaging local entities to analyze current use of the technology
and educate on service expansion opportunities.
Project description: this quarter's activity was gathering data from
broadband service providers By the way, this is the message I get when
changing the number of jobs to 4, since we have not used federal funds
yet. ?If Number of Jobs is greater than 0, it cannot equal or exceed
Total Federal Amount ARRA Funds Received/Invoiced. ?If Number of Jobs
is greater than 0, it cannot equal or exceed Total Federal Amount of
ARRA Expenditure. ?If Number of Jobs is greater than 0, it cannot
equal or exceed Total Federal ARRA Infrastructure Expenditure.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1124 Smith St,
LM-10.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Charleston, WV
25301-1336.
Award amount: $1,404,674.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 54-50M09012.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the collection and verification of the availability, speed,
and location of broadband access across West Virginia. This
information will be mapped on a semi-annual basis from 2009-2011, and
the map will be used to increase broadband access and adoption through
better data collection and broadband planning.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Puget Sound Center Foundation For Teaching, Learning
And Technology, The.
Project name: Wyoming State Broadband Data and Development Grant.
Award description: Provide targeted, timely and useful information
that will enable local solutions to address local broadband priorities
for the State of Wyoming: Data Project Feasibility: Expedient Data
Delivery: Process for Repeated Data: Updating, Planning and
Collaboration.
Project description: In November and December 2009 the project was
initiated and the team assembled. Mapping project activities included
the execution of NDAs with all relevant providers and the development
and release of a broadband provider survey. This online survey was
designed to collect coverage and speed information in the format
requested by NTIA. Outbound e-mail and telephone calling efforts
helped encourage provider responses to the survey. Initial data
submissions were reviewed, normalized and stored in a master database.
In addition, consumer website templates were developed for the
ultimate delivery of statewide maps for Wyoming. Planning activities
included the establishment of planning objectives and state oversight
procedures. Initial interviews with stakeholders across the State of
Wyoming will begin in Q1 2010.
Project activity description: Engineering & Technology.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 19020 33rd
Avenue West Suite 210.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Lynnwood, WA
98036-4754.
Award amount: $1,792,805.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 56-50-M09016.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description; The award
supports the development of a statewide interactive map showing (1)
areas that do and do not have broadband access (or have limited
access), (2) transmission speeds, and (3) the type of access (e.g.,
wireless, cable, etc.) available. This information will be used to
help broadband providers apply for future infrastructure funding to
build capacity across the state of Wyoming.
[End of table]
Recipient name: South Dakota Network, LLC.
Project name: Project Connect South Dakota.
Award description: South Dakota Network,LLC, $20.6 million grant with
an additional $5.1 million matching funds to add 140 miles of backbone
network and 219 miles of middle mile spurs to existing network,
enabling the delivery of at least 10Mbps service to more than 220
existing anchor institution customers in rural and underserved areas
of the state.
Project description: Delivering 10 Megabit Connectivity for Community
Anchor Institutions in areas currently not served.
Project activity description: Power and Communication Line and Related
Structures Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Sioux Falls, SD
57104-2543.
Award amount: $20,572,242.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: NT10BIX5570003.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award is
being used throughout the state to add 140 miles of fiber optic cable
to an existing 1,850-mile network and an additional 219 miles of fiber
optic cable to connect anchor institutions (such as schools,
hospitals, and libraries) to the expanded network. Funds will be used
for fiber construction, equipment, and end-point electronics, plus
permitting and engineering fees.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Ion Holdco, LLC.
Project name: ION Upstate New York Rural Broadband Initiative.
Award description: ION will build 10 new segments for a total of 1308
plant miles of 'Middle Mile' infrastructure, which will incorporate
more than 70 additional rural communities into its current statewide
fiber backbone. ION will enhance its reach throughout rural New York
with its Open Network design: this will enable a host of last mile
service providers to bring their products and services to numerous
underserved and unserved areas of rural NY.
Project description: No activities this quarter we are in the planning
phase of the project.
Project activity description: Power and Communication Line and Related
Structures Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 80 State
Street, 7th floor.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Albany, NY 12207-
2543.
Award amount: $39,724,614.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: NT10BIX5570007.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
encompasses 10 projects to build Middle Mile infrastructure that will
bring broadband service to 125 anchor institutions. The project will
occur throughout the State of New York in a majority of the rural
areas of New York and parts of Pennsylvania and Vermont.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix III: Weatherization Assistance Program:
The Weatherization Assistance Program assists low-income families
while improving their health and safety, by making such long-term
energy-efficiency improvements to their homes as installing
insulation, sealing leaks, and modernizing heating equipment, air
circulation fans, and air-conditioning equipment. These improvements
enable families to reduce energy bills, allowing these households to
spend their money on more pressing needs, according to the Department
of Energy. In 2009, the Recovery Act provided $5 billion for the
program--increasing the department's portion for local weatherization
efforts by more than 20 times over a 2-year period based on fiscal
year 2008 funding levels--about $227.2 million per year. The
department distributes 58 awards to each of the 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and seven territories and American Indian tribes
(recipients) and relies on the recipients to administer the programs.
Nature and Type of Weatherization Assistance Program Awards:
The department had obligated approximately $4.73 billion of the
Recovery Act's weatherization funding to recipients for weatherization
activities as of March 31, 2010, retaining about 5 percent of the
funds to cover its expenses, such as those for training and technical
assistance, management, and oversight for the expanded Weatherization
Assistance Program. Funds are available for obligation until September
30, 2010, and the department has indicated that the recipients are to
spend the funds by March 31, 2012. As of March 31, 2010, recipients
had spent about $659 million, or about 14 percent of the $4.73 billion
obligated, to weatherize about 82,200 homes nationwide. Many
recipients are just beginning to use Recovery Act funding, in part
because certain federal requirements, such as Davis-Bacon wage
requirements, affected the ability of some agencies to start work in
programs, including the Weatherization Assistance Program,[Footnote
37] and because they have needed time to develop the infrastructures
required for managing the significant increase in weatherization
assistance funding.
About 12 percent of the Weatherization Assistance Program Descriptions
Met Our Transparency Criteria:
We assessed the transparency of descriptive information for
Weatherization Assistance Program awards on Recovery.gov, as described
in the report. We found that an estimated:
* about 12 percent met our transparency criteria,
* 71 percent partially met our criteria, and:
* 18 percent did not meet our criteria.[Footnote 38]
For weatherization descriptions that partially met or did not meet our
transparency criteria, we collected information necessary to make the
descriptions meet our criteria. The descriptions of awards in our
Weatherization Assistance Program sample, whether they met our
criteria, and information that would complete the descriptions of
award activities are provided at the end of this appendix.
Agency Guidance and Other Factors That May Affect Transparency of
Reported Information:
The department provided additional documentation to assist recipients
in fulfilling Recovery Act reporting requirements but did not assess
the quality of the information reported by recipients in narrative
reporting fields. The department issued supporting documentation on
the grant application process for the Weatherization Assistance
Program in March and December 2009.[Footnote 39] This documentation
includes information about requirements for a public hearing, budget,
and program oversight. The department also issued supporting
documentation twice in March 2010, providing additional information
about requirements for quarterly reporting and calculation of jobs
created.[Footnote 40] The supporting documentation is available on the
department's Web sites, as is a capability to search responses to
frequently asked questions.
The department also provided technical assistance restating the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements in the form of reporting
instructions and training for completing specific fields, including
narrative description fields, to fulfill Recovery Act reporting
requirements in December 2009.[Footnote 41] The department has made
its technical assistance available on the Weatherization Assistance
Program's technical assistance Web site, [hyperlink,
http://www.waptac.org], and has established a call center--the
Recovery Act Clearinghouse--to answer specific reporting questions
from recipients. This technical assistance includes some information
specific to the weatherization program, such as the definition of a
completed unit, but for the most part, restates OMB's guidance, as
shown in table 6 for the project description field.
Table 6: OMB Guidance and Department of Energy Technical Assistance
for Completing the Quarterly Activities/Project Description Field:
OMB guidance: "A description of the overall purpose and expected
outputs and outcomes or results of the award and first-tier
Subaward(s) (broadly stated) including significant deliverables and if
appropriate, units of measure;"
Department of Energy instructions: "A description of all significant
activities delivered and billed for the reporting period;"
Department of Energy training: "Just a brief description of the
overall purpose and expected results of the award".
Sources: OMB and the Department of Energy.
[End of table]
However, the department did not evaluate the quality of the
information in narrative fields. OMB's guidance, issued December 2009,
states that where a narrative description is required, as in the award
description field, the "description must be sufficiently clear to
facilitate understanding by the general public."[Footnote 42]
Department of Energy officials told us that the agency ensures the
quality of data primarily through an automated analysis of key data
fields, including award number, recipient name, award amount, and jobs
calculated, but not including narrative fields, such as award
description or project description. Instead, department officials said
every weatherization award has an assigned agency reviewer who may, at
his or her discretion, review the accuracy of any and all data
submitted by recipients. Department of Energy officials said that they
do not have a robust process for evaluating the quality of information
in descriptive fields because they do not consider the narrative
description fields key to reporting and could not automate a review of
narrative fields. Also, they noted that the limited scope of the
Weatherization Assistance Program ensures that narrative descriptions--
such as the award description--are sufficiently clear to be understood
by the general public.
Award Information Is Made Available to the Public in Other Ways:
Weatherization Assistance Program award information is made available
to the public by the department, recipients, and some local agencies:
* The Department of Energy maintains weatherization information and
data on its Web site at [hyperlink,
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/recovery_act.cfm] and
[hyperlink, http://www.energy.gov/recovery/]. It also maintains a Web
site housing technical assistance for recipients at [hyperlink,
http://www.waptac.org].
* Many of the 58 recipients have some weatherization information
available on their Web sites that, for example, describes the
assistance program, summarizing activities performed, eligibility
requirements, the application process, and contact information. In
some cases, the Web sites also provide greater detail on the program,
including the amount obligated to the recipient, the number of homes
weatherized, and the number of jobs created. In addition,
approximately 36 of 58 recipients post their weatherization plans on
their Web sites. These plans are required for each recipient receiving
weatherization assistance funds and outline how funds will be used.
Information available in the weatherization plans includes a
description of the types of weatherization activities that could be
performed, the counties or regions in which weatherization activities
will occur, the number of units to be weatherized, the budget for
weatherization activities, the community action agencies performing
weatherization activities, the energy savings expected, and monitoring
activities to ensure the quality of the weatherization activities
performed. In accordance with privacy guidance, the specific location
for individual homes weatherized is not reported. Several state
Offices of Inspector General have issued reports on the Weatherization
Assistance Program in their states. Furthermore, recipients also
provide weatherization award information through press releases,
hearings, public forums, and community meetings.
* Finally, many of the local agencies that provide weatherization
services directly to residents also make information available to the
public, through press releases, public service announcements,
community events, or Web sites.
Most of the feedback that the Department of Energy, recipients, or
local community action agencies have received about the Weatherization
Assistance Program has been about proposed regulations or
weatherization activities performed, and few comments have been about
the weatherization information available to the public. At the
department, many of the comments received relate to proposed
regulations on reporting frequency (and not to project description
information). Recipients have received comments and inquiries from
individuals wanting to apply for weatherization services or learn how
to get a job and from vendors wishing to market products. Inquiries
have also addressed how much money the recipient received, how many
homes will be weatherized and the total amount of funding to be spent
on each household---but not the accessibility of project description
information.
Weatherization Descriptions That Met Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award descriptions contained sufficient information on
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and
expected outcomes to meet our transparency criteria. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: Human Services, Michigan Department Of.
Project name: Recovery Act Weatherization Award for the state of
Michigan.
Award description: Michigan Department of Human Services has been
awarded stimulus funding from the U.S. Department of Energy
Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons in the amount
of $243 million dollars over the next three years. The State plan
includes changes in the Weatherization Program for year 2009: average
cost per unit maximum of $6,500, increase in income eligibility limits
to 200% of poverty or 60% of state median income, whichever is higher,
and program training plan. Changes in the plan also include the new
positions: 10 weatherization inspectors, report analyst, Davis Bacon
specialist, grant manager/monitor, fiscal monitor, division manager
and the secretary. Funding has been allocated to the 32 Community
Action Agencies and Limited Purpose Agencies that serve as Local
Weatherization Operators (LWOs) in Michigan under the existing
weatherization program. The funding is exclusively for weatherization,
which involves the installation of energy efficiency measures on low-
income homes. Applications are taken at Local Weatherization Operator
offices. Approximately 33,000 homes will be weatherized in Michigan
through March 2012 with the ARRA funding. Households generally realize
a 25% reduction in their energy usage as a result of weatherization.
Project description: We have hired 10 technical monitors and they have
attended and passed the Level I & II Michigan Inspector training. They
were all required to do field activities including 8 inspector
shadowing events and 8 inspections where they took the lead. They had
to prepare all required paperwork/audit materials for each of these 16
inspections and have submitted to supervision for review and comment.
They must next go through the final step in the inspector
certification process-the over-the-shoulder Inspector Observation
test. This will be scheduled in January. We have acquired two training
houses-one in the Upper Peninsula and one in Lansing. These houses are
being used to schedule over the shoulder inspection tests, as well as
hands on contractor trainings and lead safe weatherization training.
As of December 2009, we have trained 180 new program inspectors to
ensure an adequate number of inspectors statewide. We have also
conducted lead safe weatherization training for over 200
contractor/crew members. We continue to work with local community
colleges to adopt the DOE recommended curriculum for contractors/crews
that will enable ongoing classroom and hands on weatherization worker
training. In support of the program (and of the Jobs
Created/Saved/Retained) a total of 703 persons/jobs were supported, in
whole or in part, utilizing DOE ARRA funds generating 101,503 hours of
work. During this reporting period we have seen an increase in the
amount of ARRA funded work grow as new workers ramp up to start
projects. There will continue to be a lag between actual Funds
Received and actual Funds Disbursed due to the use of 'General Funds'
dollars to support the sub-recipient activities until Federal Funds
are drawn down to cover the actual expenditures reported.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 235 S. Grand
Ave., Suite 1314.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Lansing, MI 48933-
1805.
Award amount: $243,398,975.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000098.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Virgin Islands Energy Office.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for the Weatherization
Assistance Program (WAP): To reduce energy costs for low-income
families, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities and
children, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while
ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: In October VI WAP was still in the program
implementation stage. A 3 day electric base load audit training for
staff was conducted on Oct. 7th, 8th, and 9th by Pure Energy Inc. Four
members of VI WAP staff were trained and 3 Energy Office engineers who
will serve as back up to the VI WAP auditors. VI WAP identified a home
that would qualify to be weatherized and used it for a demonstration
energy audit. The information obtained in this energy audit was very
useful and provided very good information for DOE's technical
assistance visit. Oct 19th thru Oct 23rd DOE officials conducted a
Technical Assistance Visit and reviewed various VI WAP procedures on
Client Intake. VI WAP has started purchasing tools, equipment, and
supplies and has obligated funds for two vehicles for the program and
funds to pay for the disposal of old refrigerator replaced in the
program. November 2009 VI WAP Client Intake was finalized forms for
the in-take application, and procedures for determining eligibility,
proof of ownership, and ranking system. A web meeting was hosted with
DOE on Nov. 17, 2009, regarding the Virgin Islands Priority List, for
VI specific energy measures for the program. The major issue being the
cost limitation on the refrigerators at $1000.00, which may cause a
problem for the Virgin Islands because of the high price of
refrigerators due to shipping cost. In December, Susan White a DOE
consultant on Procurement and Financial Management trained staff and
provided three days of technical assistance. Ms. White assisted VI WAP
on finalizing VI WAP's procurement manual and developing RFP's for the
certifying agency, final inspections, and two Requests for Bids. The
approved Priority list for the program has still not been approved by
DOE. VI WAP also completed the Production schedule average is 15 homes
a month being weatherized in the Territory. The goal is 430 home by
March 2012.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 45 Mars Hill.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Frederiksted, VI
00840-4474.
Award amount: $1,415,429.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000191.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Housing And Community Renewal, New York State Division
Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: Weatherization formula grants allocated to the New
York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Funds are provided to
reduce the energy expenditures of low-income households by conducted
instrumented energy audits and installing energy conservation
materials such as insulation, weatherstripping and caulk, high-
efficiency heating and hot water systems, high-efficiency electrical
fixtures and efficient building materials such as windows and doors.
Award amount includes administrative funding (up to 5%) that will be
retained by DHCR for administration. Funds are allocated to eligible
subrecipients throughout the state who are responsible for proper
installation, compliance with program rules and quality assurance.
ARRA funds are expected to provide energy conservation assistance for
more than 45,000 dwelling units.
Project description: Preliminary activities such as training,
conducting energy audits and health and safety tests, and installation
weatherization materials in eligible units.
Project activity description: Other Community Housing Services.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 38-40 State St.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Albany, NY 12207-
2837.
Award amount: $394,686,513.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000206.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Executive Office Of The State Of New Hampshire.
Project name: ARRA Weatherization.
Award description: To audit and weatherize low-income residential
single and multi-family units for the purpose of lowering residents'
energy costs and increasing their health, safety, and comfort. The
program is also designed to decrease greenhouse gas emissions,
decrease our country's dependence on fossil fuels, and create jobs,
especially in the hard-hit construction related trades. At least 2600
units are slated to be weatherized, coordinated by six Community
Action Agencies within New Hampshire.
Project description: ARRA funding is expected to greatly increase the
number of residential units to be weatherized, from a few hundred over
two years to 2600 over three years. As of December 31st, all six
Community Action Agencies in the state are weatherizing with ARRA
funds. Completed units now stand at approximately 275, with at least
100 in the process of being weatherized. Two energy auditing classroom
trainings have been held, with over 27 new auditors receiving state
energy auditing certification, seven new since the last quarterly
report. Two combustion appliance training sessions are being planned
for January '10.
Project activity description: Administration of General Economic
Programs.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 4 Chenell Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Concord, NH 03301-
8501.
Award amount: $23,218,594.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000161.
[End of table]
Weatherization Descriptions That Partially Met Our Transparency
Criteria:
The following award descriptions did not contain sufficient details on
one or more of the following pieces of information necessary to
facilitate general understanding of the award, based on our criteria:
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and/or
expected outcomes. In some cases only a small amount of additional
information was needed, while in other cases, many pieces of
information were needed to make the description more transparent. The
award description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We
did not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: State, Louisiana Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of
their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: Most activities have continued to support the
ramp up of workforce and infrastructure.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2415 Quail
Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Baton Rouge, LA
70808-0120.
Award amount: $50,657,478.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000122.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 5,646 homes throughout the state will undergo
weatherization activities such as performing client education,
weatherizing site-built and mobile homes, and making weatherization
repairs, such as installing attic insulation and performing basic air
sealing.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Natural Resources, Missouri Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance For Low-Income Persons.
Award description: Funding to be used to increase the energy
efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons,
reduce their total residential expenditures and improve their health
and safety.
Project description: A grand total of 1,093 homes have been
weatherized by the subgrant agencies through December 31, 2009. A
total of 839 homes have been weatherized by the subgrant agencies from
October 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. On October 13, 2009 the
Missouri Department of Natural Resources Energy Center (MDNR/EC) staff
conducted a one-day administrative and technical training for the
subgrant agencies in Branson, Missouri. The training consisted of an
update of the revised Weatherization Program Operational Manual and
sessions concerning Davis-Bacon requirements, procurement, ARRA
reporting, and technical monitoring. During December 2009 seven
regional ARRA Energize Missouri Housing Initiative meetings were held
throughout the state to provide information and networking
opportunities to those interested in participating in the program.
Also in December the Department of Labor issued a revised
Weatherization wage rate determination for Missouri. The MDNR/EC has
hired four weatherization employees to help with ARRA implementation.
MDNR/EC has five technical staff that are BPI certified.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1101 Riverside
Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Jefferson City,
MO 65101-4272.
Award amount: $128,148,027.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000151.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Over a period of
3 years, 21,506 homes throughout the state will undergo weatherization
activities and 221 of these will be reweatherized. Weatherization
activities may include air leakage reduction, attic insulation, wall
insulation, foundation and floor insulation, duct insulation, heating
system clean and tunes, repairs, and replacements, lighting retrofits,
and replacement of hot water heaters, refrigerators, and air
conditioning units.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Health & Human Services, North Carolina Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low Income Persons.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Award description: The Weatherization Assistance Program's mission is
to enhance the well-being of low-income residents, particularly those
persons who are most vulnerable such as the elderly, the handicapped,
and children, through the installation of energy efficient and energy-
related health and safety measures, thus benefiting clients through
reduced energy bills, enhanced comfort, and the mitigation of energy
related health risks. Sub Recipients will be responsible for
weatherizing over 20,000 homes.
Project description: The Weatherization Assistance Program's mission
is to enhance the well-being of low-income residents, particularly
those persons who are most vulnerable such as the elderly, the
handicapped, and children, through the installation of energy
efficient and energy-related health and safety measures, thus
benefiting clients through reduced energy bills, enhanced comfort, and
the mitigation of energy related health risks. Sub Recipients will be
responsible for weatherizing over 20,000 homes.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Office of
Economic Opportunity, 222 North Person Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Raleigh, NC 27601-
1067.
Award amount: $131,954,536.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000118.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 22,000 homes throughout the state of North
Carolina will undergo weatherization measures, including air sealing,
attic insulation, dense-pack sidewalls, floor insulation, sealing and
insulation of ducts, and general heat waste (weatherstripping,
caulking, glass patching, water heater tank wrap, pipe insulation,
faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads, furnace filters).
[End of table]
Recipient name: Housing & Community Development, MD Dept Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program for low-income persons.
Award description: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,
Public Law 111-5, appropriates funding for the Department of Energy to
issue/award formula-based grants under the Weatherization Assistance
Program. The purpose of the program is to increase the energy
efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons,
reduce their total residential expenditures, and improve their health
and safety. The priority population for the Weatherization Assistance
Program is persons who are particularly vulnerable such as the
elderly, persons with disabilities, families with children, high
residential energy users, and households with high-energy burden.
Project description: Maryland began in earnest ARRA production during
the Quarter after working with the LWA's to implement the Davis-Bacon
Act requirements for the prevailing wages and required reporting.
Production has steadily increased during each month of the Quarter.
Maryland completed training for the Hancock Energy Solutions software
system for managing all program information and the system is now
live. All 18 LWA's are entering client case information into the
system and invoices are now being paid out. Maryland DHCD has
purchased 4 vehicles (Ford Escape Hybrids) to be used by our quality
control inspectors for their field work. Note that costs were two @
$29,300 and two @ $30,860, expenditures that do not show up elsewhere
in this report.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 100 Community
Place.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Crownsville, MD
21032-2037.
Award amount: $61,441,745.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000110.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 6,850 homes throughout the state of Maryland will
undergo weatherization activities such as energy audits, incidental
repairs, lighting retrofits, water system treatment, attic and floor
insulation, furnace testing and service, blower door air sealing, and
health and safety abatement.
[End of table]
Recipient name: SC Governor's Office.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons/ARRA.
Award description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of
their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: The State of South Carolina plans to weatherize
5000 homes over the three year life of the grant. We anticipate
completing 40% of our goal within the first year, and the remainder
within the next two and half years. This will be accomplished through
a collaborative partnership with both public and private entities.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1205 Pendleton
Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Columbia, SC
29201-0502.
Award amount: $58,892,771.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000120.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Weatherization
activities include air sealing, attic insulation, dense-pack sidewall
insulation, sealing and insulating ducts, floor insulation, and
installation of a smart thermostat, compact fluorescent lamps, and
refrigerator. Activities will be performed statewide.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Housing And Community Development, Virginia Dept Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: To improve home energy efficiency for low-income
families through the most cost-effective measures possible.
Project description: Sub-awardees were expected to complete ramp-up
activities. This includes the purchase of additional or upgraded
vehicles and equipment, hiring of additional personnel, identifying
additional new beneficiaries and limited production increases.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 600 East Main
Street, The Main Street Centre.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Richmond, VA
23219-2430.
Award amount: $94,134,276.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000193.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 9,193 homes throughout the state of Virginia will
undergo weatherization activities such as tests for carbon monoxide,
pre-and post-blower door tests, pressure diagnostic tests, pre-and
post-health and safety tests, heating/cooling equipment inspection and
repair, floor insulation, domestic water heater insulation, and
refrigerator and stove replacement.
[End of table]
Recipient name: District Of Columbia, Government Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) grant
will provide assistance to reduce energy costs for low-income
families, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities, and
children, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while
ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: The stimulus Weatherization Assistance Program
(WAP) will expand efforts to audit income-qualified homes and install
energy efficiency measures to reduce energy use. DDOE has completed
selection of community-based organizations and is preparing final
grant agreements and awards to initiate partnerships with 7
organizations. DDOE has posted 6 position descriptions to hire
additional program staff: candidates have been identified and are
being screened and interviewed by DDOE human resources.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 51 N St. NE
6th FL.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Washington, DC
20002-3327.
Award amount: $8,089,022.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000102.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 785 units throughout the District will undergo
weatherization activities, including conducting energy audits of
single-family and multifamily homes/residences and performing
weatherization improvements to these residences, such as installing
energy-efficient lighting, insulation, and weather stripping, and
replacing windows/doors; heat pump repair; hot water heater
repair/replacement; faucet, showerhead replacement, and programmable
thermometer installation. Under this award, inefficient air-
conditioners and refrigerators will be replaced in order to reduce
electric bills in low-income households.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Labor And Industrial Relations, Hawaii Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: Weatherization Formula Grants - American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Project description: The quarter ending 12/31/09 we processed a total
of 14 units have been installed. Of these 9 units are hot water solar
systems and 5 are compact fluorescent lights (CFL'S). Projected units
installed for the coming quarter is 137. As of this date 107 families
have been assessed, 17 are currently being considered for solar
installations, and 22 are approved for solar and cfl installations.
Applicants to HCAP's WAP-ARRA program are currently in receipt of
energy conservation education. Applicants watch a video about general
energy conservation practices and receive free copies of the
publications 'Power to Save: An Energy Conservation Guide to Your
Home' and '101 Ways to Save.' In addition to collateral materials,
income eligible applicants received dwelling-specific tips and advice
from the WAP-ARRA Technical Specialist during an initial home survey
and assessment. During the post-installation phase, vendors will
provide information on how to use and care for energy saving devices.
HCAP continues to develop and refine its process for related
weatherization programming with help from the State of Hawaii, Office
of Community Services. In the later part of this quarter the WAP-ARRA
Program Specialist and WAP-ARRA Technical Specialist traveled to the
island of Kauai to discuss procedures with neighbor island CAPs and to
receive technical training from Hawaii Energy.
Project activity description: Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring
Installation Contractors.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 830 Punchbowl
Street, Room 420.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Honolulu, HI
96813-5095.
Award amount: $4,041,461.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000183.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
supports weatherization activities for 672 households in all four
Hawaii counties. These activities include an energy audit service,
installation of energy saving devices, and follow-up and energy
monitoring of low-income homes, as well as technical assistance and
training to subawardees.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Housing & Community Services, Oregon Department Of.
Project name: DOE ARRA Weatherization Assistance Program Statewide.
Award description: The purpose of the Weatherization Assistance
Program is to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or
occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total residential
expenditures, and improve their health and safety. The program
promotes job creation, provides energy savings, and reduces carbon
emissions. The priority population for the program is persons who are
particularly vulnerable such as the elderly, persons with
disabilities, families with children, high residential energy users,
and households with high-energy burden. Income requirements for ARRA
Weatherization funds are 200 percent of the national poverty level. A
DOE-approved energy audit is performed on each home to determine the
greatest cost saving measures for the client's dwelling.
Weatherization contractors then install the most cost-effective,
energy efficient measures, address health and safety concerns, and
improve comfort. The use of ARRA funds on dwelling units may include,
but are not limited to auditing, testing, and installation of energy
saving materials. Energy-efficiency education is also provided for
each household receiving weatherization. ARRA Weatherization funds may
also be used for training and technical assistance.
Project description: During the quarter OHCS continued formalizing
program and legal agreements with subrecipients and conducted training
necessary for proceeding with Weatherization operations throughout the
state. Work activities during the period covered a wide range of
activities. Through various webinars, tele-conferences, and prepared
group training meetings, OHCS has worked with subrecipients developing
monitoring and reporting procedures. OHCS continues to analyze
subrecipient needs for equipment, vehicles, training and hiring,
monitoring and reporting, and feasibility analysis for special
projects. OHCS has evaluated at-risk and vulnerable agencies and
continues to work with those subrecipients to develop action plans.
OHCS continues its coordination with the Oregon Employment Department,
Workforce Development, Oregon Energy Coordinators Association and
Community Action Partnership of Oregon to develop training plans and
the possibilities of leveraged ARRA funding sources. Davis Bacon
certified wages were determined and provided to the agencies. Follow-
up training for the subrecipients regarding certified payroll issues
has been provided. A payroll specialist joined the staff of OHCS
during the quarter to facilitate the collection and retention of
payroll the certified payroll and to provide guidance to the
subrecipients. The monitoring staff has begun scheduled site visits to
the subrecipient agencies across the state, evaluating completed jobs
and providing weatherization technique training and guidance.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 725 Summer
Street NE.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Salem, OR 97301-
1266.
Award amount: $38,512,236.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000087.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 4,635 homes throughout the state will undergo
weatherization activities: the estimated energy savings is 141,368
MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Commerce, North Dakota Dept Of.
Project name: Weatherization of Low income homes.
Award description: Weatherization of low income clients in the state
of North Dakota. It is planned to weatherized approximately 3267
homes. Weatherization will receive general heat waste measures,
insulation measures, diagnostics, windows and doors, Health and Safety
measures including furnace replacement and repair. Residential, multi-
family and mobile homes will be weatherized with all measures with a
SIR of Greater than 1.5.
Project description: 310 homes completed as weatherized. 330 homes in-
progress.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1600 E.
Century Ave, Suite 2.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bismarck, ND
58503-0649.
Award amount: $25,266,330.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000089.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Each
weatherization measure to be installed must have savings-to-investment
ratio (SIR) equal to or greater than 1 in order to be included as a
priority. The award will result in an estimated energy savings of
85,917 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Development, Ohio Department Of Communications.
Project name: Home Weatherization.
Award description: Recovery ACT Weatherization Award for State of Ohio.
Project description: Weatherization program provides services to low-
income households in Ohio to reduce energy costs. The Home
Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) weatherized over 5,500 homes
with ARRA funds in the state of Ohio since July 1st, 2009. Additional
training courses have been added to the Corporation for Ohio
Appalachian Development (COAD) training center to meet demand due to
the considerable increase of crew and contractor based personnel
hiring.
Project activity description: Administration of General Economic
Programs.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 77 S. High
St., Columbus.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: COLUMBUS, OH
43216-1001.
Award amount: $266,781,409.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000099.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 32,180 homes throughout the state will undergo
weatherization activities, including water heater insulation, air
leakage repair, furnace tune-up, duct insulation in nonconditioned
areas, duct sealing, and the installation of low-flow showerheads.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Social Services, Connecticut Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for the Weatherization
Assistance Program (WAP): To reduce energy costs for low-income
families, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities, and
children, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while
ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: DSS has provided 2 Combustion Safety, 2 Lead
Safe, and one OSHA 10 training for weatherization crews and
subcontractors. DSS also sponsored 2 Davis Bacon trainings and hosted
one statewide ARRA WAP meeting in early December. Through the CCTCs, 1
Building Analyst course was provided to 14 students. Through two
workforce investment boards, 2 Weatherization Installer courses were
provided to 36 students. To date, more than 125 people have received
training for the ARRA WAP program. All DSS ARRA WAP durational project
positions have been filled. DSS holds monthly weatherization directors
meetings. Through an agreement with the OWC and CT's workforce
investment boards, regional workplans have been developed for
weatherization training and job creation/retention programs. In
addition, the CCTC system is in the process of developing a statewide
weatherization training curriculum and building training labs at the
vocational and technical high schools. DECD began its pilot project in
which 500 state financed elderly housing units will be weatherized in
Northwest CT. The sub recipients have finalized their procurement
processes and 98 contracts for services and materials have been
executed. Total FTEs for the reporting period are 34.33: however,
approximately 79 persons have worked for ARRA WAP during this quarter.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 25 Sigourney
Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Hartford, CT
06106-5041.
Award amount: $64,310,502.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000129.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 7,500 homes throughout Connecticut will undergo
weatherization activities, such as attic insulation, sidewall
insulation, air-sealing/infiltration measures, basement/crawlspace
ceiling insulation, pipe and duct insulation, and install storm
windows/doors and primary windows/doors.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Health And Welfare, Idaho Department Of.
Project name: Department of Energy - Weatherization.
Award description: The Department of Energy ARRA Weatherization Award
will be used to weatherize an additional 3,198 low and moderate income
(at or under 200% federal poverty income guidelines) homes by March
31, 2011. This will result in job creation, projected to at least
double current staffing as well as increase the use of contractors,
promoting retention. Projections indicate that the material purchased
to weatherize homes will at least triple during the project period.
Project description: Project description: The Community Action network
will deliver consistent and high quality, standardized weatherization
services, improving the energy efficiency of homes for low to moderate
income Idahoans. Over the course of the ARRA contract, the agencies
will develop and grow a high quality partnership between Idaho
Department of Health and Welfare, Community Action Partnership
Association of Idaho, and Weatherization Providers. Stimulus money
will be used to promote economic development by effectively preserving
and creating jobs. The IDHW and CAPAI will exercise strong stewardship
through the timely and proper management of funds and other resources,
recognizing and promoting the most cost effective method for achieving
energy savings. Quarterly Activities: The Community Action Partnership
Association of Idaho (CAPAI) is on course to exceed their
Auditor/Inspector (A/I) field training goals by 94% through December.
The new Intake, Weatherization & Inventory Tracking System project is
on track with a release date planned for mid-January. Thirty-five
vehicles and nine trailers have been purchased locally. To meet their
ARRA production targets, the Idaho agencies have been increasing their
weatherization production and this quarter doubled their baseline
production.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 450 West State
Street, 9th Floor.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Boise, ID 83720-
0036.
Award amount: $30,341,929.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DEFG26EE0000144.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
includes weatherization activities such as attic, floor, and wall
insulation, door/window replacement, furnace repair/replacement,
refrigerator replacement, duct sealing and insulation, water pipe
insulation, and water heater replacement.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Department Of Commerce.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program for Low Income Persons
Under the Recovery Act.
Award description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of
their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of
their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Legislative
Building 416 Sid Snyder Avenue S.W.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Olympia, WA 98504-
0000.
Award amount: $59,545,074.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE - EE0000086.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 7,170 homes throughout the state will undergo
weatherization services such as an energy audit, a complete visual
assessment, assessment of electric base load measures, diagnostic
tests, energy-related health and safety assessments, client education,
appropriate low-cost measures, applicable weatherization-related
repairs, and a thorough consideration of the client and residence.
There is an estimated energy savings of 701,927 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Business And Industry, Nevada Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: ARRA Supplemental Funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of
their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: With $11,572,667.00 of grants awarded in the
first cycle, NHD anticipates providing weatherization assistance to
approximately 2,000 homes. Production began the first week of November
due to state stipulations that had to be met, and work is now moving
forward. Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR)
is contracting with nonprofit collaboratives to provide weatherization
worker training to approximately 300 individuals who we anticipate
will be absorbed into the workforce by our current contractors. NHD
has hired a compliance auditor/inspector, project specialist, and a
Davis Bacon compliance specialist with additional staff to be added as
needed.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1535 Old Hot
Springs Road, Suite 50.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Carson City, NV
89706-0679.
Award amount: $37,281,937.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000081.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities by five service providers
throughout Nevada. The activities include minor home repairs, floor
and duct insulation, refrigerator replacement, and shell infiltration
sealing.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Legislative Office Of The State Of West Virginia.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: To increase the energy efficiency of dwellings
owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total
residential expenditures, and improve their health and safety,
especially low-income persons who are particularly vulnerable such as
the elderly, persons with disabilities, families with children, high
residential energy users, and households with a high energy burden.
Project description: To weatherize low-income persons homes throughout
the State of West Virginia according to the Department of Energy and
West Virginia Weatherization Field Standards.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 950 Kanawha
Blvd. E., 3rd Floor.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Charleston, WV
25301-2842.
Award amount: $37,583,874.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000101.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award will
support weatherization activities for 3,574 homes throughout West
Virginia. These activities include cleaning and tuning heating
systems: air sealing: duct, attic and floor insulation: and
replacement of heating systems, doors, and windows. The award is
expected to result in an energy savings of 57,269 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Department Of Commerce Minnesota.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: Recovery Act - Weatherization Formula Grants - Low-
Income Households.
Project description: Second qtr activities included ramping up by
increasing the number of state monitors, issuing grants to
subrecipients, and providing training on American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) rules, the Davis Bacon Act, and other
related regulations. Weatherization-related training opportunities
have been provided to new State and Service Provider Weatherization
Assistance Program staff. The MN Department of Commerce (DOC) hired
additional weatherization field and fiscal monitoring staff. 1,392
homes have been weatherized using ARRA funds. 101 of these homes were
monitored by ARRA DOC weatherization staff. These monitoring visits
were also used to train new DOC weatherization staff.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 85 Seventh
Place East, Suite 500.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Saint Paul, MN
55101-2198.
Award amount: $131,937,411.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000103.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for about 16,850 homes in all
Minnesota counties and 6 of the state's 11 Native American
reservations. Weatherization activities include air leakage and
infiltration reduction, attic insulation, wall insulation, health and
safety repairs/replacement, duct sealing and room-by-room pressure
balancing, cleaning and tuning heating systems, efficiency-based
heating system replacements, and belly and duct repairs/sealing.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Kentucky Housing Corporation.
Project name: ARRA Weatherization Assistance for Low Income Persons.
Award description: ARRA Weatherization Assistance Program for Low
Income Persons provides funding for improving the energy efficiency of
low-income dwellings to decrease energy consumption and thereby
decrease the cost of energy for low-income families.
Project description: ARRA Weatherization Assistance Program for Low
Income Persons provides funding for the improvement of energy
efficiency of dwellings to decrease energy consumption and thereby
decrease the cost of energy for low-income families. This is
accomplished through the state's network of Community Action Agencies
and is headed by Community Action of Kentucky, the subrecipient of
grant funds.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1231
Louisville Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Frankfort, KY
40601-6191.
Award amount: $70,913,750.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000152.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
supports weatherization activities for 9,907 homes throughout
Kentucky. These activities include attic, wall, and floor insulation:
incidental repairs: infiltration reduction: and health and safety
measures. The award is expected to result in an energy savings of
268,644 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Community Affairs, Florida Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded
$175,984,474 to Florida for the Weatherization Assistance Program
(WAP) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These
funds are to help reduce the monthly energy burden of Florida's low-
income population households by making those dwellings more energy
efficient. To date, DOE has released 50% of the total award amount to
the state. The funding, administered by the Florida Department of
Community Affairs, will be passed through to the existing 27 provider
agencies (community action agencies, non-profit entities and county
governments) covering the 67 counties statewide. Each of these
providers, along with the contractors and vendors participating in the
program, have an integral role in job creation and retention by
providing energy efficiency improvements on low-income dwellings.
Weatherization activities may include: addressing air infiltration
with weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor repairs to walls,
ceiling and floors and window or door replacement: applying solar
reflective coating to manufactured homes: adding ceiling and floor
insulation: evaluating efficiency of heating and cooling systems,
refrigerators, water heaters: and installing solar screens, low flow
shower heads, compact fluorescent light bulbs, water heater and water
line insulation. One hundred percent of the beneficiaries of the WAP
are below the 200% federal income guidelines.
Project description: During the first quarter, primary activities were
focused on capacity-building and training at the local provider level.
Local providers were required to complete specific benchmarks, prior
to receipt of ARRA working weatherization grants. Benchmarks included:
completion of one-week weatherization inspector training for existing
and new employees with follow-up field testing, purchasing of
additional equipment, and validation and eligibility verification of
client waiting lists. During the second quarter, all but one of the 27
local providers completed the required benchmarks. Weatherization
grant awards were executed with 26 agencies and those agencies began
weatherizing dwellings. A new oversight measure of field monitoring
was also implemented within the second quarter. Field monitors were
trained by state Weatherization staff and in November the monitors
began their ongoing responsibility of reviewing 100% of client files
and inspecting 50% of the weatherized homes. Training on Davis Bacon
requirements was also provided statewide by a representative of the
U.S. Department of Labor. Statewide contractor training curriculum was
developed and implementation begins in the third quarter.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Tallahassee, FL
32399-2100.
Award amount: $175,984,474.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DEEE0000209.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for approximately 19,090 homes.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Housing & Community Affairs, Texas Department Of.
Project name: Recovery Act-Weatherization Assistance Program for the
State of Texas.
Award description: The Weatherization Assistance Program assists low-
income households control energy costs to ensure an healthy and safe
living environment. Qualified households may receive weatherization
materials installed in their residences and/or energy conservation
education.
Project description: Continued administrative activities at the prime
recipient level and weatherization work at the subrecipient level.
Project activity description: Home Improvement & Repairs.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 221 East 11th
Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Austin, TX 78701-
2410.
Award amount: $326,975,732.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000094.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for 33,908 homes across the state.
Weatherization activities include measures to reduce air infiltration,
such as replacement of doors and windows, repairing of holes and
caulking: installation of ceiling, wall and floor insulation:
replacement of energy inefficient appliances and heating and cooling
units: and energy education to help families reduce their energy
consumption. Subawardees will receive training that will include basic
and advanced weatherization, weatherization program management, NEAT
software, and Davis-Bacon administration.
[End of table]
Recipient name: The Executive Office Of The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico.
Project name: ARRA-Weatherization Formula Grant.
Award description: The Weatherization Assistance Program helps low-
income families to attain a reduction of household energy
expenditures, while securing and enhancing the health and safety of
the home. Of particular concern to the program is to provide
assistance to the elderly, families with children, persons with
disabilities, and those with a high energy burden in their household.
Due to the warm climate of the island, weatherization efforts will be
directed at improving the efficiency of cooling systems, reduction in
electrical energy demand of light fixtures and selected household
appliances, and mitigate energy-related health and safety concerns. To
maximize the benefits of the program, work will be performed by
trained personnel, and the process will be monitored from initial
client application to certification of completed weatherization work.
The period of performance is estimated from 4-1-2009 to 3-31-2012.
Project description: The Evaluation Committee for the Call Center
studied the proposals received and made their recommendations to
subgrantee's, PRIFA, Board of Awards. The pre-bid meeting for the
Refrigerator Replacement Services Bid was held. Refrigerator
Replacement Services Bid Documents were prepared, and the newspaper
bid announcement was published. The Evaluation Committee for the
compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) bid began evaluating the proposals
received. Water Heater Replacement Services Bid Documents were
prepared, and the newspaper bid announcement was published. Trainers
(ECA) contract was signed and their first visit occurred on December
29 and 30. The Evaluation Committee for the qualification of auditors
and inspectors met and selected the inspectors to be invited for the
training. Evaluation of auditors started this period. Probable intake
locations were visited to evaluate the physical conditions and
necessities to adjust the locations to the intake process. Evaluation
of probable training facilities was finished and sent to PRIFA for
their comments and final decision on which facility to use. Draft
report on the Energy Audit Tool to be used by auditors in Puerto Rico
WAP was prepared. After grantee's, EAA, revision, the agency will
submit the document to the DOE. The document includes a brief
description of the Puerto Rico housing stock, photos, climate
description, explanation of audit tool for all the weatherization
measures for which the Savings to Investment Ratio (SIR) needs to be
calculated, samples of SIR calculations for each of the measures, and
a priority list which describes SIR tendencies for the different
weatherization measures.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Environmental
Agencies Building Floor 8 Street 8868, PO BOX 41314.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: San Juan, PR
00940-0285.
Award amount: $48,865,588.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000189.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 5,500 homes throughout Puerto Rico will undergo
weatherization activities such as installing reflective films:
addressing air leakage in air-conditioned areas: installing solar
water heaters: replacing refrigerators, water heaters, and air
conditioners with Energy Star rated units: replacing incandescent
lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL): replacing shower heads:
installing smart power strips to avoid phantom loads: and other work
to mitigate energy-related health and safety concerns.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Governor's Office Of Economics Development.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: Provide home weatherization services to eligible
low-income households, including furnace replacement, insulation,
etc., with the goal of reducing energy usage, energy production and
greenhouse gas output, as well as reducing utility bills.
Project description: Weatherization staff has been hired at 9 local
area agencies responsible for implementing the Weatherization
Assistance Program. 558 homes have been completed and another 842 are
in progress.
Project activity description: Residential Remodelers.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 324 South
State Street, Ste. 500, N/A.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Salt Lake City,
UT 84111-2388.
Award amount: $37,897,203.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000080.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through the
award, approximately 4,466 homes will undergo weatherization
throughout the state.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Office Of The Governor.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: Weatherization of homes ultimately completes the
plan to upgrade State Energy Infrastructure. As the primary focus
being on lowering energy liabilities electricity providers are
charging onto the costumers. Through education, training and
audits/assessments the consumers can learn the benefits of using
Energy Efficiency and Conservation measures in their homes. However,
the State Plan wishes to initiate this program for the first time by
focusing on replacing electricity appliances and other electricity
devices with certified Energy Star units. Several deliverables
applicable in the State plan include Solar Water Heater, Electric
Stove, Refrigerator, Air Con, Microwave, Cloth Washers, and etc.
Project description: Home assessments are continued and an
environmental regulatory issue needs be resolved prior to initiating
any production to measures guided under the State Plan. This issue
perhaps should be finalized before this quarter expires.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): American Samoa
Government, Territorial Energy Office.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Pago Pago, AS
96799-0000.
Award amount: $719,511.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000177.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for approximately 225 homes
throughout American Samoa.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Public Health And Human Services, Montana Department Of.
Project name: Recovery Act - Weatherization Assistance Program for Low
Income Persons.
Award description: ARRA - Supplemental Funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities and children, by improving the energy efficiency of their
homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: These funds will provide grants for local Human
Resource Development Councils that apply to pay to weatherize homes
with the original created and retained remaining active. As with all
weatherization projects, the applicants will be asked to provide
planning and accountability documentation. The Weatherization
Program's mission is to increase the energy efficiency of homes
occupied by low-income individuals, thereby reducing their energy
costs. The program has reduced the annual heating costs of recipient
households by an average of approximately 32 percent. It serves
approximately 2,000 high energy burden households each year. ARRA
funding will allow the Weatherization Program to serve at least 2,500
more families and to double the average labor and materials
expenditure per dwelling for cost-effective energy conservation
measures. As of November, 2009, 253 homes have been weatherized and
audited in Montana with an additional 411 that are in the process of
being weatherized.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Helena, MT 59620-
2956.
Award amount: $26,543,777.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000143.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for approximately 2,477 homes
throughout Montana. These activities include stoppage of air
infiltration: heating systems tune-ups: water heater, attic, floor,
perimeter, and wall insulation: installation of storm windows,
replacement doors, moisture controls, ventilation materials, pipes,
and duct wrap.
[End of table]
Weatherization Descriptions That Did Not Meet Our Transparency
Criteria:
The following award descriptions did not contain sufficient details on
one or more of the following pieces of information necessary to
facilitate general understanding of the award, based on our criteria:
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and/or
expected outcomes. In some cases only a small amount of additional
information was needed, while in other cases, many pieces of
information were needed to make the description more transparent. The
award description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We
did not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: Community Services & Development, California
Department Of.
Project name: Recovery Act - Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: Recovery Act - Weatherization Assistance Program.
Project description: Formula Block Grant - DOE WAP. The initial
allocation is dedicated for CSD & Agency ramp up, this included
training, new hires & vehicle purchases. The training also included
creating a web based WX training curriculum web site.
Project activity description: Other General Government Support.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 700 N 10th St
Rm 258.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Sacramento, CA
95811-0336.
Award amount: $185,811,061.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000180.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award allows
42 subawardees to weatherize 43,400 eligible low-income dwellings in
all California counties. In addition to start-up activities such as
training, hiring, and vehicle purchases, this award supports
weatherization activities, including the installation of ceiling
insulation and carbon monoxide alarms. The award will result in an
estimated energy savings of 1,742,370 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Oklahoma Department Of Commerce.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: ARRA supplemental funding for Weatherization
Assistance to Low-Income Persons: To reduce energy costs for low-
income families, particularly for the elderly, people with
disabilities, and children, by improving the energy efficiency of
their homes while ensuring their health and safety.
Project description: As this is the first report for WAP ARRA funds,
most activity has supported ramp up of workforce and infrastructure.
Project activity description: Other Community Housing Services.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 900 N. Stiles.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Oklahoma City, OK
73104-3234.
Award amount: $60,903,196.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000153.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for about 7,000 homes in all
Oklahoma counties. These activities include cost-effective energy
efficiency measures, including attic insulation, caulking, weather
stripping, and air sealing. The award is expected to result in an
estimated energy savings of 310,640 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Human Services, Vermont Department Of.
Project name: ARRA Weatherization Assistance Program.
Award description: The ARRA Weatherization Assistance Program mission
in to reduce the energy burden of low income persons while ensuring
their health & safety.
Project description: Grants have been written to the 5 sub-awardees
and training has begun.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 103 South Main
Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Waterbury, VT
05671-0001.
Award amount: $16,842,576.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000171.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
supports weatherization activities for approximately 1,612 homes in 15
counties in Vermont. Weatherization activities include heating system
modifications: installation of cost-effective levels of attic, wall,
floor, duct, and foundation insulation: and water heater and water
pipe insulation and modifications. The award is expected to result in
an energy savings of 60,588 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Family Services, Wyoming Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization of Homes.
Award description: Recovery Act Weatherization Award for State of
Wyoming.
Project description: N/A.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance -street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Cheyenne, WY
82002-0001.
Award amount: $10,239,261.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000188.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Through this
award, approximately 900 units throughout the state will undergo
weatherization activities such as installing insulation, sealing and
balancing ducts, and mitigating heating loss through windows and door.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Human Services, Tennessee Department Of.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons.
Award description: Weatherization Assistance Program, Recovery Act.
Project description: Reduce energy costs for low-income families
through increased energy efficiency.
Project activity description: Weatherization.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Nashville, TN
37243-1403.
Award amount: $99,112,101.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-EE0000114.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
supports weatherization activities for 10,524 homes throughout
Tennessee. These activities include attic, wall, floor, and duct
insulation: air sealing: heat waste reduction measures: refrigerator
replacement: and window and door repairs. The award is expected to
result in an energy savings of 320,952 MBtu.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Government Of Guam - Department Of Administration.
Project name: Weatherization Assistance Program ARRA.
Award description: Recovery Act-Weatherization Assistance Program.
Project description: MOU being established with Guam Energy Office and
Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority, an agency which works
closely with HUD and has the qualifications and the knowledge to
assist in determining which dwelling qualifies and falls under the WAP
guidelines as stipulated in the grant activity.
Project activity description: Communications & Public Education.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 548 N Marine
Corps Dr.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Tamuning, GU
96913-4111.
Award amount: $1,119,297.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: EE0000187.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports weatherization activities for 204 homes throughout the
territory of Guam. Weatherization activities include the replacement
or repair of refrigerators, air conditioners, low-flow shower heads,
and faucets, compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) fixtures, and water
heaters. The award will result in an estimated energy savings of 3,060
MBtu.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix IV: Geothermal Technologies Program:
Within the Department of Energy, the Geothermal Technologies Program
(geothermal program) provides grants, cooperative agreements, and
contracts to support scientific research to find, access, and use
geothermal energy in the United States.[Footnote 43] In fiscal year
2009, the geothermal program received $43.3 million in annual
appropriations; the Department of Energy provided an additional $400
million in Recovery Act funds for geothermal activities and projects
that should be completed within 3 years.
According to program officials, the geothermal program received a
tremendous and unprecedented response to its solicitations announcing
Recovery Act funding opportunities. Specifically, the program office
received 529 applications in response to the grant solicitations and
over 50 applications in response to a solicitation for the
department's national laboratories.[Footnote 44] Out of these
applications, the program office selected 151 projects--124 projects
were submitted by private industry, academic institutions, tribal
entities, and local governments, and 26 projects were submitted by 10
national labs.[Footnote 45] The program office also established an
interagency agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to work on 1
project.[Footnote 46]
In terms of awarding grants and contracts for projects, program
officials told us that a grant is equivalent to a project because the
grant is awarded to one recipient and funds are provided directly to
the recipient. However, this concept does not hold true for all
contracts awarded to the national labs for a project. This is because
a national lab can be involved in a collaborative project that
includes one or more partner labs. In this case, individual
"activities" from each national lab would be completed and contribute
to the completion of the overall project. Unlike grants, funding from
the program office is provided directly to the lab performing the
work. Consequently, a national lab project can be equivalent to one
contract or multiple contracts.
Nature and Type of Geothermal Projects:
The department selected the projects to receive grants under the
Recovery Act in October 2009, but according to program officials, it
had not finished awarding the grants until February 2010.[Footnote 47]
The program officials told us that some lag time (e.g., 5 to 6 months)
between project selection and award is typical. As of April 23, 2010,
the program office had obligated almost $343 million of the $393
million in appropriations (about 87 percent); however, only 28
recipients had spent any funds, and they had only spent 2.6 percent
(almost $9 million). Program officials told us that the expenditure
rate was low because many projects were recently awarded and had not
started.
Almost 60 percent of the geothermal program obligations under the
Recovery Act were split evenly between enhanced geothermal systems
research and development projects and innovative exploration
technologies projects. Specifically, over $101 million (30 percent)
was obligated to 50 enhanced geothermal systems research and
development projects,[Footnote 48] while about $98 million (29
percent) was obligated to 22 validation of innovative exploration
technologies projects. (See figure 1.) The rest of the obligations
funded the following three project areas:
* almost $62 million (about 18 percent) was obligated to 37 ground
source heat pump projects,
* about $50 million (about 15 percent) was obligated to 14 geothermal
demonstration projects, and:
* about $31 million (about 9 percent) was obligated to 5 national
geothermal data system projects.
Figure 1: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Geothermal Funds, as of April
23, 2010:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Enhanced geothermal systems technology research and development ($101
million): 30%;
Validation of innovative exploration technologies ($98 million): 29%;
Ground source heat pumps ($62 million): 18%;
Geothermal demonstrations ($50 million): 15%;
National geothermal database, resource assessment, and classification
system ($31 million): 9%.
Source: GAO analysis of Department of Energy data.
Note: Percentages do not add to 100 because of rounding.
[End of figure]
About One-Third of the Geothermal Descriptions Met Our Transparency
Criteria:
We assessed the transparency of the descriptive information for
geothermal awards available on Recovery.gov.[Footnote 49] We found
that an estimated:
* 33 percent met our transparency criteria,
* 62 percent partially met our criteria, and:
* 5 percent did not meet our criteria.[Footnote 50]
For geothermal descriptions that partially met or did not meet our
criteria, we collected information necessary to make the descriptions
meet our criteria. The geothermal descriptions of awards in our
sample, whether they met our criteria, and information that we found
to provide a fuller understanding of the award are provided at the end
of this appendix.
Agency Guidance and Other Factors That May Affect Transparency of
Reported Information:
Although supplemental materials were available to assist with
recipient reporting, recipients did not always follow the directions
in these materials. Additionally, geothermal program officials did not
review narrative description fields in Recovery.gov, which may have
led to some reporting errors. Both the Department of Energy and the
Office of Science[Footnote 51] provided supplemental materials that
directed recipients to a source document (e.g., the award letter)
where information can be found to complete a required field. In
addition, the department provided training on the reporting
requirements through webinars, while the geothermal program office
held a video conference with recipients (i.e., the national labs).
Furthermore, the department has a Recovery Act Clearinghouse available
to answer questions from recipients, and it posts responses to
frequently asked questions on its Recovery Act Web site. Moreover,
geothermal program officials told us that they do not review these
narrative description fields because information in these fields is
available on the geothermal Web site. Likewise, department officials
told us that they do not review these fields because the information
is fully described in the award documents. However, we identified two
issues with the fields that may have affected the transparency of some
information reported by the national labs.
First, information on the overall status of four national lab projects
that involve multiple labs may not come across clearly in the
narrative description fields. This is because Recovery.gov was set up
to track Recovery Act spending at the recipient level and not at the
project level. According to geothermal program officials, Recovery Act
funds are provided directly to a lab to complete its activities on a
project. Consequently, multiple labs working on the same project would
report their individual activities in multiple records in
Recovery.gov. For example, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was
the prime recipient for a project on enhanced geothermal systems using
carbon dioxide as a heat transmission fluid, and the Idaho National
Laboratory was identified as a partner lab. As required, both national
labs reported their activities on this project in two separate records
in Recovery.gov. Unless narrative information disclosed that this
project involved more than one lab, the expectation might be that
these were two different projects.
Second, six national labs did not submit a separate report for each
activity as specified in the supplemental materials provided by the
department. The six labs combined two to four different activities
into a single report. As a result, 18 separate activities were
reported in just six records. When we spoke with program officials,
they were unaware of the requirement that recipients report on
projects separately. They told us that their preference for national
labs reporting on multiple activities is explained in the annual
program guidance letter. However, based on our review of a few program
guidance letters, we believe that the preference of the program office
is for the labs to report each activity separately because this is how
the activities are presented in the letters.
Other Ways Award Information Is Made Available to the Public:
According to geothermal program officials, information on the
geothermal projects funded by the Recovery Act is made available to
the public using other means besides Recovery.gov. For example:
* The Geothermal Technologies Program Web site [hyperlink,
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/projects/] This Web site
provides detailed information on each project, including the
technology type, recipient name, location, objectives, description,
and targets/milestones. It provides a database that allows the public
to search for a project by, among other things, funding source,
location, and technology type.
* The Department of Energy Recovery Act Web site [hyperlink,
http://www.energy.gov/recovery/]. It provides weekly updates on
departmental projects and programs funded by the Recovery Act,
including data on appropriations, obligations, and outlays.
* Press releases. These provide information on major announcements,
such as announcements on the availability of Recovery Act funding.
* Geothermal Technologies Blog [hyperlink,
http://www.eereblogs.energy.gov/geothermaltechnologies/]. This
provides the public with the opportunity to learn about and discuss
geothermal activities.
* Weekly Recovery Act success stories. These highlight the results of
Recovery Act funding on recipients. If the department selects a
geothermal story, then it appears on the department's Recovery Act Web
site.
Program officials told us that the geothermal program has become more
visible to the public during the past two years. Although the program
office has not conducted any surveys to determine how consumers are
becoming aware of the program, they believe that new articles and the
Recovery.gov Web site could be contributing to the increased
awareness. Program officials also told us that the public, the
community, and reporters have provided positive feedback on the
geothermal Web site, noting that the Web site is easy to navigate.
Geothermal Descriptions That Met Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award descriptions contained sufficient information on
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and
expected outcomes to meet our transparency criteria. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: Sandia Corporation.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Geothermal Technologies Program Enhanced Geo
Science R&D Task 1) Design, develop, and field test highly integrated,
high temperature data loggers using silicon on insulator and silicon
carbide technologies. Task 2) Develop a drilling system based upon
pneumatic down the hole hammer bits and polycrystalline diamond
compact bits. Task 3) Test supercritical fluids in a pilot-scale
Brayton Cycle and evaluate the performance of the working fluids.
Requirements: Task 1 Milestones: Field Dewarless 240C PTC Tool-
9/30/10: Evaluate existing Dewar Technology-9/30/10: Design analog MCM-
01/31//11: Status report-03/31/11. Deliverables: 1) Dewarless 240C PTC
Tool: 2) Report evaluating existing Dewar technology: 3) Design of
analog MCM: 4) Status report. Task 2 Milestones: Year 1: Complete
Initial Field Trials-9/30/10: Year 2: Implement Design Changes from
Initial Field Trials-9/30/11. Deliverables: Report evaluating existing
Dewar technology. Task 3 Milestones: 1) Prediction of thermodynamic
properties for a single component fluid through the critical point-
10/1/10. 2) Obtain full vapor-liquid equilibrium envelopes & critical
points for one set of mixtures-4/1/11. 2) Milestones 1: Verification
complete mixing & thermodynamic equilibrium between components can be
obtained so appearance of new phase can be reliably detected (Go/no-
Go).: Deliverables 1) thermodynamic properties for several candidate
working fluids: 2) computational toolbox for analysis of mixtures of
fluids, turbine design & cooling needs: 3) experimental results from
Brayton cycle rests: & 4) recommendations for new working fluids. (For
Performance outcomes & measures see Work Authorization Plan).
Project description: The original project has been separated into
three separate projects: 1) ARRA Drilling Technology (145316) with
$588,600, 2) ARRA Geo Thermal Turbines (146694) with $150,000: and 3)
Base Technologies ARRA (144299) with $885,600. The budget total has
remained the same. The scope, deliverables and milestones are being
developed.
Project activity description: Other Electric Power Generation.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1515 Eubank NE.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Albuquerque, NM
87123-0000.
Award amount: $1,624,200.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: AL85000.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Battelle Memorial Institute.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Develop a new type of biphasic working fluid for
subcritical geothermal systems that utilizes microporous
nanostructured metal-organic solids as the primary heat carrier and
heat transfer medium to support an organic Rankine cycle. Provide
information on temperature distribution, fracture spacing, and
fracture surface area in EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems). Develop
suites of tracers with different properties that can be injected into
geothermal systems, extracting the desired information by interpreting
the differences in transport behavior of these compounds in the
reservoir.
Project description: SA 56595 - Project team members from PNNL, LANL,
and BNL participated in a meeting at the Energy and Geoscience
Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah on December 8, 2009. The
purpose of the meeting was to share information on the geothermal
tracer programs at EGI and the four national labs the project team
plus INL) and to explore ways that the programs can interact.
Following this meeting, the project team discussed the next steps for
2004190-EGS R&D and agreed to begin laboratory testing of PFT
compounds early next calendar year. A tentative schedule was developed
that included a meeting in late winter at Los Alamos to further plan
laboratory testing. In parallel with the laboratory effort, PNNL and
LANL will develop a modeling approach, conduct predictive simulations
to identify optimal thermal and surface adsorption properties for
geothermal tracers, and examine the sensitivity of the model to a
range of tracer properties. Results from this sensitivity analysis
will be used to guide subsequent laboratory-scale testing of candidate
tracers.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 902 Battelle
Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Richland, WA
99354-1793.
Award amount: $696,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC05-76RL01830.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Technology R&D
($1.953M). This scope of work includes four scopes of work. 1) Air-
Cooled Condensers in Next-Generation Conversion Systems. The Idaho
National Laboratory (INL) will identify and resolve issues that are
associated with using air-cooled condensers in next-generation energy
conversion systems, achieve the full benefits of using mixed working
fluids in air cooled binary cycles, evaluate the benefits of using air-
cooled condensers with flash steam cycles, and establish criteria for
designing air-cooled binary plant turbines. 2) Enhanced Geothermal
Systems with CO2 as Heat Transmission Fluid. The INL will conduct
experiments for evaluating the effect of supercritical carbon dioxide,
at elevated temperatures, on precipitation and dissolution of mineral
phases that are typical of geomedia found in geothermal reservoirs. 3)
Physics-Based Fracture Stimulation, Reservoir Flow and Heat Transport
Simulator. The INL will develop a physics-based rock deformation and
fracture propagation simulator by coupling a discrete element model
for fracture generation with a continuum-based multiphase fluid flow
and heat transport model. 4) Advancing Reactive Tracer Methods for
Measuring Thermal Evolution in CO2 and Water-based Geothermal
Reservoirs. The INL will develop a set of tracer test planning and
analysis tools to define the parameters necessary for successful
testing, identify new tracers suitable to a wide range of potential
reservoir volumes and permeabilities, and demonstrate the utility of
newly developed tracers in a system representative of Enhanced
Geothermal Systems.
Project description: Quarterly activities are listed below for the
four scopes of work as mentioned above. 1) Personnel have been
developing power plant (conversion system) models that will be used to
assess the benefits of applying different equipment concepts having
the potential to increase performance from air-cooled binary plants.
Emphasis has been on plants to be used with EGS resources. Model
development has been largely been completed. The reasonability of
model performance estimates are being assessed by comparing estimates
to operating data from existing plants. 2) Experimental design for
batch experiments involving supercritical CO¨2/water/mineral reactions
was planned. Reactor components were ordered and/or under
construction. Initiated laboratory safety review and approval process.
3) Over the past quarter, significant progress was made in the
development of advanced computer models for predicting the behavior of
enhanced geothermal systems. 4) A high-performance liquid
chromatograph was purchased and has been installed in the laboratory
to perform tracer analyses. A computer program was developed to model
the migration of thermally reactive tracers through a fractured
geothermal system. This code was used to evaluate testing strategies
for tracer experiments. Experiments were conducted to encapsulate
reactive tracers. The experiments showed that encapsulsted tracers
could be made and are stable at room temperature.
Project activity description: All Other Professional, Scientific, and
Technical Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2525 Fremont
Ave.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Idaho Falls, ID
83415-0001.
Award amount: $1,953,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC07-05-ID14517.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
Project name; Federal Contract.
Award description; LANL?s project will develop a multipurpose
(simultaneous multiple physical parameter determination) acoustic
sensor for downhole fluid monitoring in EGS reservoirs over typical
ranges of pressures and temperatures and then demonstrate the
capabilities and performance of this sensor for conditions in
different EGS systems (with a wide range of temp/pressure and
geophysical/geological conditions). Specific technical challenges are
finding the right material for the sensor that can withstand working
temperatures of up to 374×C and pressures up to 22 MPa; developing the
most efficient design/geometry for the sensor to sustain the high
temperature/high pressure conditions specific for a typical EGS
system; and the fluid flow determination requires either high flow
rates or turbulent flow (vortices or disturbances) and/or impurities/
gas bubbles present in the fluid. The multipurpose sensor that LANL
proposes is capable of accurately measuring temperature, pressure, and
fluid composition at in situ conditions expected in geothermal
environments and is needed in nearly every phase of an EGS project,
including testing of injection and production wells, reservoir
validation, inter-well connectivity, reservoir scale-up, and reservoir
sustainability. The Swept Frequency Acoustic Interferometry (SFAI)
technique was originally developed at LANL for noninvasive
identification of chemical warfare compounds in a multitude of weapons
and a wide range of containers for international treaty verification
and counterterrorism purposes. Since then, the technique has been
significantly refined and expanded, and LANL will adapt SFAI and
combine new approaches to extract multiple fluid parameters from a
single sensor. Although the underlying basis of the SFAI technique is
proven, it has never been applied to geothermal exploration primarily
because the requirements of high temperature and pressure were not
needed in earlier applications; this application will require some
novel adaptation and sensor development and associated physics.
Project description; A thorough literature search was performed in
order to identify the best choice of piezoelectric materials to be
used. Curie temperature (TC) is an important factor in high-
temperature applications, as the transducers lose their piezoelectric
property completely at temperatures close to TC. Typically, it is best
not to exceed half of Tc. Piezoelectric materials and their TC, in ½C:
PZT (195-300), AlN (600), LiNbO3 (1150), Langasite (1000), Langatate
(>1500). The langasites and langatates are piezoelectric materials
discovered recently and are still under investigation by the
scientific community. We are planning to investigate the material
properties at high-temperatures and determine if there are advantages
in using these new piezoelectric materials in the development of the
multipurpose acoustic sensor. Several PZT and Lithium Niobate
transducers with different center frequencies, ranging from 1 MHz to 6
MHz, were investigated above room temperature. Langasite and/or
langatate piezoelectric material has to be acquired and machined into
transducers. Milestone Status As planned. Significant Procurements
Investigated and identified the equipment necessary: Parr Instrument
Pressure Vessel, Model 4681; Air Pressure Amplifier, Haskel AAD-30;
Thermocoax cables (high temperature coaxial cables); Bode 100 Vector
Network Analyzer; Tektronix Arbitrary Function Generator; Tektronix
Oscilloscope; Materials for transducers (Lithium Niobate, Langatate
and or/Langasite). Hiring A postdoctoral job was posted on several web-
sites targeting recently graduated PhD?s. From a pool of 30+
applicants, we narrowed the list to 2 potential postdocs, which we
interviewed on site. Dr. Blake Sturtevant graduated in Dec 2009 form
University of Maine, and is very experienced in the field of
Acoustics, with extensive experience related to high-temperature
piezoelectric materials. Dr. Sturtevant has accepted the job offer,
and he is planning to start in middle of January 2010.
Project activity description; Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type; Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); Bikini Atoll
Rd SM30.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; Los Alamos, NM
87544-1663.
Award amount; $536,400.00.
Project status; Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number; DE-AC52-06NA25396.
[End of table]
Recipient name: University Of Utah, The.
Project name: Economic Impact Analysis For EGS.
Award description: The proposed project is aimed at studying the
economic development and impacts associated with electric power
production resulting from Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS),
conventional hydrothermal, low temperature geothermal, and coproduced
fluid technologies. The project also involves analysis of these
results to develop an impact assessment model that could be used
across the Nation for impact assessments with an ability to quantify
the potential employment, energy and other environmental impacts
associated. Further to developing such a tool, we will also be
carrying out a Utah region study to validate the GEC tool developed
and will publish a detailed report on the economic impacts associated
with Geothermal technologies considered for this study in the Utah
State. The 24-month project is divided into three discrete phases:
Phase 1: Data gathering: collect the associated cost data for each of
the different technologies Phase 2: Economic Impact Analysis ? design
studies to understand all the impacts associated, and Phase 3:
Outreach activities ? Communicate the findings to the industry and the
research community to validate the studies used to roll out an impact
assessment tool, the GEC tool.
Project description: See Award Description.
Project activity description: Research & Public Policy Analysis.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 75 S 2000 E RM
211.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: SALT LAKE CITY,
UT 84112-8930.
Award amount: $603,230.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DE-EE0002744.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Field tests (Fenton Hill, USA: Hijiori, Japan)
strongly suggest that our ability to image fluid flow and temperature
distribution in enhanced (engineered) geothermal reservoirs (EGS)
needs to be dramatically improved to optimize the operation of
injection and production wells and the placement of new wells. The
objectives of this project are to (1) improve image resolution for
fracture detection, (2) image the flow in the fractures with super-
resolution imaging, and (3) quantify fluid flow and temperature
changes during and after stimulation. This research will provide
vastly improved, high-resolution images of pre-existing and created
fractures and fluid flow in EGS reservoirs. Focusing on the data
available from short term-stimulation treatments, while developing
imaging and modeling technology of importance to the long-term
operation of an EGS system, we will integrate LANL's and NETL's unique
capabilities in seismic imaging, fluid flow modeling, and laboratory
measurements. Develop a super-resolution, seismic imaging method for
imaging fractures and fluid flow using time-lapse microearthquake
(MEQ) and vertical seismic profiling data. Improve fracture and flow
imaging using MEQ and double-difference tomography. Utilize imaging
results, time-lapse seismic data and modified Gassmann equations to
quantify fluid flow and temperature changes in EGS. Develop a
reservoir-scale fully coupled thermal-hydrologic-mechanical (THM)
model. Use NETL's discrete fracture network modeling to scale up
constitutive relationships for porosity and permeability needed for
THM. This project is innovative in that the development of super-
resolution seismic imaging for mapping features and imaging fluid flow
is a novel extension of a ground-breaking technique recently developed
in medical imaging, and offers great potential to break through
seismic imaging resolution. Typically, the use of microseismic data
has been restricted to mapping gross flow paths affected by
stimulation. Our proposed high-resolution mapping will provide
additional information about fracture network geometry and induced
deformation. Combining this information with the active seismic images
will enable a more complete conceptual model of the fracture networks
and fluid flow/temperature distribution in the EGS, which is vitally
needed for successful EGS operations.
Project description: The ability to include stress-dependent fracture
permeability in reservoir simulation models allows for (more)
accurately predicting future reservoir performance and offers the
possibility of help in managing thermal short-circuiting. Reservoir
simulation software has evolved in the past decades to a point where
complete reservoirs can be efficiently simulated with a single model.
Thermal hydrologic mechanical (THM) software has also progressed to
the point where large scale simulations including fluid flow, heat
transfer, and stress changes can be made. This capability allows
ground displacement measurements and micro earthquake (MEQ) analysis
to be used to calibrate and constrain reservoir models and thereby
help predict future field behavior. In the THM modeling of geothermal
reservoirs, relating the fracture permeability to fracture aperture
and fracture aperture to changes in stress or displacement is the key
to realistic and efficient computations. We surveyed the literature
and found several conceptualizations of permeability-aperture-stress
relationships. We like a paper by Bai et. al. (Rock. Mech. Rock
Engng., 32, 195-219, 1999) because it can represent compressive,
tensile, and shear stresses. We converted this to a displacement
formulation and added a thermal stress term. We are testing the model
on grids we developed for this purpose. In addition, we met and
discussed with our collaborators at Berkeley Lab, GeothermEx, and
Ormat: one meeting at LBNL and another at San Francisco during the AGU
meeting. We have obtained some geophysical well log data from
GeothermEx/Ormat for building a reservoir model. Milestone Status:
Programmed Initial Permeability-Aperture-Stress (PAS) models in FEHM
Created 2D and 3D numerical grids to test the PAS models.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Bikini Atoll
Rd SM30.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Los Alamos, NM
87544-1663.
Award amount: $300,600.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC52-06NA25396.
[End of table]
Recipient name: United Technologies Corporation.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: The United Technologies Research Center (UTRC)
proposes to improve the utilization of available energy in geothermal
resources and increase the energy conversion efficiency of systems
employed by: a) tailoring the subcritical and/or supercritical glide
of enhanced working fluids to best match thermal resources, and b)
identifying appropriate thermal system and component designs for the
down-selected working fluids. By implementing these technologies, the
overall energy conversion of binary geothermal power plants is
projected to increase by at least 40%. The technical approach is: 1.
Screen, evaluate, and down-select working fluids and mixtures that
efficiently match source and sink conditions, meet environmental and
safety requirements (flammability, global warming potential, ozone
depletion potential, toxicity, etc), and increase thermodynamic cycle
performance. 2. Develop necessary models to identify and evaluate
opportunities for energy conversion technology advancements in
subcritical, supercritical and trilateral cycles. UTRC shall identify
optimal cycle configurations and component designs to take full
advantage of the attributes of down-selected working fluids. UTRC
shall also define a two-phase expander to best match chosen fluids and
cycles and conduct a proof-of-concept demonstration. 3. Conduct
property measurements and develop validated thermophysical models for
down-selected working fluids. 4. Characterize the heat transfer and
pressure drop performance of down-selected working fluids and perform
experiments to quantify and mitigate the impact of heat transfer
degradation characteristic of supercritical fluids and non-azeotropic
mixtures. The deliverables of the program are: 1. A comprehensive
analytical study detailing the screening, evaluation, and down-
selection of working fluids and identifying the appropriate technology
advancements in subcritical, supercritical, and trilateral cycles 2.
Improved heat exchanger and turbine designs for down-selected working
fluids 3. Validated thermophysical models and experimental data for
down-selected working fluids 4. Heat transfer and pressure drop data
and validated correlations for down-selected working fluids over a
representative operational envelope, plus an analytical study of and
recommendations for the mitigation of heat transfer degradation 5.
Definition and proof-of-concept demonstration of a two-phase expander.
Project description: NA.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 411 Silver Lane.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: East Hartford, CT
06118-1127.
Award amount: $1,816,306.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DE-EE0002770.
[End of table]
Geothermal Descriptions That Partially Met Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award descriptions did not contain sufficient details on
one or more of the following pieces of information necessary to
facilitate general understanding of the award, based on our criteria:
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and/or
expected outcomes. In some cases, only a small amount of additional
information was needed, while in other cases, many pieces of
information were needed to make the description more transparent. The
award description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We
did not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: Regents Of The University Of California, The.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: We propose mathematical modeling work, using both
analytical and numerical methods, to design and analyze laboratory and
field experiments that would (a) identify tracers with sorption
properties favorable for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)
applications, (b) apply reversibly sorbing tracers to determine the
fracture-matrix interface area available for heat transfer, and (c)
explore the feasibility of obtaining fracture-matrix interface area
from non-isothermal, single-well injection-backflow tests.
Project description: 1. We performed a first series of design
calculations for the laboratory heat extraction experiments with CO2
as heat transmission fluid. 2. An improved model for the specific
enthalpy of the CO2-rich phase was implemented in the evolving ECO2H
fluid property module for TOUGH2. 3. We started a literature survey of
rock-fluid interactions in geologic systems that may serve as
(partial) analogues of EGS with CO2. Reactive transport modeling
studies have also been initiated.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1 CYCLOTRON
ROAD.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: BERKELEY, CA
94720-0000.
Award amount: $373,200.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
experiments on fluid flow, heat transfer, and rock-fluid chemical
interactions conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory. The award supports an
Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) development project that seeks to
achieve a rational, science-based design that tests and interrogates
critical process elements of EGS with carbon dioxide.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Regents Of The University Of California, The.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: 1) develop a novel model and high performance code
for analysis of coupled THMC processes in EGS, 2) determine
quantitatively the permeability of sheared fractures and its long term
changes through THMC processes, 3) refine and validate the models and
codes to laboratory experiments. and 4) model couple THMC processes in
near wellbore hydrofracture systems.
Project description: Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical Code
Development: An initial coupling of TOUGHREACT V2.0 to FLAC, based on
the TOUGH-FLAC code has been done. This code will be used to benchmark
problems handled by the fully coupled THMC code under development.
Improvements in TOUGHREACT V2.0 have been made to increase efficiency
and speed for strongly coupled problems encountered in EGS.
Combinations of improved code and compiler capabilities have resulted
in over 30% speed increases on test problems. Initial evaluation of
thermal-hydrological-mechanical processes in ROCMAS was begun, that
will form the basis of the fully coupled THMC code. Background
investigation into chemical-mechanical processes in fractures under
EGS conditions is continuing. Experimental Design and Setup: The
experimental design for the rock shearing test inside a triaxial cell
was updated. The new design is based upon double shearing of two axis-
parallel fractures. These fractures will be induced by sequential
Brasilian loading in two perpendicular directions along the core
diameter A procurement request was placed for the test vessel, with
the requisite operating requirements, to be used in the THMC
experiments. Evaluation of potential EGS rock samples and their
suitability for experimental studies was begun.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1 Cyclotron
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Berkeley, CA
94720-0000.
Award amount: $511,200.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports experiments at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
related to Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) processes
with the outcome of model and code development for THMC processes, as
well as optimization of enhanced geothermal system development and
production. The experiments will cover four different purposes: (1)
develop a novel model and high performance code for analysis of
coupled THMC processes in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), (2)
determine quantitatively the permeability of sheared fractures and its
long-term changes through THMC processes, (3) refine and validate the
models and codes to lab experiments, and (4) model couple THMC
processes in near wellbore hydrofracture systems.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Regents Of The University Of California, The.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will
determine the feasibility of jointly using data from microseismic and
electrical surveys to image the fluid distribution with Enhanced
Geothermal Systems.
Project description: (1) We conducted feasibility studies on using
electromagnetic methods to monitor enhanced geothermal processes. The
preferred approach is to use time lapse measurements to image fluids
associated with the geophysical attribute of electrical conductivity.
The modeling experiments were based upon the Desert Peak Geothermal
field. Findings show that it is critical to isolate the fluid imaging
volume for successful outcome. This volume can be provided by micro
earthquake hypocenter locations, obtained through standard and double
difference earthquake location algorithms. (2) We initiated evaluation
of standard and double difference earthquake location and
corresponding tomographic algorithms to reconstruct P and S wave
seismic velocities. The double difference seismic tomography looks
favorable in reconstructing velocity images of greatest resolution in
the earthquake stimulated region. Our future plans will include
coupling of these velocities to electrical conductivity to better
image fluid stimulation. This is to be done using a common structural
constraint between velocities and conductivity. (3)We have
successfully implemented and tested a cross-gradient constraint in our
electromagnetic imaging codes. We can now image subsurface electrical
conductivity, which is associated with fluids, that is constrained by
seismic velocity structural information obtained from seismic
tomography. We have now just started this implementation in our
seismic tomographic codes, where velocity will be constrained by
electrical conductivity structural information. (4)The desert peak EGS
experiment will not go forward as planned. We are now investigating
two new field test sites to make measurements. Bardys Nevada or Raft
River Idaho. Plans call for an earthquake monitoring networks to be
installed at both sites, and we are evaluating logistics for making
time lapses electromagnetic measurements. A contractor has been found
that will make these measurements, pending final selection.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1 Cyclotron
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Berkeley, CA
94720-0000.
Award amount: $615,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
collection of data at an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) site to
provide a baseline study and a large EGS injection to map fluid
attributes. The project will determine the feasibility of jointly
using data from micro earthquake and electrical surveys to image the
fluid distribution within EGSs.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Regents Of The University Of California, The.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Laboratory will conduct a series of laboratory
experiments to quantify the reactivity of a suite of natural chemical
and isotopic tracers as a function of fluid chemistry, temperature,
surface area, and time: and incorporate the measured solute
reactivities into a tracer analysis model.
Project description: 1. Quantification of Bulk Reactivity and Surface
Area: In collaboration with, EGI, University of Utah and PI on the
Raft River EGS demonstration project, core samples from the Raft River
site were examined and arrangements have been made for shipping core
samples to LBNL. Preliminary assessment of potential core samples from
the Desert Peak EGS demonstration site has been completed. Sample
selection is underway. The core samples will be used in the surface
area reactivity experiments. Arrangements have been made with rock
prep lab at UC Berkeley's Department of Earth and Planetary Science
for preparing the core samples for the surface reactivity tests. 2.
Tracer Transport Simulation In this quarter, we have focused on Task
2.1 Tracer Transport Simulation for the modeling part of the project.
Specifically, we have incorporated the analytical solution of
Neretnieks (2002) into the framework of the channelized flow that is
expected to occur in an EGS system. The work of Neretnieks (2002)
deals with both conservative and reactive (simple kd-approach) tracers
for one-dimensional flow conditions. We are also extending the
analytical solution for steady-state isotopic compositions of fluids
flowing through fractured rock (DePaolo, 2006) to transient conditions
that are important for new fractures created in an EGS system. In
addition, we are evaluating whether or not the TOUHREACT code (Xu et
al., 2006) needs to be modified when bulk-reactivities for species,
determined as part of the experimental phase of the project, are used
in place of assumed reaction rates for specific species.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1 Cyclotron
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Berkeley, CA
94720-0000.
Award amount: $564,600.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports activities that will quantify the mineralogy of reservoir
rocks and the chemical composition of fluids needed for an Enhanced
Geothermal System (EGS) to incorporate into numerical models and
evaluate the reactivity of different solutes as a function of surface
area, temperature, fluid chemistry and time to develop the tracer-
interpretation technique. The activities will develop an innovative
approach for estimating the change in fracture surface area induced by
well stimulation.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Uchicago Argonne, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: EGS Technology R&D (Project code 2004190) consists
of the following 3 subprojects: Enhanced Geothermal--EGS R&D for
Synchrotron X-Ray Studies In accordance with the approved EERE
Geothermal Technologies Program, these funds are for synchrotron X-ray
studies of supercritical carbon dioxide/reservoir rock interfaces.
Argonne will use synchrotron x-ray measurements to monitor all aspects
of atomic to nanoscale structural changes resulting from chemical
interactions of scCO2-H2O binary fluids with rocks under enhanced
geothermal systems conditions. EGS R&D for Utilization of Geothermal
Energy In accordance with the approved EERE Geothermal Technologies
Program, these funds are for the Utilization of Geothermal Energy.
Argonne will develop chemical energy carrier processes to recover heat
from enhanced geothermal systems as chemical energy. EGS R&D for
Waveguide-based Ultrasonic and Far-Field Electromagnetic Sensors In
accordance with the approved EERE Geothermal Technologies Program,
these funds are for Waveguide based ultrasonic and far-field
electromagnetic sensors for downhold reservoir characterization.
Argonne National Laboratory will develop waveguide-based ultrasonic
and far-field electromagnetic sensors to measure Enhanced Geothermal
Systems reservoir parameters. Two sensor technologies to be examined
are (1) microwave (MW) radiometer and (2) ultrasonic waveguide (UW)
sensor. Major activities in FY2010 include: (1) Establish a laboratory
hot-rock test facility, (2) Evaluate MW antenna performance under high
temperature and humidity, and (3) Evaluate UW sensor performance under
high temperature and humidity.
Project description: Synchrotron X-Ray Studies: Silica surfaces were
prepared for synchrotron x-ray reflectivity. The roughness of the
surface was found less than 1 nm. X-ray reflectivity measurements of
the silica surfaces under static scCO2-scH2O fluids showed no
measurable dissolution and roughening as expected. The X-ray/pressure
cell was modified to accommodate thinner windows (0.5~1 mm) of
synthetic diamond, boron carbides, or silicon carbides. The boron
carbide windows were ordered and tested. The synthetic diamond windows
were ordered and yet to be delivered. Utilization of Geothermal
Energy: Potential reversible reactions have been identified.
Preliminary thermodynamic analyses were performed to match the
temperature conditions of some of these reactions to temperatures
potentially available from EGS. Aspen Plus analysis of the methane
reforming/methanantion reaction cycle was conducted. Because the
reforming reaction generally occurs at higher temperatures than what
may be available from EGS reservoirs, a search was conducted to
identify new catalysts that may enhance the performance of this
reaction system at lower temperature. Waveguide-based Ultrasonic and
Far-Field Electromagnetic Sensors: Completed the literature and
commercial sensor/instrumentation search and a brief knowledge capture
report was documented. Both literature search and commercial
instrument survey show lack of high-temperature instruments and
sensing techniques and development in this area is needed.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 9700 S. Cass
Avenue.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Argonne, IL 60439-
4832.
Award amount: $1,620,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC02-06CH11357.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The first project
on synchrotron X-Ray measurements will consist of two phases: one
studies rock and superconcentrated CO2 interface and the other
performs measurements under variable component binary fluids with a
new flow cell. The second project on chemical energy carriers (CEC)
consists of six tasks for conducting tests, analysis, and development
for the CEC systems. The third project on waveguide based ultrasonic
includes three phases for developing and building the ultrawave sensor
and microwave radiometer.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: The Recovery Act funds received by Brookhaven
National Laboratory for the Geothermal Technologies program will be
used to fund (3) separate projects: $200.4k will be used for
FWP#EST436NEDA and will enable BNL to elucidate the carbonation
reaction mechanisms between the supercritical carbon dioxide and
reservoir rocks in aqueous and non-aqueous environments, and to
develop chemical modeling of CO2-reservoir rock interactions. $347.4k
will be used to fund FWP#BCH139 and will allow BNL to develop and
characterize field-applicable geopolymer sealing materials. $225k will
fund FWP#EE632EEDA and will be used to fund the development and
implementation of suites of tracers consisting of compounds with
different chemicals and physical properties.
Project description: Geothermal Technologies - On FWP#EST436NEDA, we
are working with Alta Rock Energy for assistance in developing core
samples and analysis for EGS sites. The key technical leader on this
project will start at BNL the first week of January 2010. ON
FWP#BCH139, work is continuing on lab setup and equipment
requirements. On FWP#EE632EEDA, a specification has been written for a
subcontract to develop methods of encapsulating PFTs in temperature
sensitive microbeads. We expect the process to be completed in January.
Project activity description: All Other Professional, Scientific, and
Technical Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): P.O. Box 5000.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Upton, NY 11973-
5000.
Award amount: $772,800.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC02-98CH10886.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports three geothermal technologies projects at Brookhaven National
Laboratory. Brookhaven will collaborate with four other labs on the
projects. (1) The project on elucidating a carbonation reaction
mechanism of reservoir rock will result in, among other things, a
report on chemical analysis. (2) The project on developing and
characterizing geopolymer sealing materials will, among other things,
result in field demonstrations and validations. (3) The project on
determining the temperature distribution and fracture/heat transfer
surface area in geothermal reservoirs will result in tracer and model
development, including field test design and execution.
[End of table]
Recipient name: UT-BATTELLE, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: EGS Technology R&D: Geothermal Technologies Program
Enhanced Geo: This award provides funding to four subprojects in
support of Enhanced Geothermal Systems technology: 1) Feasibility and
Design Studies for a High Temperature Downhole Tool--ORNL will perform
feasibility and design studies for a high temperature downhole tool
that can measure the porosity, lithology, and density profile of
geothermal wells: 2) Wear-Resistant NanoComposite Stainless Steel
Coatings and Bits for Geothermal Drilling--ORNL will develop ultra
hard, wear resistant nanocomposite stainless steel coatings and bulk
components to increase the lifetime of drill tooling in harsh
geothermal environments: 3) Working Fluids and their Effects on
Geothermal Turbines--ORNL will evaluate working fluids for a
geothermal turbine cycle based on property measurements, molecular
dynamics modeling, and thermodynamic modeling to increase the turbine
cycle efficiency in binary power plants: and 4) Properties of CO2 Rich
Pore Fluids and their Effect on Porosity Evolution in EGS Rocks--ORNL
will characterize CO2 and water bulk and pore fluids by vibrating tube
densimetry, determine changing pore and fluid structures using neutron
scattering, and conduct real time imaging of the dissolution front and
evolution of porosity using x-ray and neutron computed tomography.
Project description: 1) High Temperature Downhole Tool--A furnace for
detector testing has been ordered but not received. Several
scintillator materials for testing purposes have been ordered. Design
for test apparatus for temperature and vibrations tests is in
progress. Preliminary modeling studies have been performed to
determine the change in tool response with the change in temperature
and surrounding formation environment. 2) NanoComposite Stainless
Steel Coatings and Bits--ORNL is working with Carpenter Powder
Products to gas atomize a 500 pound melt of an alloy specifically
designed to devitrify from an amorphous state into a corrosion
resistant alloy with increased hardness for use as coating materials
in geothermal applications. Carpenter has scheduled this run for late
January 2010 and ORNL should receive powder in early February. ORNL is
currently processing the same alloy using conventional casting
techniques. A parametric study was developed to analyze the effect of
various processing parameters on the laser/metal interaction. A
preliminary conceptual design for an impact-abrasion testing apparatus
has been developed. 3) Working Fluids--A review has been conducted on
the properties of supercritical fluids to identify where there are
needs for additional or corroborative data and where models need to be
developed for physical properties. Work carried out during this
quarter will allow us to focus both experimental and computation
efforts to address gaps and deficiencies in the thermodynamic database
for the heat transfer fluids selected for binary geothermal power
plant operation. 4) Properties of CO2 Rich Pore Fluids--The high
temperature vibrating tube flow densimeter (VTD) was tested and
disassembled to make repairs and improvements needed to restore
reliable operation. Proof of principle experiment was successfully
conducted to synthesize low density silica mesoporous solid inside the
vibrating tubes of different geometries.
Project activity description: Facilities Support Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1 Bethel
Valley Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Oak Ridge, TN
37830-8050.
Award amount: $1,920,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC05-00OR22725.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award to the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory consists of four projects. (1) The high
temperature down-hole tool project will investigate the feasibility of
developing components for enabling operation at higher temperatures,
up to 400 degrees Celsius for use in geothermal wells. (2) The project
on carbon dioxide fluids will use four complementary approaches to
improve geochemical modeling. (3) The project on stainless steel
coatings and bits will have two stages for analyzing a specific type
of metal and then showing the possibility of using complex metal-boron
carbides into stainless steel matrix for a type of alloy. (4) The
project for working fluids will take advantage of expertise in
prediction and measurement of thermodynamic properties, and accurate
modeling of complex turbine cycles based on those properties.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: This ARRA-funded project addresses the research
topic area: Tracers and Tracer Interpretation ? to adapt or develop
reservoir tracers and/or tracer interpretation techniques that provide
information beyond well-to-well connectivity such as fracture surface
area or fracture spacing. Commercial development of geothermal energy
requires quantitative characterization of temperature distributions
and surface area available for heat transfer in engineered (enhanced)
geothermal systems (EGS). This project will provide integrated tracer
and tracer interpretation tools to facilitate this characterization by
developing and implementing 1. Suites of tracers consisting of
compounds with different chemical and physical properties that can be
injected into wells and will interact in different and measurable ways
with the fractured rock matrix. 2. Single-and inter-well test designs
and corresponding interpretation methods to extract the temperature
distribution and surface area information from differences in the
tracer concentration-versus-time histories (breakthrough curves). We
anticipate significantly advancing tracer-based methods available to
geothermal operators by developing (1) tracers that can be reliably
applied to provide quantitative information on temperature
distribution and fracture surface area, (2) tracer test designs (both
single well and interwell) to exploit the use of these tracers, and
(3) interpretive methods to allow this information to be used to
provide practical guidance to operators to improve heat extraction.
Project description: The members of the research team participated in
a meeting at the Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI) at the
University of Utah on December 8, 2009. The purpose of the meeting was
to share information on the geothermal tracer programs at EGI and the
four national labs and to explore ways that the programs can interact
and share information. Pete Rose opened the meeting with introductions
and an overview of the geothermal tracer programs at EGI. He described
laboratory programs investigating the properties of different tracer
candidates under geothermal conditions and field programs where
fluorescent dies have been used in actual wells. Kevin Leecaster, also
of EGI, described laboratory equipment and experiments used to
characterize potential tracer compounds, discussed results, and
presented plans for flow through reactor experiments. Paul Reimus of
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) discussed methods for modeling
tracer behavior in geothermal applications and described the
laboratory capabilities at LANL. Contact Paul Reimus or the LANL SPO
office for additional details related to the meeting. The meeting
finished with a discussion of how the three programs, EGI, INL, and
the combined program of BNL, LANL, and PNNL, could establish working
collaborations. We agreed to share information on field programs and
to work towards incorporating tracers from all three programs in
future field tests as well as share in design, operation, and results
of laboratory experiments. On Dec. 9th, The LANL, PNNL, BNL team
discussed the next steps for 2004190-EGS R&D and agreed to begin
laboratory testing of PFT compounds early next year. We developed a
tentative schedule and will have a meeting in late winter at Los
Alamos to plan laboratory testing.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Bikini Atoll
Rd SM30.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Los Alamos, NM
87544-1663.
Award amount: $180,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-AC52-06NA25396.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award has
seven milestones, including identifying materials operable at high
temperatures, developing a sensor model, and determining the optimum
approach for flow measurements.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology.
Project name: Recovery Act: Decision Analysis for Enhanced Geothermal
Systems, Project 2004190.
Award description: Recovery Act: Decision Analysis For Enhanced
Geothermal Systems Project 2004190.
Project description: Not started yet. Start date is Feb 1 2010.
Project activity description: Research & Public Policy Analysis.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 77
Massachusetts Ave., E19-750.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Cambridge, MA
02139-4307.
Award amount: $549,148.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DE-EE0002743.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the development of a decision analysis procedure to assess
development of an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Activities will
include the development of several models: a cost/time estimation
model, a simple circulation/heat transfer model, and a subsurface
cost/time model. The models will be integrated to assess EGS
development and made accessible to EGS stakeholders to provide
feedback for improvements.
[End of table]
Recipient name: General Electric Company.
Project name: Pressure Sensor and Telemetry Methods for Measurement
While Drilling in Geothermal Wells.
Award description: The scope of the proposed project is to develop a
pressure sensor system consisting of silicon on sapphire based sensor
transducer and SiC-based electronics to operate at 300C in Measurement
While Drilling (MWD) conditions that are expected to be found in a
geothermal well.
Project description: Performance and deliverables in accordance with
the Grant Statement of Project Objectives.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1 Research
Circle.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Niskayuna, NY
12309-1027.
Award amount: $3,408,485.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DE-EE0002755.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award will
develop a pressure sensor system operating at 300 degrees Celsius and
capable of surviving shock and vibration conditions similar to
measurement while drilling (MWD) environments. Activities include
integrating and testing a pressure sensor system and developing and
testing a telemetry module and pressure system at 300 degrees Celsius.
Both systems will be tested for shock and vibration conditions
typically found in measurement while drilling environments. The
technology can aid in the economic completion of (Enhanced Geothermal
Systems) EGS wells.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Altarock Energy, INC.
Project name; Newberry Volcano EGS Demonstration.
Award description; This project will demonstrate the development and
operation of an Engineered Geothermal System, including site and
resource investigation, well drilling and completion, stimulation of
wells to create a geothermal reservoir, testing of well productivity
and assessment of reservoir characteristics, construction of a well
field and power plant, and extended operation and monitoring of the
constructed facility with continuous power generation.
Project description; AltaRock Energy has not commenced the project
activities as described in Section 2.0 (Task Schedule) of the Project
Management Plan submitted as part of its application. AltaRock is
currently negotiating the award agreement with DOE and revising budget
and project activities in relation to these negotiations.
Project activity description; Power and Communication Line and Related
Structures Construction.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); Newberry
Volcano, McKay Butte Road/NF-600.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; La Pine, OR 97739-
0000.
Award amount; $7,623,432.00.
Project status; Not Started.
Award number; DE-EE0002777.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description; The award funds
the building of a power plant and production facility that will be
capable of generating no less than 15 MWe and operating for 30 years.
This will provide long-term power generation through Engineered
Geothermal System (EGS) and the first source of indigenous geothermal
power in Oregon. The award will allow geothermal experts to enhance
geoscience and engineering techniques that are essential to the
expansion of EGS throughout the country.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations, Inc.
Project name: RECOVERY ACT: high Temperature 300C Directional Drilling
System.
Award description: The scope of work will be to develop a reliable
drilling and steering system for the creation of Enhanced Geothermal
Systems. The drilling and steering system will provide optimum
performance in temperatures of up to 300×C (572×F) in hard rock
formations, and under the high pressures encountered in boreholes at
depths of up to 10,000 meters (33,000 feet). The drilling and steering
system will be comprised of the following components: a drill bit to
break up the rock formation, a downhole drive to rotate the bit, some
steering means associated with the drive unit to steer the well in a
pre-determined way, and a dedicated drilling fluid (mud) to serve
several purposes including carrying the rock cuttings out of the
wellbore.
Project description: Project not started since award made very late in
quarter: 12/29/2009.
Project activity description: Unknown.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2001 Rankin
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Houston, TX 77073-
5114.
Award amount: $5,000,000.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DE-EE0002782.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award has
four phases and 26 tasks with activities including a concept review,
designing equipment like drill bits and waste management equipment,
conducting design reviews, manufacturing and assembling prototype
equipment, and conducting integrated testing of the prototype drilling
system under geothermal conditions.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Colorado Museum Of Natural History, The.
Project name: Recovery Act: Education and Collection Facility Ground
Source Heat Pumps Demonstration Project.
Award description: Recovery Act: Education and Collection Facility
Ground Source Heat Pumps Demonstration Project.
Project description: No activity: start date was 12/29/09.
Project activity description: Museums.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2001 Colorado
Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Denver, CO 80205-
5798.
Award amount: $2,611,832.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DE-EE0002815.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
installation of a commercial scale (100 ton) ground source heat pump
(GSHP) heating/cooling system that will be operated and maintained for
2 to 3 years. The project is expected to significantly reduce
traditional GSHP installation costs while boosting the efficiency of
the GSHP system. Activities will include, among other things,
developing a detailed engineering design, procuring and installing the
proposed GSHP system, operating and maintaining the system for 2 to 3
years, and developing a national awareness campaign for GSHP systems.
The successful design and installation of the system can drastically
reduce building energy consumption, require less area and capital to
install, and be economically implemented wherever access to recycled
water is available.
[End of table]
Geothermal Description That Did Not Meet Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award description contained little or no information
that allowed readers to understand the general purpose, scope and
nature of activities, location, and expected outcomes. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recipient name: Alliance For Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Geothermal Demonstrations: Geothermal Analysis.
Project description: Literature search was conducted on the status of
dry/wet cooling options for power plants. Interviews with candidates
are scheduled.
Project activity description: Research and Development in the
Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology).
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1617 Cole Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Golden, CO 80401-
3189.
Award amount: $1,200,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: DE-08GO28308.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) research and development in
air cooling. The award will identify and analyze advanced cooling
strategies that allow air-cooled geothermal power plants to maintain a
high electric power output during periods of high air dry bulb
temperatures while minimizing any water consumption. The research will
include activities such as an hour-by-hour cost/performance simulation
of a cost-optimized 50 MW binary-cycle geothermal power plant at
resource temperatures of 125 and 175 degrees Celsius for three
different heat rejection systems.
[End of section]
Appendix V: High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program:
Within the Department of Transportation, the Federal Railroad
Administration's (FRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program is
working to build an efficient, high-speed passenger rail network of
between 100-and 600-mile intercity corridors, as one element of a
modernized transportation system. This relatively new program is based
on two pieces of legislation: the Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act of 2008 and the Recovery Act. The 2008 investment act
established new competitive grant programs for high-speed and
intercity passenger rail capital improvements, and the Recovery Act
provided $8 billion for these grant programs.[Footnote 52] In order to
meet the goals of the Recovery Act, FRA proposed to advance the
following funding tracks:[Footnote 53]
* Projects. Provide grants to complete individual projects that are
"ready to go" with preliminary engineering and environmental work
completed.
* Corridor Program. Enter into cooperative agreements to develop
entire phases or geographic sections of corridor programs that not
only have completed corridor plans and environmental documentation but
also have a prioritized list of projects to meet the corridor
objectives; this approach would involve additional federal oversight
and support.
Nature and Type of High-Speed Rail Projects:
On January 28, 2010, the administration announced the first recipients
of grant funding for the high-speed rail program. In total, 70
projects were selected for funding, but no awards have been made.
[Footnote 54] (See figure 2.) FRA is working with the selected
recipients to refine the projects' scope and descriptions. The
selected projects are focused on the following three key areas that
may provide transportation, economic recovery, and other public
benefits:
* Build new high-speed rail corridors that will fundamentally expand
and improve passenger transportation in the geographic regions they
serve.
* Upgrade existing intercity passenger rail services.
* Lay the groundwork for future high-speed passenger rail services
through smaller projects and planning efforts.
Figure 2: Locations of High-Speed Rail Projects Selected for Funding:
[Refer to PDF for image: U.S. map]
Source: Federal Railroad Administration (map).
[End of figure]
Results of Transparency Assessment for High-Speed Rail Descriptions:
Although FRA has not made any awards for rail projects, it has entered
into five contracts to assist the agency with program administration
and architectural and engineering issues related to the evaluation of
proposals and feasibility studies. For example, FRA can use the
architectural and engineering contractors for site visits to specific
locations to confirm engineering assessments in proposals and check
calculations of various loads and capacities. We assessed the
transparency of descriptive information for these five contracts:
* One met our transparency criteria.
* One partially met our criteria.
* Three did not meet our criteria.
For the four descriptions that partially or did not meet our criteria,
we collected information necessary to make the description meet our
criteria. The descriptions of awards in our sample, whether they met
our transparency criteria, and additional information that we found to
complete the narrative descriptions are provided at the end of this
appendix.
Since the program is relatively new, FRA focused on selecting projects
and getting awards out and did not issue any supplemental reporting
guidance to eligible applicants. FRA officials considered the Office
of Management and Budget's (OMB) guidance sufficient to outline
reporting requirements. While FRA has not yet issued supplemental
guidance, it may in the future.
Other Ways Award Information Is Made Available to the Public:
The Department of Transportation and FRA make high-speed rail project
information available to the public in several forms:
* The department's recovery Web site (www.dot.gov/recovery). This
agencywide map provides the location, cost, and a brief description
for each award.
* FRA Web site and high-speed rail interactive project map
(www.fra.dot.gov/Pages/2243.shtml). This provides information by
region.
* Press releases. Also on its Web site, FRA provides press releases
detailing the goals and plan for the high-speed rail program.
FRA is also developing a more interactive recovery Web site for the
general public.
FRA officials told us they have not received much public feedback
about the high-speed rail awards to date. However, FRA has received
questions on its Web site from the public about job opportunities, and
when it was soliciting grant applications, it received questions from
industry officials about the application process.
High-Speed Rail Descriptions That Met Our Transparency Criteria:
The following award description contained sufficient information on
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and
expected outcomes to meet our transparency criteria. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Provide assistance consisting of mission-oriented
business consulting services in support of FRA's Office of Passenger
and Freight Programs, with a specific focus on advising FRA in the
establishment of a grants management program that is commensurate with
the significant increase in discretionary grant activity resulting
from ARRA.
Project description: Program Support - Coordinate information and
develop processes to administer ARRA grant program. Activities
include: development of tools and databases to drive workflow and
assist FRA in meeting statutory objectives and deadlines: support FRA
in the capture, sorting and organization of all relevant grant and
stakeholder information and utilize tools and processes to provide
information to program leadership for analysis and presentation to
relevant stakeholder audiences. Policy/Process - Assist with tasks
such as project planning, grant administration process design and
execution across the grants management lifecycle (Application and
Approval, Award and Disbursement, Management and Monitoring,
Closeout), stakeholder policy issues tracking, risk identification and
mitigation. Communications and Resourcing - Assist program and FRA
leadership in managing communications planning by monitoring,
cataloging and coordinating responses to stakeholder inquiries
submitted via program email account and docket: work with program and
FRA leadership to conduct workforce analysis to identify core
capabilities, organizational structure and resourcing requirements
necessary to successfully administer agency programs at current stage
and into the future.
Project activity description: Administrative Management and General
Management Consulting Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Washington, DC
20590-0001.
Award amount: $4,136,375.44.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: GS10F0083L/DTFR53-0.
[End of table]
High-Speed Rail Descriptions That Partially Met Our Transparency
Criteria:
The following award description did not contain sufficient details on
one or more of the following pieces of information necessary to
facilitate general understanding of the award, based on our criteria:
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and/or
expected outcomes. The award description information is taken directly
from Recovery.gov. We did not edit it in any way, such as to correct
typographical or grammatical errors.
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Booz Allen Hamilton will provide general technical
support in environmental engineering, historic documentation, and
financial analysis and organizational planning to assist RDV in
reviewing ARRA high speed rail grant applications.
Project description: There were no invoices submitted for this
reporting period.
Project activity description: Administrative Management and General
Management Consulting Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 8283
Greensboro Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: McLean, VA 22102-
3838.
Award amount: $99,000.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DTFR53-09-D-00006.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports a contract for activities such as conducting site visits to
specific locations to confirm engineering assessments in applications
and conducting calculations of various loads and capacities. The
activities that will occur under this contract will allow senior
engineers from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to do higher
level assessment work on the various applications and interface with
the prospective grantees.
[End of table]
High-Speed Rail Descriptions That Did Not Meet Our Transparency
Criteria:
The following award descriptions contained little or no information
that allowed readers to understand the general purpose, scope and
nature of activities, location, and expected outcomes. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Aecom Technology Corporation.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Architect and Engineering Support Services for
Passenger Rail Programs.
Project description: Architect and Engineering Support Services for
Passenger Rail Programs.
Project activity description: Engineering Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 3101 Wilson
Boulevard, 4th Floor.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Arlington, VA
22201-4446.
Award amount: $99,000.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DTFR53-09-D-00010.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports a contract for assistance to the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) as it evaluates and considers the feasibility of
high-speed rail proposals. Activities under the contract include
conducting site visits to specific locations to confirm engineering
assessments in proposals and conducting calculations of various loads
and capacities. These activities will allow senior engineers from the
FRA to do higher level assessment work on the various proposals and
interface with the prospective grantees.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: PB Americas, Inc.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: A/E contract for support services in areas of
intercity passenger rail programs and high speed rail programs.
Project description: none.
Project activity description: Engineering Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 465 Spring
Park Technology Center.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Herndon, VA 20170-
5227.
Award amount: $99,000.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DTFR53-09-D-00007.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports a contract for assistance to the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) as it evaluates proposals and considers
feasibility of high-speed rail proposals. Activities that can occur
under the contract include conducting site visits to specific
locations to confirm engineering assessments in proposals and
conducting calculations of various loads and capacities. These
activities will allow senior engineers from the FRA to do higher level
assessment work on the various proposals and interface with the
prospective grantees.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: STV Incorporated.
Project name: Federal Contract.
Award description: Provide environmental engineering and historic
documentation support and financial/organizational planning support
for analysis of high speed rail systems.
Project description: Project not yet started.
Project activity description: Engineering Services.
Award type: Contracts.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Philadelphia, PA
19103-3616.
Award amount: $99,000.00.
Project status: Not Started.
Award number: DTFR53-09-D-00009/0.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports a contract for assistance to the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) as it evaluates and considers the feasibility of
high-speed rail proposals. Activities under the contract include
conducting site visits to specific locations to confirm engineering
assessments in proposals and calculations of various loads and
capacities. These activities will allow senior engineers from the FRA
to do higher level assessment work on the various proposals and
interface with the prospective grantees.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix VI: Grants-in-Aid for Airports:
Within the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation
Administration's (FAA) Grants-in-Aid for Airports Program (airport
improvement program) provides grants for the planning and development
of public-use airports. The Recovery Act provides $1.1 billion for
discretionary airport improvement program grants, with priority given
to projects that can be completed within two years.
Nature and Type of Awards:
FAA had obligated nearly $1.1 billion in recovery funds by April 22,
2010. As of April 22, 2010, about $650 million had been disbursed by
FAA to airports. About two-thirds of obligations have been for runway
and taxiway projects. Approximately $481 million (44 percent) is being
used on runway construction and rehabilitation projects, while nearly
$220 million (20 percent) is being used for taxiway construction and
rehabilitation projects. (See fig. 3.) For example, the Denver
International Airport's taxiway project rehabilitated portions of
Taxiway P by removing and replacing identified distressed concrete
pavement panels.
Figure 3: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Aviation Funds, as of April
22, 2010:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Runway ($481 million): 44%;
Taxiway ($220 million): 20%;
Apron ($187 million): 17%;
Terminal building ($85 million): 8%;
Construct new airport ($33 million): 3%;
Aircraft rescue and firefighting building ($31 million): 3%;
Other ($19 million): 2%;
Runway safety area ($17 million): 2%;
Equipment ($13 million): 1%;
Noise mitigation measures for the public ($5 million): less than 1%;
Security enhancements ($4 million): less than 1%.
Source: GAO analysis of FAA data.
Note: Apron includes apron construction and rehabilitation; taxiway
includes taxiway construction, rehabilitation, and lighting
installation; and runway includes runway construction, rehabilitation,
and lighting rehabilitation.
[End of figure]
About 18 Percent of Descriptions Met Our Transparency Criteria:
We assessed the transparency of descriptive information for aviation
awards available on Recovery.gov, as described earlier in this report.
An estimated:
* 18 percent met our transparency criteria,
* 82 percent partially met our criteria, and:
* zero percent did not meet our criteria.[Footnote 55]
For descriptions that partially met or did not meet our criteria, we
collected information necessary to make the descriptions meet our
criteria. The descriptions of awards in our sample, whether they met
our criteria, and additional information that we found to complete the
narrative descriptions are provided at the end of this appendix.
Agency Guidance and Other Factors That May Affect Transparency of
Reported Information:
For recipient reporting, FAA provided technical assistance and other
support to recipients but did not issue supplemental guidance. FAA
officials told us they considered the Office of Management and
Budget's (OMB) guidance sufficient to outline reporting requirements,
so the agency did not issue its own supplemental guidance. However,
FAA distributed guidance and provided technical assistance to
recipients through each airport's division office. FAA officials said
field offices have discretion in how to distribute OMB's guidance. One
field official, for example, said the division office hired a
contractor to oversee Recovery Act efforts who distributed information
and guidance to every airport in the division by e-mail. In addition,
FAA annotated, for a few fields, the template that recipients used to
enter information into FederalReporting.gov. These annotations direct
recipients to use information on their grant agreement as entered into
FAA's internal grants database. Many of the recipients we spoke with
indicated that they populated the award description field with the
description that was on the original grant. For example, officials we
spoke with for the Quad City International Airport located in Moline,
Illinois, stated that they used the amount of the award, execution
date, and award description from the grant award to populate fields on
FederalReporting.gov.
In addition, a number of recipients we spoke with stated that they
received help from FAA division office officials to complete their
reporting. According to FAA officials, only a small portion of airport
improvement program grantees--10 percent, or about 300--received
Recovery Act funds. Specifically, according to officials at the
Midland-Bay City-Saginaw International Airport in Michigan, they
received a tremendous amount of support from FAA's division office
with regard to identifying and explaining reporting requirements.
However, several recipients we spoke with reported problems with
FederalReporting.gov or OMB's guidance. For example, officials at the
John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport had difficulty
determining the correct zip code to use to accurately identify the
location of the project receiving Recovery Act funds. The FAA district
official was able to identify the correct zip code to enter into
FederalReporting.gov.
Other Ways Award Information Is Made Available to the Public:
Beyond Recovery.gov, the Department of Transportation and FAA make
award information available to the public through various means,
including the following:
* Department of Transportation interactive map of awards
(www.dot.gov/recovery). This agencywide map, which includes aviation
awards, provides the location, cost, and a brief description for each
award.
* FAA web site (www.faa.gov/recovery). The Web site contains a
spreadsheet that outlines each award's location, cost, and name, among
other things. In addition, the Web site provides a pie chart to
display awards by category (i.e., runway, taxiway).
In addition, airport improvement program recipients use Web sites and
other tools to provide award information to the public. Several
airport improvement program recipients we interviewed disseminate
award information to the public on their Web sites. For example, the
Web site for the Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority, recipient
of the Dulles International Airport award includes, among other
things, a narrative description of the project and the estimated cost
of the investment. Another Web site, for the Midland-Bay City-Saginaw
International Airport Authority, describes the ongoing construction
project but does not mention that Recovery Act funds are being used.
Dulles International Airport also erected a sign to alert the public
that its runway project was funded by the Recovery Act.
According to FAA headquarters officials, the public has provided
little feedback on airport improvement program Recovery Act awards,
but they were unsure if the regions had received any feedback. The
airport improvement program recipients we interviewed generally
reported the same experience. Officials from Los Angeles World
Airports told us that they had not received many calls, but those
calls were typically from construction companies or individuals
looking for work. The Williamson-Sodus Airport in New York and the
John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Pennsylvania received
negative media attention because the media considered them smaller
airports and maintained their funds could have been better spent at
larger airports.[Footnote 56] However, recipients at both airports
told us they received support from FAA and the local communities that
they service.
Airport Improvement Program Descriptions That Met Our Transparency
Criteria:
The following award descriptions contained sufficient information on
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and
expected outcomes to meet our transparency criteria. The award
description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We did
not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Bartow City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Taxiway D (+/-3,000 feet by 50 feet) and
Overlay.
Award description: This project consisted of the design, bid and
award, and construction phases for the rehabilitation of Taxiway 'D'
at the Bartow Municipal Airport. Taxiway 'D' and associated taxiway
connectors are approximately 3000' in length and 50' wide and had
severe cracking and spalling. The cracks were sealed and covered with
a self-adhesive engineering fabric prior to the P-401 overlay. The
project improved the quality of the pavement of our primary taxiway at
the Bartow Airport. This project now provides a safer environment for
aircraft by placement of the asphalt overlay on a poor pavement
surface which was oxidized and raveling, creating a FOD situation.
Project description: The overall purpose and expected results of this
project is the project improved the quality of pavement of a primary
taxiway at the Bartow Municipal Airport. The project provided a safer
environment for aircraft by the placement of the asphalt overlay on a
poor pavement surface which had oxidized and raveled, creating a FOD
situation.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Bartow
Municipal Airport.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bartow, FL 33831-
0650.
Award amount: $499,398.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 3-12-0005-024-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Houma Terrebonne Airport Commission.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 12/30 Lighting.
Award description: Airport Improvement project to replace and
rehabilitate runway and taxiway lighting and associated NAVAIDs. This
project will bring the current airfield lighting system into
compliance standards, prevent further failures and increase safety,
and reduce associated maintenance and operational costs. Current
system tests show that the megohm readings are out of acceptable range
to by an excessive amount. The new system is designed to prevent pre-
mature deterioration and reduce maintenance and operational costs
while providing a more reliable and visable lighting system. An
overall cost savings will be realized over the life of the new system.
Project description: Contractor has run 1,137 ft of homerun conduits
from the regulator station. Contractor has installed one pull box at
the end of the 512 ft run. Contractor has completed 7 runs of homerun
conduits to the junction box where the conduits split to the various
runways and taxiways. Contractor trenched and ran conduits to Taxiways
Alpha and Fox Trot. Contractor has completed the conduit runs to
Taxiways Alpha and Fox Trot. Contractor started installation of the
threshold lights on the north end of 12/30 and installed conduit for
Taxiways Alpha and Fox Trot through the threshold. Contractor
completed installation of the threshold cans on the north end of
12/30, ran 1800 feet of conduit along the north side of 12/30, and set
runway light cans. Contractor completed installation of the conduit
and cans on the northwest side of 12/30. Contractor installed ground
rods in homerun junction boxes back to the regulator station.
Contractor installed pull strings from the regulator station through
the homerun conduits in preparation for pulling wire. Contractor
completed the work at the intersection of 12/30 and 18/36 and has
cleared the runway safety area of 18/36. Contractor completed the
installation of the cans and conduit on the west side of Runway 12/30
and is currently working on the REILs. Contractor pulled conductors on
the west side of Runway 12/30 and completed the installation of the
REILs on the north end. Contractor pulled the home run wiring on five
active circuits. Contractor began installing lights on the northwest
end of Runway 12/30. Contractor began installation of the lights and
transformers on the northwest end of Runway 12/30. Contractor
backfilled and grated around the newly installed cans. Contractor
completed installation of the cans and lights on the west end of the
runway. Contractor tied in the existing lights on the east end of the
runway and tested the runway lighting. The runway was opened for air
traffic.
Project activity description: Other Airport Operations.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 10264 East
Main Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Houma, LA 70363-
5537.
Award amount: $960,927.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-22-0020-023-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Sierra Vista, City Of.
Project name: Runway 12-30 Reconstruction and Taxiway J Realignment.
Award description: Design and reconstruct Runway 12-30 and construct
Taxiway J realignment at the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport-Libby Army
Airfield.
Project description: The existing Taxiway J pavement was removed. All
excavation and subgrade compaction was completed on Taxiway J. The
pavement at the intersection of Runway 12-30 and Taxiway J was milled
off and the existing base course was removed to finish grade.
Approximately 17,042 square yards of subgrade at the intersection was
repaired to eliminate unstable spots. Base Course materials have been
placed and compacted on Taxiway J and Runway 12-30. Approximately
23,576 sy of concrete pavement was placed on Taxiway J and 14,445 sy
concrete on Runway 12-30 that intersects with Taxiway J and D. Asphalt
pavement was placed on the Taxiway J shoulders and a test strip has
been placed for the P-401 asphalt on Runway 12-30. Electrical conduit
crossings and extensions have been installed, guidance signs were
installed and the shoulder pavement has been cored for the new taxiway
edge lights. The existing concrete storm drain pipe was extended 80
feet.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1011 N.
Coronado Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Sierra Vista, AZ
85635-6334.
Award amount: $4,474,546.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-04-0060-023-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Pangborn Memorial Airport.
Project name: 373715-Rehabilitate Taxiway AND 377259-Runway Incursion
Markings.
Award description: Airport Development - This project included the
rehabilitation of T/W B and its adjacent apron, as well as
constructing holding position markings for Runway 12-30. This project
included rotomilling approximately 20,000SY of pavement, excavating
and backfilling 13,000 CY of material, installing 2,300 LF of edge
drain, 5000 Tons of bituminous surface course, 45,000SF of airfiled
markings (including enhanced and surface painted holding position
markings), and other miscellaneous airfield improvements to Taxiway
Bravo.
Project description: Construct new taxiway, apron, and safety markings
on airport to maintain safe taxiway and airfield for commercial, jet,
and general aviation fleet.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): One Pangborn
Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: East Wenatchee,
WA 98802-9233.
Award amount: $1,317,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-53-0084-030-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Redwood Falls, City Of.
Project name; Rehabilitate Runway 12/30 and Taxiway.
Award description; Airport Development to include Runway 12/30 and
adjacent taxiway pavement rehabilitation project at the Redwood Falls
Municipal Airport (RWF). Project scope includes bituminous mill &
overlay of the pavement, incidental grading, and pavement markings per
FAA pavement management program requirements. Project will extend the
useful life of the runway and taxiway pavement complying with the
overall airport pavement management program at the Redwood Falls
Municipal Airport. Project includes construction and engineering costs.
Project description; Activities on this project include engineering
and construction activities. Total project engineering includes
preparation of engineering plans and specifications on the project,
construction observation and administration, and grant assistance
activities. Project construction tasks include completing a bituminous
mill & pavement overlay, incidental grading, and pavement markings on
Runway 12/30 and adjacent taxiway at the Redwood Falls Municipal
Airport. Project plans and specifications were completed in April
2009. Construction and construction observation was completed
September 25th, 2009 in the first reporting period. On-going grant
administration was also completed. For this reporting period (October
1 ? December 31), construction administration, documentation, as-built
plans were completed. Grant administration, reporting, and closeout
procedures were also completed.
Project activity description; Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); 500 Airport
Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; Redwood Falls, MN
56283-2827.
Award amount; $732,346.00.
Project status; Completed.
Award number; 3-27-0083-008-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Wood County Airport Authority (Inc).
Project name: Acquire Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicle.
Award description: Replace old worn out ARFF vehicle with new more
capable and lower maintenance vehicle.
Project description: for this quarter all payments have been made to
the engineering firm for developing bid specs and awarding the bid for
construction of the new ARFF vehicle. This vehicle will be paid for in
a lump sum upon delivery. The truck has been delivered, we are
awaiting maintenance/operations training.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Airport Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Williamstown, WV
26187-0001.
Award amount: $676,922.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-54-0018-032-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Clark, County Of.
Project name: Economic Recovery Program Construction to Remove
Obstructions-Relocate Powerlines in the Runaway 30 Approach Zone at
the North Las Vegas Airport.
Award description: This grant is for removal and relocation of a high
tension power line located beneath the final approach to runways 30L
and 30R of the North Las Vegas Airport. The power line is located
approximately 1,200 feet from the threshold of Runway 30L and 1,500
feet from the threshold of Runway30R. The lines are 45 feet tall (AGL)
and are listed as an obstruction in the Airport Facilities Directory.
Project description: The transmission and distribution ductbanks are
now approximately 95% complete. Four of the six transmission vaults
are in place. The next phase of construction involves the construction
of the foundations for the six new towers, which will allow the
transmission and distribution ductbanks to be completed. Cable
installation is not expected to take place until the local power
company can arrange for an outage on the existing lines.
Project activity description: Electric Bulk Power Transmission and
Control.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2730 Airport
Drive, Suite #101.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: North Las Vegas,
NV 89032-0000.
Award amount: $2,695,604.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-32-0010-028-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Spokane International Airport.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway.
Award description: Airport Development: Rehabilitate runway 3/21.
Project description: Survey, excavation, compacting, grinding existing
asphalt, re-laying new asphalt, replace electrical lighting to insure
safety of National Air Transportation System.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 9000 W Airport
Dr, #204.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Spokane, WA 99224-
9437.
Award amount: $6,394,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-53-0072-041-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: City Of Colorado Springs.
Project name: Rehabilitate Taxiway E 4 from Sta.9-46.86 to Sta. 16-
20.65, rehabilitate Taxiway E5 from Sta 9+46.29 to Sta 15+97.53.
Award description: The objective of this grant is the rehabilitation
of a portion Taxiway E-4 from the edge of the Runway 17L-35R pavement
to just west of the runway hold-lines including the shoulders and
electrical replacement, and rehabilitation of a portion of Taxiway E-5
from the edge of the Runway 17L-35R pavement to just west of the
runway hold-line including shoulder and electrical replacement at the
Colorado Springs Airport. This taxiway system supports the primary
runway for passenger carriers and Peterson Air Force Base. The project
includes the reconstruction of existing concrete, replacement of
airfield lighting, and an upgrade of all associated drainage systems.
The existing airfield pavements are deteriorating due to the existence
of Alkali-Silca Reactivity (ASR) and will experience failure if the
pavement is not replaced.
Project description: Project physically completed: final inspection
completed in November.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 7770 Milton E
Proby Parkway.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Colorado Springs,
CO 80916-4961.
Award amount: $6,740,778.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-08-0010-046-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov info
Recipient name: Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (The).
Project name: Taxiway B Reconstruction.
Award description: McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) is the sole commercial
service airport for the greater Knoxville and East Tennessee Areas.
The airport has two parallel 9000 ft. runways with RWY 5L/23R being
the primary instrument approach runway equipped with an Instrument
Landing System (ILS). Funds provided by the ARRA are being executed on
TWY Bravo to reconstruct sections B1 to B6: TWY Bravo is the taxiway
network that services our primary instrument approach runway (RWY
5L/23R) that is used by both commercial and military aircraft. In
essence, TWY Bravo is our second highest priority paved aircraft
movement area with RWY 5L/23R being the first priority. TWY Bravo from
B1 to B2 was constructed in 1976 and received a Portland Cement
Concrete (PCC) maintenance overlay in 1986. This section of taxiway
had received numerous spall repairs, crack repairs and full-depth slab
repairs over the past 20 years and was becoming a revolving
maintenance and FOD issue. As part of this project, an aggregate
surfaced access roadway to the airfields Automated Weather Observation
Station (AWOS) will be improved with a durable solid surface course
(asphalt). The Runway Safety Action Team (RSAT) recommended paving
this section of roadway thus greatly reducing the potential for FOD on
the aircraft movement areas. The ARRA funds being spent on this TWY
Bravo project have a direct impact on the safety and level of service
to the traveling public at McGhee Tyson Airport. Significant
deliverables will be concrete measured in square yards and asphalt
measured in tons.
Project description: Funds provided by the ARRA are being executed on
TWY Bravo to reconstruct sections B1 to B6. As part of this project,
an aggregate surfaced access roadway to the airfields Automated
Weather Observation Station (AWOS) will be improved with a durable
solid surface course (asphalt).
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2055 Alcoa Hwy.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Alcoa, TN 37701-
3179.
Award amount: $5,555,054.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-47-0037-057-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Moses Lake, Port Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate T-Hangar Taxilanes: Install Enhanced
Taxiway Centerline Markings.
Award description: Taxiway Rehabilitation and Runway Incursion
Markings. This project will replace the failed pavements of that T-
Hangar areas, including the Taxiway leading into the area, and the
taxilanes within. The project will also complete the enhanced Runway
Markings.
Project description: This project is designed to replace the failing
asphalt and concrete in the T-Hangar area of the airport, and also
includes the installation of enhanced markings for protection of
Runway Incursions. The completion of this project will do two things:
1) opens up an area of T-Hangars that have not been previously usable
and 2) create a safer environment for pilots. The use of the T-Hangars
will increase the need for other airport employees to handle aircraft
maintenance, fueling, tower operations, etc.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Grant County
International Airport, 7810 Andrews Street, NE, Suite 200.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Moses Lake, WA
98837-3204.
Award amount: $1,178,144.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-53-0039-034-2009.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Office Of The Governor.
Project name; Construct Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF)
Building - Phase IV.
Award description; Fitiuta Airport does not have an ARFF facility to
comply with FAA Regulations Part 139 for this airport. Therefore to
comply and satisfy this requirement, a certified complying ARFF
facility is required to be built.
Project description; This project is 18% complete. Preliminary items
to start the project moving as in mobilization of equipment and
personnel to Fitiuta Island is completed. Excavation of project site
is currently in progress.
Project activity description; Commercial and Institutional Building
Construction.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); American Samoa
Department of Port Administration, Pago Pago International Airport.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; Pago Pago, AS
96799-0000.
Award amount; $1,500,000.00.
Project status; Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number; 3-60-0003-023-2009.
[End of table]
Airport Improvement Program Descriptions That Partially Met Our
Transparency Criteria:
The following award descriptions did not contain sufficient details on
one or more of the following pieces of information necessary to
facilitate general understanding of the award, based on our criteria:
general purpose, scope and nature of activities, location, and/or
expected outcomes. In some cases, only a small amount of additional
information was needed, while in other cases, many pieces of
information were needed to make the description more transparent. The
award description information is taken directly from Recovery.gov. We
did not edit it in any way, such as to correct typographical or
grammatical errors.
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Upshur, County Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Apron.
Award description: Rehabilitate Apron.
Project description: Final project checkout and reporting, Developing
grant closeout papers.
Project activity description: Other Airport Operations.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Airport Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Buckhannon, WV
26201-2260.
Award amount: $806,118.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 03-54-0039-21-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
rehabilitation of the existing general aviation apron, which is the
extensive paved part of an airport immediately adjacent to the
terminal area or hangers, at the Upshur County Regional Airport. The
rehabilitation activities will consist of removing the existing
pavement section, lowering the profile grade of the existing subgrade,
installing a new pavement section, apron markings, tie-downs, and
lowering of the existing taxiway lights to accommodate the change in
grade. Also the taxiway hold-short markings and the replacement of the
runway light globes inside the "caution zone" will be enhanced to
bring the airport into compliance with current Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) standards.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Port Of Oakland.
Project name: Rehabilitation of Apron, South Field, OIA.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Quarterly activities include: project surveying
and marking of project limit: installation of temporary pavement
striping and marking: demolition of taxiway centerline line light and
edge light fixtures. Procurement and installation of new centerline
and edge light fixtures, demolition of existing jet blast fence,
utilities, and storm drains: installation of water line and fire
hydrant: installation of miscellaneous asphalt pavement patches.
Vendors: Manufacture and furnish electrical and general co.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 530 Water
Street, PO Box 2064.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Oakland, CA 94604-
2064.
Award amount: $9,700,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-06-0170-048-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the rehabilitation of the apron--a surface where aircraft
park and are serviced--adjacent to the port maintenance shop, Terminal
1 luggage area, and Terminal 2 tug ramp area at Oakland International
Airport. The award will provide long-term pavement reliability to
maintain airport air cargo, flight, and baggage operations.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Allegheny County Airport Authority.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 14-32 Phase 3.
Award description: Airport Development - Rehabilitate Runway 14-32 -
Pittsburgh International Airport - Allegheny County Airport Authority.
Project description: Winter weather activities only.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Pittsburgh
International Airport, Findlay and Moon Township P.O. Box 12370.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Pittsburgh, PA
15231-0370.
Award amount: $9,770,201.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-42-0081-104-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the rehabilitation of Runway 14-32 at Pittsburgh
International Airport, including activities such as improving pavement
and grading, and updating pavement markings, airfield signage and
lighting systems. The rehabilitation is expected to maintain the
airport's primary runway for night time arrivals and noise abatement
procedures, thus enabling continued environmentally friendly and
efficient operations for military and civilian aircraft.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Allegheny County Airport Authority.
Project name: Rehabilitate Taxiways D,E,F & G.
Award description: Airport Development - Rehabilitate Taxiways D,E,F &
G - Allegheny County Airport - Allegheny County Airport Authority.
Project description: Project 35% complete. Winter weather activities.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Allegheny
County Airport, Lebanon Church Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: West Mifflin, PA
15122-2605.
Award amount: $1,454,231.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-42-0082-022-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
rehabilitates 75,000 square feet of new airfield asphalt pavement.
Rehabilitation activities include the removal of deteriorated pavement
and base materials, the rebuilding of the base and repaving of the
taxiways, the rebuilding of any necessary storm water drainage
infrastructure, and the remarking and relighting of the taxiways in
accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specifications.
The rehabilitation will help maintain airfield safety and usefulness,
preventing extensive maintenance costs, correcting an antiquated
physical layout, and allowing for airport economic development.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Laredo, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 17R/35L.
Award description: Rehabilitate Runway 17R/35L.
Project description: Airport Development rehabilitate Runway 17R/35L.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 5210 Bob
Bullock Loop.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Laredo, TX 78041-
0000.
Award amount: $2,565,744.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-48-0136-059-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
completes a total rehabilitation project of Runway 17R/35L at Laredo
International Airport that began roughly 7 to 10 years earlier. The
rehabilitation work encompasses an area of approximately 5,900 feet
long by 150 feet wide. Specific activities include engineering,
surveying, and demolition of existing pavement: replacing underground
drainage: compaction of the sub base, adding a 6-inch asphalt base and
a 16-inch concrete pavement: and testing, grooving, cleaning, and
repainting the new surface. The rehabilitation will provide a safer
runway that is less costly to maintain by using a rigid Portland
concrete that does not create foreign object debris (FOD) and does not
require frequent sweeping.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Salinas, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway, Rehabilitate Taxiway.
Award description: The project is for Airport Development,
specifically, the reconstruction/realignment of the taxiway and
rehabilitation of the runway. The project will enhance safety, protect
the federal investment and increase the life of the pavements.
Project description: Mix designs and test strips are complete. Paving
is underway. Project is 60% complete.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 30 Mortensen
Ave.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Salinas, CA 93905-
3324.
Award amount: $2,565,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-06-0206-018-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports airport development activities at Salinas Municipal Airport.
These activities include rehabilitating runway 08/26, taxiway B,
taxiway D, and converting runway 14/32 to a taxiway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Delaware River & Bay Authority.
Project name: Construct Runway (design, Phase VI)-09/27.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Airport Development.
Project activity description: Other Airport Operations.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Dover/Cheswold,
DE 19936-0000.
Award amount: $909,806.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-10-0001-012-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the design of a new runway and taxiway system at Delaware
Airpark. The project will include a new Runway 9-27 (4,200 feet by 75
feet) and a parallel taxiway. The taxiway will incorporate the old
runway pavement (3,582 feet by 60 feet) plus new pavement (1,300 feet
by 35 feet). It also will include connector taxiways, a wetland
mitigation site, lighting, signage and drainage. The award will result
in a design for a new runway in accordance with the 2003 Airport
Master Plan, which recommended a new runway to accommodate projected
regional general aviation growth.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Palm Beach, County Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 05/23.
Award description: Airport development - The award purpose is to
rehabilitate Runway 05/23.
Project description: The overall purpose of this award is to
rehabilitate runway 05/23.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 3700 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Boca Raton, FL
33431-6409.
Award amount: $2,834,501.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-12-0006-014-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
rehabilitates a runway in Boca Raton Airport in order to improve its
quality. Rehabilitation activities include removing the asphalt,
relaying it, and marking up the two ends of the runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Morristown, Town Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Taxiways 'C'& 'L': Rehabilitate Taxiways
'D' & 'M'.
Award description: This project can be described as the rehabilitation
of pavements on Taxiways 'C' and 'L' and Taxilane 'K', including the
replacement of existing taxiway edge lights with LED lights, the
replacement of failed drainage pipes beneath affected airfield
pavement areas, and re-shaping of taxiway shoulders. The project also
includes the rehabilitation of pavements on Taxiways 'D' and 'M'
(approximately 1,200 ft. x 50 ft.) and the adjacent Customs Apron
(approximately 5,800 sf.) to include full depth pavement
reconstruction, replacement of failed drainage pipes beneath affected
airfield pavement areas, re-shaping of taxiway shoulders, and
adjustment of existing edge lights.
Project description: This project can be described as the
rehabilitation of pavements on Taxiways 'C' and 'L' and Taxilane 'K',
including the replacement of existing taxiway edge lights with LED
lights, the replacement of failed drainage pipes beneath affected
airfield pavement areas, and re-shaping of taxiway shoulders. The
project also includes the rehabilitation of pavements on Taxiways 'D'
and 'M' (approximately 1,200 ft. x 50 ft.) and the adjacent Customs
Apron (approximately 5,800 sf.) to include full depth pavement
reconstruction, replacement of failed drainage pipes beneath affected
airfield pavement areas, re-shaping of taxiway shoulders, and
adjustment of existing edge lights.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance -street address (optional field): 8 Airport Rd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Morristown, NJ
07960-4624.
Award amount: $5,707,871.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-34-0023-041-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award is for
rehabilitation at Morristown Municipal Airport.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Oklahoma City Airport Trust.
Project name: Upgrade Edge Lights, Taxiways A, B, C, D, and H: Upgrade
Edge Light Base Housings Runway 17L/35R and Taxiway H.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Upgrade airfield lighting and lighting equipment
on select runway and taxiways.
Project activity description: Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring
Installation Contractors.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Will Rogers
World Airport, 7100 Terminal Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Oklahoma City, OK
73159-0937.
Award amount: $2,051,600.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-40-0072-056-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
upgrades the 20-year-old lighting and lighting fixtures at Will Rogers
Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which will increase energy
efficiency, improve safety, and make it easier to obtain replacement
parts in the future.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information.
Recipient name: Stillwater, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate runway.
Award description: Saw cut groove (7400' X100'). Mark (7400'X100') &
transition the connecting TWYS to overlay on RW 17-35 Stillwater
Regional Airport.
Project description: Rehabilitate runway to increase safety and
decrease delays.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2020 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Stillwater, OK
74075-1065.
Award amount: $5,283,348.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-40-0090-018-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
rehabilitates the south 4,800 feet of existing Runway 17-35 to bring
it to a level or quality equivalent to that of the north 2,600 feet of
runway. Rehabilitation activities include a geotechnical investigation
of soils analyses to determine optimum stabilization methods and
parameters, as well as a field survey to determine appropriate grades
and profiles for new pavement.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: County Of Richland.
Project name: Airport Improvement Program.
Award description: Airport Development. Columbia Owens Downtown
Airport Airfield Pavement Rehabilitation Project - Phase III
(Taxiways, taxilanes, & partial apron).
Project description: During the quarter ending December 31, 2009, the
paving operation and pavement markings were completed. Crews began
seal coating, but stopped due to weather issues. There were no hours
completed during the month of December due to weather. The purpose of
this project is to rehabilitate and resurface major portions of the
aircraft parking ramp and active taxiway at the Jim Hamilton - L.B.
Owens Airport.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1400 Jim
Hamilton Boulevard.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Columbia, SC
29205-4453.
Award amount: $1,148,800.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-45-0017-014-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
includes specific activities such as milling of old asphalt:
application of asphalt overlay, pavement rejuvenator and temporary
markings: quality control material testing: and application of
permanent markings. The construction will improve safety, reliability,
and general aviation service to the airport and surrounding area by
improving the condition of the taxiway, taxi lanes, and apron
pavements. (An apron is a surface where aircraft park and are
serviced.) The airport provides facilities for general aviation
traffic and flight training activities and serves as the reliever
airport to Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The existing pavements were
constructed in 1985 and were exhibiting signs of deterioration,
including lane separation, block cracking, and loss of asphalt content
due to aging and oxidation from sunlight exposure. This condition has
the potential to contribute to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) to aircraft.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Columbus, Civil City Of.
Project name: RW RE LI Rehabilitate Runway LIghting.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Completed design & bid phases for project
required to receive grant, substantially complete with site work.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 4770 Ray Boll
Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Columbus, IN
47203-4764.
Award amount: $1,320,740.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-18-0012-021-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the design, construction, inspection and testing of a new
electrical vault at Columbus Municipal Airport. The award will ensure
the safety of aircraft in the event of a power failure affecting
airport lighting and communication systems.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Boulder City, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway.
Award description: The project is for Airport Development,
specifically, the rehabilitation of the primary runway. The project
will enhance safety, protect the federal investment and increase the
life of the pavements.
Project description: Completed pavement mix designs , test strips and
pavement preparation taking the runway project over 50% complete.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1201 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Boulder City, NV
89006-1350.
Award amount: $1,137,760.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-32-0003-015-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports rehabilitation activities for Runway 9R-27L at Boulder City
Municipal Airport. Rehabilitation activities include leveling and
covering the safety area around the runway in aggregate to provide a
stable surface, sealing cracks, constructing a 2-inch overlay,
grooving and repainting.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Airport Authority For The City Of Greenville & County
Of Pitt.
Project name: Improve Terminal Building.
Award description: Terminal Building Addition (Lobby/Circulation-3500
sq ft and New Departure Lounge-10,400 sf).
Project description: Terminal building improvement: footings poured,
commencement of steel erection.
Project activity description: Commercial and Institutional Building
Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 400 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Greenville, NC
27834-1401.
Award amount: $7,616,822.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-37-0028-032-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the expansion of a terminal and improvement of the facade by
incorporating green technologies such as solar panels and ground
source (geothermal heat pumps). The expansion will allow the Pitt-
Greenville Airport's capacity to better meet the community's air
service needs due to increased air traffic.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Virginia Department Of Aviation.
Project name: Acquire Mobile Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting
Training Facility.
Award description: Acquire Mobile Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting
Training Facility.
Project description: Approval of Configuration Drawings and Start of
Fabrication for the acquisition of a Mobile Aircraft Rescue and Fire
Fighting Training Facility.
Project activity description: Regulation and Administration of
Transportation Programs.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 5702
Gulfstream Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Richmond, VA
23250-2422.
Award amount: $2,500,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-51-0000-006-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award will
support preparations for the facility, including installing electrical
components, running propane lines to and from the facility, as well as
fabrication (bending steel to specification) and engineering. The
award will result in improved aviation safety, as this facility will
provide training to firefighting departments throughout the entire
state of Virginia for the next 15 years.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Mobile, County Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Asphalt overlay and pavement markings.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Dauphin Island,
AL 36528-0000.
Award amount: $719,130.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 3-01-0023-006-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports activities to fix damaged pavement on Dauphin Island
Airport's runway 12/30, the only runway at this airport. The
activities included reconstruction of the pavement on the entire
runway, which measures 3,000 feet long and 80 feet wide. The result of
the award was to improve the quality of the runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Transportation And Public Facilities, Alaska
Department Of.
Project name: Akiachak Airport Relocation-Stage 1.
Award description: Akiachak Airport Relocation-Stage 1.
Project description: This project will construct a new airport
facility approximately 1.5 miles northwest of the community,
consisting of a new 60 ft by 3300 ft runway, 120ft by 3900ft runway
safety area, a 35ft by 400ft taxiway with a 79ft wide safety area and
a 200ft by 400ft apron. The project is approximately 6% complete.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Akiachak, AK
99551-9999.
Award amount: $13,953,325.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-02-0461-001-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
replaces the current airport with a new airport that meets current
design standards. The result of this award will be an airport that
improves safety and operational efficiency by reducing injuries,
fatalities, and property damage, and by improving the mobility of
people and goods.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Illinois Department Of Transportation.
Project name: Decatur Airport - DEC-3911-ARRA.
Award description: Rehabilitation of the center portion of Runway 6/24
- 960 feet long by 150 feet wide - bring the entire runway up to the
same length, at Decatur Airport. Decatur, Illinois.
Project description: Engineering & Construction Services for Decatur
Airport.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 910 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Decatur, IL 62521-
4259.
Award amount: $791,853.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-17-0033-034-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports reconstruction activities for 960 feet of Runway 6-24. These
activities include pavement milling, paving, grooving, and marking.
The award will result in a preserved runway with strengthened pavement
that meets Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Mcallen Miller International Airport.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway.
Award description: Airport Development. The rehabilitation of the
primary air carrier runway and the construction of runway shoulders
and blast pads.
Project description: Project has been beset with weather delays. No
invoices received for reporting quarter.
Project activity description: Other Support Activities for Air
Transportation.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2500 S.
Bicentennial Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: McAllen, TX 78503-
3140.
Award amount: $5,400,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-48-0144-039-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
rehabilitates the entire length of runway 13/31 in order to increase
safety features and create a better landing surface. Additionally, two
shoulders and blast pads will be added to the runway. Activities
include milling, or stripping, the top layer of runway, putting down a
new overlay, and repainting/restriping the runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Houston, City Of.
Project name: Reconstruct EFD Taxiways A, D, & F.
Award description: Airport Development --Reconstruction of Taxiways A,
D and F.
Project description: Taxiways A and D are complete The existing
concrete on Taxiway F has been removed. The base is being laid.
Anticipated completion is before March 31, 2010.
Project activity description: Other Airport Operations.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 16930 JFK Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Houston, TX 77032-
6020.
Award amount: $4,785,226.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-48-0290-022-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the reconstruction of around 42,000 square yards of pavement
for taxiways A, F, and two portions of D at Ellington Airport.
Reconstruction includes removing pavement that had been in place for
over 20 years and replacing it with concrete pavement. Activities
included construction phasing, sodding and seeding, pavement markings,
and preservation of the existing electrical facilities along the
taxiways, in order to meet new industry standards.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: A B Won Pat International Airport Authority.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 06L/24R.
Award description: Rehabilitate Runway 06L/24R.
Project description: Rehabilitate 1000 feet of Runway 06L/24R to
maintain and improve safety for aircraft operations.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 355 Chalan
Pasheru.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Tamuning, GU
96913-4153.
Award amount: $4,807,180.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-66-0001-68.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports rehabilitation activities for Runway 06L-24R at A B Won Pat
International Airport. These activities include removal of the
existing blast pad, localizer concrete pads and steel posts,
electrical conduits, wiring and signs: and construction of the runway
extension subgrade and subbase, and base course. The activities also
will include milling the existing asphalt pavement and construction of
pavement surface pending resolution of Voids in Mineral Aggregate
(VMA), a hot mix asphalt mixture property: restoration of Taxiway
Julia: installation of runway lighting: runway grooving: and painting
the runway and taxiway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.
Project name: Modify Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Building.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Site work, drainage, foundation, structural
steel, decking, finish exterior brick, electrical & plumbing rough-in.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 9430 Jackie
Cochran Blvd., Suite 300.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Baton Rouge, LA
70807-8020.
Award amount: $2,518,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-22-0006-087-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the renovation and expansion of the existing Aircraft Rescue
and Fire Fighting building. The award will result in a building that
will accommodate airportwide training activities and facilitate the
use of an emergency command center.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: St. Mary, Parish Of.
Project name: Runway Rehabilitation.
Award description: Runway Rehabilitation.
Project description: Project completed/runway asphalt patched,
rejuvenated, and restriped.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Harry P.
Williams Memorial Airport.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Patterson, LA
70392-6004.
Award amount: $583,009.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 3-22-0044-012-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
rehabilitation of a deteriorating runway, runway 06/24, which is
approximately 5,400 feet long. The rehabilitation covers the entire
surface of the runway, patching places where the concrete joints have
come through the asphalt, and where lightning has taken out chunks.
Additionally, the runway will be coated and restriped and the new
runway will meet general aviation standards.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Windom, City Of (Inc).
Project name: Windom Municipal Airport Runway Project.
Award description: Rehabilitate Runway 17/35 (approximately 75'x3,599').
Project description: Rehabilitated runway - Concrete overlay of
existing runway by placing 3 inches of gravel and 5 inches of concrete
to replace runway asphalt surface. The shoulders were re-graded due to
the raised concrete surface. Shoulders were filled with black dirt and
seeded.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 48572 County
Road 28, PO Box 38.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Windom, MN 56101-
0038.
Award amount: $1,149,062.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 3-27-0113-006-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award
replaces Runway 17-35, which was originally constructed in the late
1960s and is the only hard-surfaced runway available in Cottonwood
County. The runway's condition was recently classified as "fair poor"
in the Minnesota Department of Transportation annual survey of airport
pavement. This award ensures continued access to aviation for
business, medical, agricultural, and private use by re-constructing
this runway and its taxiways.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Philadelphia, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway (Phase III)-09R/27L.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Survey and layout were performed, permits were
obtained and contractor mobilization costs were incurred.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Philadelphia, PA
19153-7001.
Award amount: $5,724,694.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-42-0076-090-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports rehabilitation activities for runway 9R-27L, Philadelphia
International Airport's longest runway. These activities include
replacing the runway's pavement and lighting system. The award will
result in extended life for this runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
Project name: Install Guidance Signs (Phase II).
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Install airfield signs. Demobilization.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 100 Terminal
Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Avoca, PA 18641-
2224.
Award amount: $388,600.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-42-0105-050-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
encompasses the signage for all of the airfield runways and taxiways.
The award will update wiring for runway and taxiway edge lights
installed prior to 1970 and signage last updated in 1991.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Palm Beach, County Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 05/23.
Award description: Airport development - The award purpose is to
rehabilitate Runway 05/23.
Project description: The overall purpose of this award is to
rehabilitate runway 05/23.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 3700 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Boca Raton, FL
33431-6409.
Award amount: $1,250,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-12-0006-016-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports rehabilitation activities for runway 5/23, Boca Raton
Airport's only asphalt runway. These activities included removing the
existing asphalt, overlaying the runway with new asphalt, and marking
it up. The award improved the quality of the runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Sanford Airport Authority.
Project name; Rehabilitate Runway 18-36.
Award description; Rehabilitate RWY 18-36.
Project description; The milling and asphalt pavement are 100%
complete. The striping is 95% complete. The project is 98% complete.
Project activity description; Other Airport Operations.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); 1200 Red
Cleveland Blvd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; Sanford, FL 32773-
4202.
Award amount; $1,540,016.00.
Project status; More than 50% Completed.
Award number; 3-12-0069-058-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description; The award
supports a rehabilitation project for Runway 18-36 (75 feet by 5,002
feet) at Orlando Sanford International Airport. A Pavement Management
Program evaluation conducted by the Florida Department of
Transportation in 2008 determined that Runway 18-36 was past due for
routine maintenance, and therefore in poor condition, requiring total
rehabilitation.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: County Of Shoshone.
Project name: Reconstruct Parallel Taxiway A, Station 9+20 to 22+50,
including two connecting taxiways.
Award description: Airport Development - Reconstruct Parallel Taxiway
A, Station 9+20 to 22+50, including two connecting taxiways. The
existing taxiways have numerous large cracks and failures throughout
the surface. A site investigation has shown that organic debris (tree
stumps) was used as a fill material under the existing taxiways and
apron. This organic debris is causing failures in the asphalt in
several locations. Full depth reconstruction is required.
Project description: Reconstruct Parallel Taxiway A, Station 9+20 to
22+50, including two connecting taxiways.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 926 AIRPORT RD.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Kellogg, ID 83873-
0000.
Award amount: $801,917.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 3-16-0021-004-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
reconstructs approximately 1,330 lineal feet of parallel taxiway,
including two connecting taxiways at Shoshone County Airport.
Activities include removing existing pavement: constructing the
parallel taxiway, including transitional pavement, shoulders, grading
and reflectors: constructing connector taxiways: and relocating
aircraft tie-downs. Reconstruction of the taxiway will help maintain a
safe aircraft operational surface
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Illinois Department Of Transportation.
Project name: Peoria International Airport - PIA-3912-ARRA.
Award description: Construction of a New Terminal Building (Phase 5 -
Electrical, Doors & Windows & Site Preparation Divisions) at the
Peoria International Airport, Peoria, Illinois.
Project description: Architectural and Building Construction Services
for an airport terminal expansion.
Project activity description: Commercial and Institutional Building
Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 6100 W.
Everett McKinley Dirksen Parkway.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Peoria, IL 61607-
1220.
Award amount: $6,363,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-17-0080-050-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description.: The award
supports work which will facilitate completion of the new terminal
building at the Peoria International Airport, which replaces the
original terminal building built in 1959.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; Muskegon, County Of.
Project name; Acquire ARFF Vehicle.
Award description; Acquire Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF)
Vehicle.
Project description; Construction of the vehicle began in December
2009, currently 19% complete.
Project activity description; Fire Protection.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); 99 Sinclair
Drive, c/o Muskegon County Airport.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; Muskegon, MI
49441-0000.
Award amount; $668,000.00.
Project status; Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number; 3-26-0071-031-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description; This vehicle will
provide necessary fire fighting capabilities as required by the
Federal Aviation Regulation Part 139.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Mankato, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Crack route and seal, 2' asphalt overlay on
Runway 4/22.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Mankato, MN 56001-
7794.
Award amount: $1,185,682.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-27-0055-017-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the rehabilitation of all of runway 4/22, which is 75 feet
wide by 4,000 feet long, at Mankato Regional Airport. Rehabilitation
activities include obtaining materials and services to prepare the
area, removing old runway pavement, laying new pavement, and
repainting the runway. The rehabilitation will improve the pavement
condition and extend the useful life of the runway by sealing the
surface to prevent water damage.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient Name: Illinois Department Of Transportation.
Project name: Dixon Municipal Airport C73-3914-ARRA: Waukegan Regional
Airport UGN-3908-ARRA.
Award description: Airport Development under the State Block Grant
Program, including: Dixon Municipal Airport (C73) - Rehabilitate
Apron: Waukegan Regional Airport (UGN) - Rehabilitate Runway 14/32.
Project description: Engineering Services for Waukegan Regional
Airport and Dixon Municipal Airport.
Project activity description: Power and Communication Line and Related
Structures Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 3580 N.
McAcree Rd.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Waukegan, IL
60087-1486.
Award amount: $2,155,560.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-17-SBGP-083-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
rehabilitates the apron--a surface where aircraft park and are
serviced--at Dixon Municipal Airport: specific activities include
11,000 linear feet of cleaning and sealing cracks and 3,450 square
feet of pavement marking. The award also rehabilitates a runway at
Waukegan Regional Airport: specific activities include approximately
14,000 square feet of pavement marking, 8,200 square yards of pavement
milling, and 4,100 feet of cleaning and sealing cracks. The
rehabilitation at both airports will strengthen the pavement to
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements and preserve the
existing investments.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Albert Lea, City Of.
Project name: Construct Runway.
Award description: Airport Development: Construct new Runway 16/34.
Project description: Work this quarter involved site grading,
draintile, and subbase.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 400 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Albert Lea, MN
56007-2081.
Award amount: $2,853,619.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-27-0003-010-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
construction of a new, asphalt runway that is 5,000 feet long,
reconstruction of the existing runway (as a 35-foot wide parallel
taxiway), and rehabilitation of the crosswind runway that is 2,899
feet long at Albert Lea Municipal Airport. The activities will include
grading, drainage and paving work for the relocated runway: new edge
lighting for the runway and taxiway: new navigational aides for the
runway: new airfield signage: and rehabilitation of a runway involving
milling, asphalt overlay, and painting. These activities will assist
in accommodation of the airport's current and projected aircraft fleet.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Somerset Air Service Inc.
Project name: Rehabilitation of South Apron.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Rehabilitate Apron to extend life.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 150 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bedminster, NJ
07921-0000.
Award amount: $519,686.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-34-0061-008-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports rehabilitation activities for the existing south paved
asphalt apron--a surface where aircraft park and are serviced--and
taxiways leading to this apron at the Somerset Airport in Bedminster,
New Jersey. These activities include an excavation to remove
deteriorated asphalt surface and sub-base soils for placement of a
geotextile stabilization fabric, new sub-base course, and asphalt
pavement and pavement markings. The award is expected to result in
improved surface drainage.
[End of table]
Recipient name: Findlay, City Of.
Project name: TW ST CO Construct Taxiway.
Award description: Relocate Taxiway A (Construction Phase 3 - 5000' x
100').
Project description: Construction substantially completed in 4th
quarter.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1615 Gray
Street.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Findlay, OH 45840-
1411.
Award amount: $4,810,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-39-0034-019-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award will
improve the safety of the airfield geometry and correct the pavement
condition of Runway 18-36 at Findlay Airport to be within the
recommended Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards. The
runway will be relocated to 400 feet from the runway centerline north
of Runway 7-25. Along with relocating the runway, activities include
construction of connector taxiways as appropriate, and the completion
of construction of a second taxiway to access the apron (a surface
where aircraft park and are serviced) from the south.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Transportation, Wisconsin Department Of.
Project name: Construct Runway Safety Area-01L/19R.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: The grant to General Mitchell International
Airport improves the airport's infrastructure by constructing Phase II
of Runway Safety Area Improvements to runway 01L/19R. The outcome of
this project will be to enhance the safety and efficiency of the
airport.
Project activity description: Power and Communication Line and Related
Structures Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Milwaukee, WI
53207-0000.
Award amount: $9,460,285.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-55-0045-058-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the second phase of a project that will construct a tunnel to
provide a clear runway safety area.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Clay, County Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway - 09/27.
Award description: Airport Development. Rehabilitate Runway - 09/27.
Project description: Paving, Pavement Marking Applications and Grading.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 41771 Highway
77, P.O. Box 187.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Ashland, AL 36251-
0187.
Award amount: $813,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-01-0105-006-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the rehabilitation of a runway at Ashland/Lineville Airport.
Rehabilitation activities will preserve airport infrastructure by
removing old runway pavement, preparing the area, laying new pavement,
and repainting the runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
Project name: Install airfield guidance signs and elevated runway
guard lights.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Project mobilization including construction
trailer: review of product submittals: beginning of construction of
electrical duct bank, laying conduit and surveying for location of
trenches, pull boxes, and new lights and signs.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 3225 N. Harbor
Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: San Diego, CA
92101-1045.
Award amount: $4,875,537.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-06-0214-058-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award will
replace aging lights and signs throughout the San Diego International
Airport with new LED lights and directional signs that meet Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) standards and improve safety. The new
LED lights also will be more energy efficient, thereby reducing the
cost of their operation.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name; San Francisco, City & County Of.
Project name; Reconstruction of a Runway (28R-10L).
Award description; Airport Development. This project will overlay and
reconstruct Runway 28R-10L to repair deteriorating pavement, improve
the surrounding drainage system, upgrade the electrical runway and
taxiway lighting system, and repaint runway markings to increase
visibility and improve safety for aircraft on the airfield.
Additionally, this project consists of pavement grinding, excavating,
paving, runway marking, and installing of runway and taxiway lights.
Project description; Activities included pavement grinding, asphalt
paving, shoulders grading and watering; demolition of existing steel
conduits; and installation of runway centerline light extensions, edge
lights installation, wiring, transformers, and steel conduits on
runway 28R-10L.
Project activity description; Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type; Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field); (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code; San Francisco, CA
94128-8097.
Award amount; $5,500,000.00.
Project status; More than 50% Completed.
Award number; 3-06-0221-046-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description; The award
supports work at San Francisco International Airport.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Gary/Chicago International Airport.
Project name: Perimeter Fence Modifications.
Award description: 'Airport Development'.
Project description: This overall program consists of increasing the
height of the existing perimeter fence to 10' in height and the
installation of underground wildlife deterrent.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 6001-C W.
Industrial Highway.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Gary, IN 46406-
1024.
Award amount: $845,698.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-18-0028-024-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports increasing the height of the perimeter fence to 10 feet and
installing wildlife deterrent measures. The award will result in
securing the airport property from wildlife.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Iowa City, City Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Runway 12/30 (Phase 2).
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Construction, Engineering Design and Construction
Observation.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Iowa City
Municipal Airport, 1801 South Riverside Drive.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Iowa City, IA
52246-5704.
Award amount: $1,835,771.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-19-0047-019-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports rehabilitation activities for approximately 2,500 feet of
runway 12/30 at Iowa Municipal Airport. This runway is 60 years old
and the award will result in improved safety.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Madisonville, City Of (Inc).
Project name: Rehabilitate Apron.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Pave Apron.
Project activity description: Other Heavy and Civil Engineering
Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 162 Airport
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Madisonville, KY
42431-0000.
Award amount: $1,200,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-21-0033-019-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the rehabilitation of the ramp and apron--a surface where
aircraft park and are serviced--at Madisonville Municipal Airport. The
apron is 272 feet wide and 385 feet long. This award will allow the
airport to continue its mission of catering to military, corporate,
private, and recreational flyers. In addition, the award will provide
more space to aircraft when they are parked and tied down overnight.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Transportation, Wisconsin Department Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate Taxiway.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: The grant to Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport
improves the airport's infrastructure by rehabilitating taxiways A, B,
and D. The outcome of this project will be to enhance the safety and
efficiency of the airport.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): Post Office
Box 233.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Rhinelander, WI
54501-7201.
Award amount: $2,251,876.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-55-0070-028-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports taxiway rehabilitation activities, including removing old
taxiway pavement, laying new pavement, and preparing the new taxiways
for use.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Transportation And Public Facilities, Alaska
Department Of.
Project name: Allakaket Airport Improvements.
Award description: Allakaket Airport Improvements.
Project description: Repair and stabilize the runway embankment,
taxiway and apron to correct areas that have experienced serious
differential settlement, side slope failures and erosion.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): (Information
not reported).
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Allakaket, AK
99720-9999.
Award amount: $10,000,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-02-0009-005-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports activities to improve taxiways A-E and aprons--surfaces where
aircraft park and are serviced--including resurfacing and installing
new lighting.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport Authority.
Project name: Rehabilitation of Taxiways C, D & G.
Award description: Airport Development.
Project description: Rehabilitation of Taxiways C, D & G to improve
pavement.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2627 Hollywood
Way.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Burbank, CA 91505-
1062.
Award amount: $3,985,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-06-0031-049-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: Taxiways C, D,
and G at Bob Hope Airport are deteriorating and reaching the end of
their life spans. This award funds the rehabilitation of these runways
to bring them up to Federal Aviation Administration requirements and
give them life spans of approximately 10 years. Activities include
removing the existing pavement by milling and replacing with new
asphalt pavement, installing new striping, and applying creak seal and
seal coat.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Denver, City & County Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate a portion of Runway 17L/35R from Station
494+57 to Station 583+62.
Award description: Rehabilitate a portion of Runway 17L/35R from
Station 494 + 57 to Station 583 + 62. Pavement rehabilitation of
portions runway 17L/35R complex including runway 17L/35R by removing
and replacing identified distressed PCCP pavement panels and portions
of asphalt shoulders. Benefits include replacement of distressed
aircraft pavement to improve safety, increase overall runway and
taxiway pavement life, and reduce FOD and possible aircraft damage FOD
can cause.
Project description: All work was completed September 3, 2009.
Pavement Rehabilitation of portions Runway 17L/35R by removing and
replacing identified distressed PCCP pavement panels and portions of
asphalt shoulders. Benefits include replacement of distressed aircraft
pavement to improve safety, increase overall runway and taxiway
pavement life, and reduce FOD and possible aircraft damage FOD can
cause.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 8500 Pena Blvs.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Denver, CO 80249-
6340.
Award amount: $7,000,000.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-08-0086-055-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds
the removal and replacement of deteriorated concrete panels on
portions of the east runway at Denver International Airport to, among
other things, reduce foreign object debris (FOD).
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Gulfport Biloxi Regional Airport Authority (Inc).
Project name: Mill and Overlay Runway 18/36.
Award description: Overlay and groove Runway 18/36 (4,93'5 +-x 150').
Project description: Completed and closed out related contract on time
and under budget.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 14035 L
Airport Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Gulfport, MS
39503-4617.
Award amount: $1,828,988.00.
Project status: Completed.
Award number: 3-28-0030-069-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The overlay
covers holes that develop in the runway concrete. The grooving reduces
the slick nature of the runway to meet Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) friction requirements. The result of the award enhances the
safety of landing aircraft and will help attract more general aviation
aircrafts to use the airport.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Wahpeton Airport Authority.
Project name: Runway 15-33 Reconstruction.
Award description: Airport Development - Runway 15-33 is in need of
improvement to reconstruct pavement to reconstruct pavement, upgrade
the lighting system, and provide better airfield drainage.
Project description: Purchase construction materials & project
administration.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 1251 Pegasus
Road.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Wahpeton, ND
58075-4868.
Award amount: $4,173,796.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-38-0054-014-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
supports the reconstruction of Runway 15-33 at Harry Stern Airport.
Reconstruction of this runway is a state priority because the North
Dakota Aeronautics Commission determined that the runway was in poor
condition.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Transportation, Texas Department Of.
Project name: Rehabilitate and mark Runway 17/35 and reconstruct 17/35
end in PCC.
Award description: Runway improvements to increase and sustain
economic activity for the airport and its local community.
Project description: Primary runway reconstruction at the Curtis
Field/Brady Municipal Airport.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 3821 N US Hwy
377.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Brady, TX 76825-
6825.
Award amount: $914,840.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-48-SBGP-060-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The
reconstruction of 500 feet of runway 17/35 involves pouring Portland
Cement Concrete (PCC) to fix the failures in the pavement. The
rehabilitation of 4,104 feet of the runway includes resurfacing with
asphalt and remarking of the runway.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Port Of Bellingham.
Project name: Rehabilitate Taxiway D.
Award description: Rehabilitate Taxiway D.
Project description: Demo of existing asphalt apron, add de-icing
catchment and pave the area with concrete.
Project activity description: Site Preparation Contractors.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): PO Box 1677,
1801 Roeder Avenue.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bellingham, WA
98225-7068.
Award amount: $780,746.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-53-0005-041-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
reconstructs the portion of Taxiway D at the intersection of Taxiway E
and A at Bellingham International Airport. Since the runway is
currently experiencing rapid pavement failures, the reconstruction
will improve the pavement and add drainage to ensure the runway has a
longer life.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Benedum Airport Authority.
Project name: Rehabilitate Emergency Generator and Acquire Index B Air
Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicle.
Award description: The project involves the construction of a new
backup generator that will serve the airport terminal, airfield
lights,FBO and ARFF building. The project also involves the purchase
of a new ARFF vehicle.
Project description: The generator is installed. The punchlist will be
completed next week. The ARFF vehicle has been delivered. Waiting on
the training which should be later this month.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 2000 Aviation
Way.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Bridgeport, WV
26330-9704.
Award amount: $1,581,952.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-54-0005-032-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award funds a
backup generator at North Central West Virginia Airport, including
construction of two different facilities to house the generator and
installation of the generator. The award also funds the acquisition of
the new Air Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle including
designing the specification of the ARFF and the purchase itself.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Transportation, Georgia Department Of.
Project name: Federal Aviation Administration-Grants-in-aid for
Airports, Recovery Act.
Award description: FAA Airport Improvement Program Grant for Non-
primary development projects in the State Block Grant Program. This
grant provides 100% federal funding for five general aviation airport
construction projects in Georgia.
Project description: This grant provides 100% federal funding for five
general aviation airport construction projects in Georgia. All five of
Georgia's aviation projects received notice to proceed with
construction in June 2009. All projects to be funded with this grant
are under construction: Adel-Cook County Airport: Construct Parallel
Taxiway for $656,000; Alma-Bacon County Airport: Construct Parallel
Taxiway for $734,000; Brunswick-McKinnon-St. Simons Airport:
Rehabilitation of Terminal Area Apron for $5,864,000; McRae-Telfair-
Wheeler County Airport: Rehabilitate Runway 3/21 for $890,000;
Peachtree City-Falcon Field Airport: Construct Area 'C' Aircraft
Parking Apron-Phase II for $2,000,000.
Project activity description: Other Heavy and Civil Engineering
Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 600 West
Peachtree Street, NW.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Atlanta, GA 30308-
3607.
Award amount: $9,984,000.00.
Project status: Less Than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-13-SBGP-002-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: This award funds
projects at five Airports that not only were (1) previously delayed
due to lack of funds and (2) part of the state's respective Airport
Layout Plan and Airport Improvement Programs, but which (3) could
begin construction within 45 days.
[End of table]
Recovery.gov information:
Recipient name: Hancock, County Of.
Project name: Construct ARFF Facility.
Award description: Airport Development - design and construction of a
building to house fire fighting equipment.
Project description: site work, framing, roofing, siding, plumbing,
electrical installation.
Project activity description: Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction.
Award type: Grants.
Place of performance - street address (optional field): 143 Caruso
Drive, Suite 1.
Place of performance - city, state, and postal code: Trenton, ME 04605-
6000.
Award amount: $1,278,123.00.
Project status: More than 50% Completed.
Award number: 3-23-0006-027-2009.
Information GAO gathered to improve the description: The award
provides adequate space at the Hancock County- Bar Harbor Airport for
fire fighting personnel, vehicle, equipment and their related
functions.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix VII: Highway Infrastructure Investment:
The Recovery Act provides funding to states for restoration, repair,
and construction of highways and other eligible surface transportation
activities under the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Federal-
Aid Highway Surface Transportation Program and for other eligible
surface transportation projects. FHWA apportioned $26.7 billion in
highway funds to states and the District of Columbia through existing
federal-aid highway program mechanisms, and states must follow
existing program requirements and Recovery Act requirements in the use
of funds.
Nature and Type of Highway Projects:
FHWA has obligated $26 billion[Footnote 57] in Recovery Act Highway
Infrastructure Investment funding.[Footnote 58] (See figure 4.) As of
May 3, 2010, FHWA had reimbursed states for about $7.6 billion (29
percent).[Footnote 59]
Figure 4: Reported Uses of Recovery Act Highway Funds, as of May 3,
2010:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Pavement improvement-reconstruction/rehabilitation ($6,429 million):
25%;
Pavement improvement-resurface ($5,755 million): 22%;
Pavement widening ($4,038 million): 16%;
Other ($2,387 million): 9%;
New construction ($1,629 million): 6%;
Bridge replacement ($1,343 million): 5%;
Bridge improvement ($1,188 million): 5%;
Safety/traffic management ($1,311 million): 5%;
Transportation enhancements ($1,046 million): 4%;
New bridge construction ($735 million): 3%.
Source: GAO analysis of FHWA data.
Note: ’Other“ includes engineering, right-of-way purchases, and
research, among other types of projects.
[End of figure]
Almost two-thirds of Recovery Act highway obligations nationally have
been for pavement projects, including reconstruction, resurfacing, and
widening projects. In addition, $1.6 billion (6 percent) is being used
on new roadway construction projects. Transportation enhancements
account for about $1 billion (4 percent) of highway obligations.
[Footnote 60] Of this $1 billion for transportation enhancements, the
largest portion-- 71 percent--went to facilities for pedestrians and
bicycles, while an additional 18 percent went for landscaping and
other scenic beautification projects. (See table 7.)
Table 7: Recovery Act Obligations for Transportation Enhancement
Projects by Type, as of May 3, 2010:
Transportation enhancements improvement category: Facilities for
pedestrians and bicycles;
Obligations: $738,227,211;
Percent of all transportation enhancements: 71%.
Transportation enhancements improvement category: Acquisition of
scenic easements and scenic or historic sites;
Obligations: $71,467;
Percent of all transportation enhancements:
