After a flare up
of attacks on U.S. forces in western Iraq near Hit and Hadithah
cost 21 U.S. Marines their lives in the first few days of
August, authorities shut down electricity production at the
big the Hadithah Dam on Aug. 3, as well as on related work
on a 400 KV transmission project, and sent Iraqi workers home
until "security improves."
Fortress. Hadithah
Dam's power output may suffer from shrapnel sucked into
turbines.(Photo by Kimberly Johnson)
"The shut down is due to concern for the workers’
safety given some attacks earlier," was the explanation
in an Aug. 4 advisory to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials
and contractors engaged in reconstruction. "The dam itself
has not been damaged. When the security situation improves,
operations should resume," the advisory states.
The combined nameplate capacity
of the dam’s six turbines is 660 MW, but just before
the shut down, during a site visit by ENR at the end of July,
dam manager Hasaan Yehea Hasaan said output was limited to
two turbines, with four out of service. One has a broken blade
that could keep it out of commission for up to a year, he
says, adding that the plant needs about $5 million in repairs.
However, Hasaan also says the dam’s
best output now is 440 MW, which suggests at least four turbines
are functional, although a Corps spokesman in Baghdad says
Central Iraq Corps District officials were unavailable to
respond to a request for information about the dam’s
current condition due to the security situation. The Corps
does not keep full time staff at the facility, he says, dding
that operations were turned over to the Iraqis some time ago.
Hasaan
(Photo by Kimberly Johnson)
More than a year ago, On June 3,
2004, the Corps reported the facility was fully operational
and running at capacity for the first time since 1990 after
a $12-million rehabilitation, overseen by CH2M Hill Cos. Ltd.
A spokesman for CH2M Hill declined to comment on the rehab
project, saying company policy prohibits discussion of work
when employees or others affiliated with projects could be
put in harm’s way
Hasaan says one of his operational
problems is that U.S. Marines who bunk inside the massive
concrete structure draw attacks. Insurgents fire mortars at
the 20-year-old rockfill dam almost daily. The 57-meter-high,
8,933-m-long dam includes a concrete spillway and powerhouse
that protects its equipment and the Marines bunking there
from direct fire. But mortar rounds landing in water behind
the spillway explode underwater, sending shrapnel into the
turbines. Hasaan believes shelling would stop if the Marines
left. “They do not attack the dam, they attack the American
army,” says Hasaan. “I want the Marines to leave
today.”
U.S. Marine Maj. Karl Gordon, who
manages the Marines’ relationship with dam officials,
says troops provide security for the dam and eventually will
turn it back to Iraqi control. But he says there are no immediate
plans to do so.
Useful Links:
The McGraw-Hill editor who filed the Hadithah Dam interview
report above, Kimberly Johnson, is an editor at ENR's
sister publication, Aviation Week. She is currently
embedded with the 2nd Marine Division in Iraq covering
aviation and construction issues. In addition to filing
reports for both magazines, as well as Platts, McGraw-Hill's
energy sector information service, she is producing
a regular blog at: http://moab-iraq.blogspot.com.
There are a number of agencies and authorities generating
regular and special reports to describe the complex
picture of reconstruction in Iraq. Taken together and
revisited regularly, they provide a nuanced view of
the constantly evolving situation. Here are few that
have proven particularly useful to editors at ENR.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Corps of Engineers Gulf Regional Division website
at http://www.grd.usace.army.mil
produces a steady stream of quality, up-beat reports
on specific reconstruction activity, as well as
links to resources for companies interested in doing
business with the Corps. The site's purpose is to
get the good news out, and its information is detailed
and valid and deserves broad circulation, but, as
with any single source, it is not covering the whole
story.
U.S. Dept. of State
Another, regular, weekly status report that gives
a broader view is produced by the Dept. of State
each Wednesday. It covers all the sectors of reconstruction
and tracks changes from week to week. Each week's
report, as well as additional information about
the program and reconstruction in Afghanistan as
well, can be found on the homepage at http://www.export.gov/iraq/
There is no readily searchable archive for prior
reports, but as the direct links change by the date
code for each issue, earlier reports can often be
fished for by changing the date. For example, this
direct link below delivers the report issued on
the first Wednesday in August: http://www.export.gov/iraq/pdf/state_wklyrpt_080305.pdf
General Accounting Office
A more analytical source of broad reconstruction
status information is to be found in the U.S. General
Accounting Office's quarterly reports on reconstruction
to Congress. The findings are often based on data
several weeks old by the date of issuance, but taken
together with the more current Dept. of State weekly
reports; an updated understanding can be obtained.
Go to: http://www.gao.gov/
Search on "Iraq" for the quarterly reports
to Congress.
Office of the Special Inspector
General
Finally, the Congressionally designated Office of
the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction
has ongoing authority to inspect the books. The
I.G., Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., reports to both the
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State
and also submits quarterly reports to Congress outlining
key findings and progress, as well as deficiencies
and the corrective actions taken to improve reconstruction
programs.
Bowen's resources are limited and do not include
investigators working in Iraq, but his access to
data appears to be unimpaired. His spotlight on
the accounting is usually focused on one operational
area in the multi-faceted program at a time, but
the findings are insightful and unsparing. Find
them at:http://www.sigir.mil
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