ACEC/MA announces Environmental Specialty Solutions as a winner in engineering excellence for the Sprague Building in New Bedford, MA

NEW BEDFORD AND BOSTON, MA  : The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) has named the Environmental Specialty Solutions (ESS Inc), a Burns & MCDonnell company, as a 2019 bronze award winner for engineering excellence for the abatement, demolition and reconstruction of the Sprague Building in New Bedford, MA.

Drawing on in-depth experience in environmental abatement, historic preservation and structural engineering, ESS Inc., a Burns & McDonnell company, rendered a former power plant building safe to enter. Abandoned 20 years earlier, the 100-year-old landmark had a partially collapsed roof and housed widespread asbestos, active animal life and other hazardous

conditions that Sprague, the owner, needed to mitigate as part of its purchase agreement. ESS completed the project a month ahead of schedule and returned $250,000 of its $6 million budget to the owner, completing the 17,000-man-hour project with zero safety recordables.

Burns & McDonnell is an international company with an office in Boston, MA.

The 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards were announced at the recent ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala with special guest emcees Jonathan L. Gulliver, Highway Administrator at MassDOT and Frederick A. Laskey, Executive Director of MWRA.

“Each year we gather to celebrate and recognize engineering firms for projects that demonstrate innovation and excellence,” said Michael J. Walsh, PE, President of ACEC/MA and Vice President of CDM Smith. “We congratulate our winners who work tirelessly throughout the year to advance the goals and values of our organization and the industry.”