Parsons Brinckerhoff

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Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd (PB) was "established more than 120 years ago" and is "one of the world's leading planning, engineering, and program and construction management organizations." [1]

Employs PR firm Stratacomm

Nuclear issues

In 2005, Parsons Brinckerhoff, appointed

"Alistair Smith as Director of Nuclear Services. Alistair has been employed in the nuclear industry for over 23 years working on nuclear power plant construction and more recently in developing nuclear consultancy business in decommissioning and defence facilities. Alistair is an active member of the nuclear industry professional community and is due to take over the Chairmanship of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Nuclear Power Committee at the end of the year.
"PB's track record in the UK nuclear power industry goes back more than 25 years, and they continue to provide valuable support to the operating plants. This appointment will position PB to take maximum advantage of the opportunities presented by the recent formation of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority." [2]

Australia

Mike Wilke became the Managing Director and Chair of Parsons Brinckerhoff in Australia on 22 March 2004. "In recent years, Mike has played a significant role in the development of project alliancing. Mike has been the chair of the alliance leadership team for... Port of Brisbane Motorway project. He also had leadership roles in the Port of Brisbane Seawall Alliance, the Awoonga Dam Alliance, the Grafton Gully Alliance (first in NZ) and the Tugun Bypass Alliance." [3]

In 2004 PB co-authored a report justifying acid in-situ leach mining in South Australia’s Beverley mine, a process involving the dumping of liquid radioactive waste directly into groundwater. Acid in-situ leach mining has never been approved in the USA or many other countries because of its destructive environmental impacts, yet PB concluded that over time the site would rehabilitate itself. Report available [4]

Parsons Brinckerhoff predecessor, PPK Infrastructure and Engineering authored the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the second nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights. The process later faced a Senate investigation, and was widely criticised for its lack of public involvement, secrecy and lack of transparency. See [5] and [6]

In 1998, the Federal Government announced its intention to build a national radioactive waste dump in South Australia, and Parsons Brinckerhoff was contracted to complete the draft Environmental Impact Statement. The project was regarded as a Parsons Brinckerhoff (International) “Project of the Year” [7]. PB faced massive opposition, and after an amazing community campaign led by the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta – a senior Aboriginal women’s council - the South Australian government challenged the proposal in the Federal Court, resulting in the abandonment of the project.

In 2006-7, the Federal Government is attempting force a low and intermediate level nuclear waste dump for Commonwealth waste on the Northern Territory. Parsons Brinckerhoff is again the private company awarded the lucrative contract for assessing the proposed sites, and has already begun the survey- ing process. However, communities surrounding all three of the sites being assessed – Hart’s Range, Mt Everard, and Fishers’ Ridge – remain strongly opposed to hosting a nuclear waste dump.


In July 2006, Students held a protest at Parsons Brinckerhoff's Brisbane headquarters in Australia as "the firm is assessing sites for a proposed nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory." [8]

In August 2006, communities staged actions at Parsons Brinckerhoff offices in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, and Melbourne regarding their contract to assess the Federal Government's proposed sites for a Commonwealth nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory. Dr Jim Green, Nuclear Campaigner from Friends of the Earth said, ""Parsons Brinckerhoff is a key player in the expansion of Australia's nuclear industry, providing consultancy to push ahead new uranium mines, nuclear reactors and waste dumps in Australia. "New Commonwealth legislation to override existing NT law and an absence of public consultation and information raises legitimate concerns that Parsons Brinckerhoff's site assessment process will be secretive and ignore social and environmental concerns." [9]

PB has also played an important role in producing the Environmental Impact Statement for the controversial Tugun Bypass. [10] They have worked in the US on similar "roads to ruin." [11]

2005 Board of Directors

2005 Global Management Committee

Source

Publications

Contact

Parsons Brinckerhoff
One Penn Plaza
New York, NY 10119
Web: http://www.pbworld.com/

External links

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