Extensive Turbine Rehab Work in Eastern Washington

Jul 07, 2017 | by Lisa Schaefer

In 2011, Long Painting Company won a seven-year contract to sandblast, remove lead, and repaint 13 turbines at the Chief Joseph Dam in a remote area of the Columbia River. Long Painting Company worked extra hard to gain the confidence and trust of the owner and fellow contractors.

“The difficulty of this project for us in the beginning was establishing credibility with the Army Corps of Engineers,” said project manager Bill Newcomb. “We were prepared to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week.”

In order to meet the demands of the tight time frame, a protocol was developed for each phase of work. Committing to this protocol allowed the team to complete each phase ahead of schedule and allowed the customer to gain days on their schedule.

As a result of the project’s success, Long Painting Company has since secured work on the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam, as well as the Priest Rapids Dam.