holiday logo

HOLIDAY
NEWSLETTER
Extending best wishes to our friends, clients, and colleagues in this happy holiday season.
 As we look forward to the many opportunities that await in 2015, we hope you enjoy reading a few project and staff highlights from the last few months of a very busy 2014.


  Follow us on Twitter   VIew our LinkedIn profile

ISSUE NO. 9 / DECEMBER 2014 
Gas pipeline trenching through agricultural land where topsoil (on right) is kept separate from subsoil in accordance with NYS Ag & Markets requirements.
The Village of Hamilton in upstate New York recently completed installation of a natural gas distribution pipeline to bring gas to the Village's commercial establishments, high school, community hospital, and Colgate University. The gas distribution pipeline connects with Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) approximately 10 miles north of the Village where a new "gate station" was permitted and installed to tap the TGP. While still in the early stages of connecting other users to the system, the Village has installed and connected the pipeline to Colgate's heating boilers.  The switch to natural gas will improve efficiency and result in lower air emissions.


Epsilon was heavily involved with the project since its inception over three years ago, conducting siting studies, determining alternative routes for the pipeline, conducting wetlands delineations and other environmental studies, preparing the SEQRA filings, and securing other environmental approvals.

 

For further details on this project, please visit our website.

New Bedford Airport Opens New Runway

New Bedford Regional Airport's new runway.

On October 17, 2014, New Bedford Regional Airport held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of its new runway. The runway brings the airport into compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration's standards on approach surfaces and visibility. Epsilon assisted with the environmental permitting and provided environmental compliance services during construction. The multi-phase project began in 2011 and involved vegetation removal in uplands and wetlands, 19 acres of wetland creation, utility relocation, safety area creation, and grading and repaving of the primary runway. 

Preservation Achievement Award Winners 

Liberty Mutual Boston Headquarters (left) and North Bennet Street School (right).

The Boston Preservation Alliance handed out its Achievement Awards in October to honor outstanding achievements in historic preservation and compatible new construction in Boston. Epsilon was a member of the project team for two of the projects receiving Achievement Awards: Liberty Mutual Boston Headquarters and the North Bennet Street School in the North End. 

Update: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Resort Casino FEIR  

On December 1, 2014, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe moved one step further in their effort to construct a proposed destination resort casino in Taunton, Massachusetts. The Final Environmental Impact Report, prepared by Epsilon, was noticed on-line at the Environmental Monitor website. Comments are due by January 9, 2015.

ConferenceConferences & Events

In October, Senior Consultant Maria Hartnett presented on the geotube installation at Sankaty Bluff at the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) 2014 National Coastal Conference. Later that month, Project Scientist Amanda Atwell, QAWB, educated airport managers about wildlife management practices at the 41st Annual Massachusetts Airport Management Association (MAMA) Conference.

 

Click here to learn more about these and other upcoming events.

StaffStaff Updates

Bob Hellweg, Senior Consultant, will retire from

Noise Group
(left to right: Bob Hellweg, Rob O'Neal, Rich Lampeter, Clint Cyr, Cory Emil).
Epsilon on January 1, 2015. In his seven years at Epsilon, Bob strengthened Epsilon's acoustics and noise engineering expertise. He also took great pride in fostering the development of younger engineers, serving as a mentor. In order to ensure continuity of Epsilon's support for his noise projects, Bob plans to be readily available on an "on-call" basis. We congratulate Bob on his retirement and wish him many years of health and happiness!

 

Congratulations to Managing Principal Peggy Briggs on her acceptance into Lambda Alpha International (LAI)! Peggy, along with the other new members, was welcomed into the organization at their Annual Meeting on December 9th. Check out our website for more details about this acceptance

 

Principal Rob O'Neal's article, Wind Energy Sound Monitoring Under High Shear Conditions, was featured in the fall 2014 issue of the American Meteorological Society's Certified Consulting Meteorologists Newsletter. The article examines a post-construction sound level compliance project at a wind farm in the Midwest. The wind farm featured 3-megawatt wind turbines and measurements were taken during the day and night to obtain the worst-case sound levels.


Project Scientist Jeremy Fennell recently passed the Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector (CESSWI) Exam, thereby receiving his CESSWI Registration #4259.

 

We will be also announcing some well-deserved promotions in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Cheers to a Happy Holiday Season and New Year!