Staff from the Health and Building departments will be visiting construction sites to educate workers on substance abuse, the dangers of fentanyl, proper use of naloxone for overdose prevention and overall work site safety. At least 269 construction workers died of an overdose in 2020, by far the most of any occupation included in the analysis, according to the release. The initiative aims to directly provide critical information to construction workers to enhance their safety both on and off construction sites. The decision to target the construction industry follows data revealing construction workers accounted for the highest number of overdose deaths among various occupational groups. That mirrors national trends, as construction workers remain particularly susceptible to fatal overdoses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/nyc-overdose-deaths-construction-new-york-city/699916/

Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly on Wednesday ramped up their opposition to regulations that would commit Connecticut to phasing out sales of most new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, a goal intended to reinforce market trends toward zero-emission vehicles. Adoption of the regulations is uncertain, at best. The 14-member Regulation Review Committee is unusual in that the majority and minority parties have equal representation, meaning that a negative vote by a single Democrat and the promised unanimous opposition by Republicans would kill adoption. Republicans insisted Wednesday they remain committed to clean air, even as issues of climate change and decarbonization have became sharply partisan in Hartford and in Washington.

CT GOP pushes pedal to metal opposing mandated shift to EVs

Danbury-based FuelCell Energy has completed the second-largest fuel cell park in North America, a 14-megawatt facility situated along the Housatonic River in Derby. The fuel cell park on Roosevelt Drive consists of 10 fuel cells, which convert natural gas into electricity through an electrochemical process that is virtually free of emissions. The facility will supply power to Eversource and United Illuminating through 20-year power purchase agreements. The power is classified as Class I Renewable Energy. The location was selected by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection through a competitive bidding process for clean energy proposals. FuelCell Energy also operates the largest fuel cell park in North America, located in Bridgeport.

FuelCell Energy opens 14-MW fuel cell park in Derby, 2nd largest in North America

Danbury Proton LLC has filed a new certificate of need application with the state Office of Health Strategy to establish a proton therapy center for cancer treatment. The estimated $90 million center, if approved, would be at 85 Wooster Heights Road, in Danbury. Danbury Proton re-applied for the certificate of need, or CON, in documents filed Nov. 6. Proton therapy uses a high energy beam of protons to target cancer. Proponents say it allows for safer and targeted delivery of radiation, with less impact on healthy tissue and fewer negative side effects.

Danbury Proton renews push for cancer treatment center

Norwich Public Utilities General Manager Chris LaRose called the plant the largest capital project in city history while Federal Environmental Protection Agency New England regional administrator David Cash said it is the largest sewer infrastructure project in the state. And Jason Nickerson, chairman of Torrington-based general contractor CH Nickerson & Co. said it is the largest project in his company’s 84-year history. Construction will be tricky, with large buses, boats on trailers and dozens of workers traveling on Falls Avenue daily. The plant must also remain in operation throughout the construction, as aging sewage digesters, wastewater treatment buildings, large sewage pipes and outflow pipes are replaced.

https://www.theday.com/local-news/20231115/norwich-breaks-ground-on-200-million-sewage-treatment-plant/

The sun appears to be setting on developers’ hopes to expand the Daybreak Ridge condominium development off River Road. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voiced its opposition to approving a Planned Development District for the site in order to allow construction of an additional 28 units. Daybreak Ridge, LLC, is presently constructing 36 condominiums — dubbed Daybreak Ridge — at 84 River Road. The developers have since filed an application seeking to change the zoning of the 12.39-acre parcel to a Planned Development District in an effort to nearly double the size of the project. In processing the request as required by statute, the commissioners often noted the property’s constraints, specifically the steep slopes, the rock, the watercourse and wetlands and negative impacts on neighbors.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/shelton-p-z-daybreak-ridge-condo-expansion-18481966.php

Manchester and South Windsor are two of the 17 towns that will receive transportation grants from the state of Connecticut. Gov. Ned Lamont announced last week $11.7 million in state grants to 17 towns and cities across Connecticut for projects designed to improve transportation safety and accessibility, under the Community Connectivity Grant Program. Manchester officials plan to install additional sidewalks in the area of Keeney Street with the $800,000 they received through the program. The project would extend the existing sidewalk along Keeney Street on both sides of the road, between the Garden Grove Road/Nutmeg Drive intersection and the Bush Hill Road intersection. South Windsor will use its $800,000 to fund part of its Crosstown Trail project, a 6.2-mile multi-use trail that will help pedestrians and bicyclists travel safely around town.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/manchester-south-windsor-ct-grants-sidewalk-trail-18481096.php

The borough hopes to secure a construction manager deal to pave the way for the development of a road network for a new industrial park. The Board of Mayor and Burgesses gave the goahead for Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess to enter into an American Institute of Architects document standard form agreement with O&G Industries, of Torrington, to develop a road network at former Uniroyal Chemical/United States Rubber Co. complex site for Industrial Park #3 at 280 Elm St. The proposed development calls new roads and the division of the property into about nine separate building lots for industrial sites. Borough officials want to start the construction for the road network in this current calendar year and are hopeful to finish one of the roads by this time next year, Hess said.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/11/13/naugatuck-seeks-construction-manager/

Taking a lesson from a year-long delay in the recently completed sports-betting lounge at Hartford’s XL Center, the Capital Region Development Authority plans to sign an agreement with local unions to ensure a ready supply of trained labor for the venue’s broader $100 million renovation. Now, as the CRDA prepares to launch a grander $100 million, two-year XL Center reconfiguration and repair program, Freimuth is hoping to avoid some of the same pitfalls. Material, especially electronic switchgear, will be ordered well in advance and stored, he said. A project labor agreement will mean paying a premium for some trades, Freimuth conceded in a meeting with his board Monday morning. But it will also guarantee access to trained pools of labor and ensure predictable labor rates negotiated in advance, he said. The CRDA board voted on Monday to allow Freimuth to negotiate a project labor agreement with local unions.

To speed up construction, CRDA eyes project labor agreement for $100M XL Center upgrade 

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses unanimously agreed at its regular meeting Wednesday to adopt a resolution in support of fiscal year 2024 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Community Wide Assessment Grant and apply for the grant with an amount no greater than $500,000. Borough officials hope to obtain grant funds for three locations: Parcels Y & Z, which are between the Naugatuck Event Center and the former Uniroyal property near Elm Street, the former Lewis Engineering site at 238 Water St. and the former Hershey Property at 889 New Haven Road. The USEPA is anticipating the award of 60 community-wide assessment grants in fiscal year 2024 with an estimated $30 million available in funding, according to the resolution. Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said the borough is looking to get the grant funding to assess the properties in order to determine from an environmental standpoint what needs to be done to clear the way for development.

https://www.rep-am.com/localnews/2023/11/12/naugatuck-officials-looks-to-get-brownfield-grant-for-former-lewis-engineering-site/