The Waste Treatment Plant will ensure the future safety of the surrounding environment, but the project has brought immediate benefits in the form of economic gains to the region’s population and business community.
At peak construction, nearly half of the project’s workforce will be local, including some 1,400 skilled craft employees, many hired from local union halls, and construction subcontractors. Many could stay on the job until the project’s completion in 2019—or even longer if they secure work with the plant’s operating company.
Since the project started in 2001, $1.9 billion has been awarded to subcontractors. About half the total has gone to small businesses in Washington and Oregon, with businesses in what is known as the Tri-Cities area near the project site receiving some $610 million.
Bechtel also has hired local drivers for a trucking fleet to deliver supplies to the project, and subcontracted a local firm to build and operate an on-site concrete batch plant.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for area individuals and businesses,” says Suzanne Heaston, the project’s public affairs manager. “And the period of peak employment and activity is still to come.”
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