WASHINGTON Firefighting air tankers are set to take off now that a protest holding them back was dropped late Thursday night.
Neptune Aviation, a private air-tanker contractor, filed a protest against $158 million in five-year contracts awarded by the U.S. Forest Service on May 6.
The Forest Service had awarded the contracts to five other private contractors: 10 Air Tanker Carrier, Minker Air Corp., Aero Flite Inc., Coulson Aircane and Aero Air LLC.
The contract allows the companies to operate seven large next-generation air tankers. Protests last year by another company also stymied contracts.The next-generation air tankers will supplement the eight aging aircraft the Forest Service currently operates. The goal is to phase out the older planes.Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., had urged Neptune to drop its protest. He also called on the Forest Service to override the protest. In late May, Udall told The Durango Herald he was concerned about the wait for tankers. The southern tier of Colorado is very dry, and so we need these aircraft, Udall said. Otherwise, were gonna fight fires with Korean War aircraft.Udall spokesman Mike Saccone said Friday that the senator was glad the protest was dropped. The protests exist as a check to ensure theres not improper contracting going on, Saccone said.
Udalls office reviewed the contract documents.
After looking at (the documents) we were sure it had been a fair process, Saccone said.
According to Neptune spokesman Dan Snyder earlier this year, the Forest Service had unfairly discriminated against Neptune.
It hasnt been a smooth process to get these new tankers into the air.Last June, President Barack Obama signed a law to expedite the process to award the contracts. Nine companies submitted proposals for seven tankers, and the Forest Service selected four companies. That prompted the first protest and do-over.
Leigh Giangreco, a recent graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., is working as an intern for the Herald.
