By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – Repairs to the damaged Pulp Mill Bottom Dike are getting closer. Tucker County Commissioners held a pre-bid meeting with three contractors and on Friday afternoon, Commissioners opened two bids that were submitted for consideration to make those necessary restorations to fix the dike.
Tucker County Commission President Lowell Moore said the two bids, opened on Friday afternoon in the Tucker County Commission Office were submitted by Carl Smith Inc. from Davisville in Wood County and Sunrise Construction from Moatsville in Barbour County.
“Even though the bids were open on Friday, we are not making any awards until we have the opportunity to review them,” Moore said. “We also need to have the bid approved through FEMA.”
Moore said the Commission was pleased with the bids. “I will be attending the Parsons City Council meeting Tuesday to give an update and I hope to have the go-ahead from FEMA by Tuesday night,” Moore said. “We are now just waiting for FEMA to approve the bid. We are ready to go.”
He said he received approval from U.S. Fish & Wildlife and he renewed the approval from the DNR.
“The permit from the DNR would expire Nov. 15, but that has been renewed,” Moore said. “We do not have the approval from SHPO yet – they have 30 days from Oct. 17 to respond, but there is no reason for them to object. I should have their decision by early next week.”
Parsons Mayor Dorothy Judy attended the bid opening on Friday. Originally, the City of Parsons had worked to receive funding from FEMA for repairs to the Parsons Pulp Mill Bottom Dike after the damage was first discovered in July 2014. It was later discovered the Tucker County Commission was the official entity who needed to apply for funding to repair the damage.
