WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (HalliburtonWatch.org) -- The U.S. Navy awarded $20 million to Halliburton's KBR subsidiary for Hurricane Wilma cleanup work in South Florida, it was announced last week. The award increases the current value of KBR's Wilma-related work for the Navy to $70 million.

The work was awarded under task order #23 of the Navy's Emergency Construction Capabilities contract (or CONCAP), awarded to KBR in 2001 via competitive bidding and renewed in 2004. The contract was first awarded to KBR four months after former Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney became vice president.

CONCAP allows the Navy to call upon KBR on short notice to provide construction services, including emergency construction in areas damaged by catastrophes. As required by the contract renewal terms, the total amount disbersed to KBR under CONCAP is not to exceed $500 million over five years beginning in 2004.

Under CONCAP, KBR built the prison facilities at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba in 2002 -- the prison system that holds suspected al-Qaeda terrorists. The company had also constructed and repaired airfield runways in Italy and Spain, a breakwater facility in the Azores, and military and civilian facilities in Iraq and Kuwait.

Task order 23 requires KBR to repair family housing units damaged by Wilma, the most intense hurricane ever recorded, though it weakened considerably by the time it reached Florida, at Key West, on October 24. The work is scheduled for completion in January 2006.

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity for CONCAP.