Construction and Engineering Firms Agree to Pay $1.37 Million to Resolve Allegations of Shoddy Runway Construct at Airport Used by Massachusetts Air National Guard

BOSTON – Eurovia Atlantic Coast, LLC d/b/a Northeast Paving, a Maine-based paving and construction company; the Lane Construction Corporation, a Connecticut construction company; and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., a New York engineering firm, have agreed to pay $1.37 million collectively to resolve allegations that they submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims for payment concerning the rehabilitation of Runway 2-20 at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, Mass. As part of the settlement agreement, Northeast Paving, Lane Construction and Stantec each admitted to and accepted responsibility for facts underlying the covered conduct.

The Westfield-Barnes Airport is the operational center of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, which includes the 131st Fighter Squadron – an operational combat wing that provides combat ready fighter pilots to perform alert missions over the northeastern United States.

In 2012, the City of Westfield began the process of rehabilitating Runway 2-20, using a mix of federal, state and local funds, including funds from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense. To receive the federal funds, the City had to periodically submit claims to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense, including during and after construction.

In 2013, the City and Stantec entered into an agreement for Stantec to provide certain design services, project management, bidding support and related engineering services for the Project, which included developing specifications and drawings. The City subsequently selected and entered into an agreement with Lane Construction to complete the rehabilitation. After completion of the rehabilitation, Northeast Paving purchased some Lane Construction’s assets.

In 2019, the runway began cracking in the area where the concrete center of the runway and the surrounding asphalt interfaced. The project specifications and plans for the rehabilitation project had provided for a track at the interface between the concrete inlay and surrounding asphalt. Although Lane and Stantec certified that the rehabilitation project met the requirements of the plans and specifications, the track was never constructed. Due to the cracking in the area where the track should have been constructed, the City of Westfield and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation undertook a repair project to address the cracking. During the repair project, 104th Fighter Wing was forced to relocate.

“Federal contractors must fulfill their obligations and perform the work they promise to provide, especially where their work impacts the safety of our military,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will continue to hold contractors to their commitments to ensure that federal agencies and taxpayers get what they paid for.”  

“The defendants cut corners and misrepresented their work wasting taxpayer dollars," said Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. “This settlement reflects our commitment and ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to hold contractors accountable for failing to meet contract performance and quality standards.”

“Ensuring the safety of the warfighter is a critical part of the DCIS mission,” said Christopher M. Silvestro, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Northeast Field Office, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General. “This settlement demonstrates our collaboration with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to ensure DoD contractors adhere to the requirements outlined in each contract.”  

U.S. Attorney Foley, DOT-OIG SAC Gallagher and DCIS Acting SAC Silvestro made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Morgan of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled this matter.