J.P. Carrara & Sons is an aggregate company located in Vermont and New York. They have operated a gravel pit in the Village of East Middlebury, Vermont for many years and were interested in expanding the existing pit into new areas of the land near the existing pit. Being a part of the community in East Middlebury, J.P. Carrara & Sons were committed to working with a group of community members who were open to a responsibly executed expansion. RSG was retained by J.P. Carrara & Sons and the East Middlebury Community Group to work through the noise impact assessment process. RSG held a pre-study meeting in the community to provide the developer and the community members with a general knowledge-base on acoustics and to gather their thoughts and concerns about the project. RSG then conducted a site visit that community group members were invited to attend. During the site visit, we monitored background sound levels throughout the community and measured noise emissions from gravel pit operations.

In preparation for local and state permitting requirements, RSG conducted sound propagation modeling using Cadna A acoustical modeling software to determine sound levels throughout the community due to the existing and proposed gravel pit operations. We designed mitigation for the project to reduce sound levels at neighboring residential areas. J.P. Carrara & Sons and the community group had a chance to review the draft report. At a report review meeting both parties were able to ask questions and provide feedback prior to finalizing the report. RSG provided expert testimony at the local design review board meeting where the developer and members of the community group praised the process that we worked through together to assess noise impacts from the proposed project.