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Rep. Kilmer, Quileute tribe upset about delayed La Push dredging

Published  March 1, 2015 11:51am PST
Associated Press

LA PUSH, Wash. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer and the Quileute Indian tribe are upset about delays in a dredging project at La Push, on the Olympic Peninsula coast, and they want the Oregon-based contractor held responsible.

The Peninsula Daily News reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the $1.5 million project to dredge Quillayute Harbor, designed to maintain the tribe's fishing fleet and the Coast Guard's search and rescue station.

Kilmer sent a letter to the Army last week alleging poor performance by the contractor, Marine Industrial Construction of Wilsonville, Oregon, which has been paid $400,000 so far.

The company says the dredging was delayed because of bad weather, high river flows, log jams and undisclosed debris, including sunken vessels.

The contract's work period has now expired, and the company's equipment is due to be removed this week. The project is expected to be put back out to bid.