Congratulations to �鶹��ý Employee Owner Hannah Mazurek on receiving a Core Values Award for her support to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research and Services. The NIH recognizes Hannah “for her advocacy for use of the Lab Archives chemical inventory system, thus strengthening chemical safety and compliance.” 

The Core Values Award at the NIH Office of Research Services awards ceremony is an employee recognition award that honors individuals or teams who exemplify the organization’s stated core values in their work and service to the NIH community. 

The  core values include: 

• Safety and Security 
• Excellence 
• Innovation
• Collaboration

The award is typically given to employees who demonstrate exceptional professionalism, customer service, leadership, teamwork, mission support, innovation, or dedication to NIH operations and research support. 

Great job to Hannah! �鶹��ý is honored to have such dedicated employee owners supporting our clients and their missions. 

Congratulations to NOAA for launching their new Typical Meteorological Year product, developed by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) as part of the industry initiative. This effort helps make environmental data actionable for architects and engineers designing the next generation of resilient infrastructure. �鶹��ý is proud to support this effort and our employee owners who contributed to this product. 

The  product provides location-specific meteorological data that represents a “typical” year for a given site. By combining historical observations with future climate projections through 2100, TMY enables professionals to design with both past conditions and future risks in mind. 

Available across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, TMY includes key variables such as: 

• Temperature – to optimize insulation, heating, and cooling
• Solar radiation – to guide energy-efficient building design
• Wind speed – to support structural durability and ventilation
• Precipitation – to inform drainage and water management

By incorporating historical data and future climate projections into modeling, TMY helps  design safer, more resilient structures—including hospitals, schools, bridges, and stormwater systems.

TMY is delivered through an interactive web interface with flexible download options, making it easy to access and apply in real-world projects. Environmental data tools like TMY enable data-driven decisions that improve performance, reduce risk, and support long-term resilience. 

�鶹��ý played a critical role in the development of this tool, including managing the development (timeline, scope, and team), and developing the interface, backend, methodology, and website landing page. �鶹��ý is proud of our team’s contributions to the NCEI  and this great accomplishment. This effort is supporting data-driven decisions, strengthening national preparedness, and helping communities thrive in the face of extreme weather. 

NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service recognized the TMY development team with their Outstanding Science and Research Team Member Award, highlighting the innovation and impact of this first-of-its-kind industry collaboration. 

�鶹��ý employee owners provide on-site support to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hazardous Waste Program at several campuses around the country: Atlanta, Georgia, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Fort Collins, Colorado. With 22 years of experience, �鶹��ý staff are responsible for providing training to laboratory and facilities staff to ensure safe handling of hazardous waste to avoid harmful incidents. 

�鶹��ý staff provide regular training to CDC staff on topics, including hazardous waste management, using the online waste ticketing system, and spill training. This training covers common mistakes (e.g. improper placement of labels), safety issues (e.g. not including biological materials, improper storage and containment, leaks, and classification), and handling special waste, such as crystalized waste (which can be unstable and possibly explosive). 

Additionally, �鶹��ý staff provide universal waste training to CDC staff on an as-needed basis.

�鶹��ý Staff are also tasked with collecting universal waste and provide oversight of storage areas, which include storage for light bulbs (fluorescents, ultraviolet, and LED), aerosol cans, and batteries, which are disposed of by a recycling contractor. 

With extensive expertise in packing hazardous waste, �鶹��ý staff prepare materials for quarterly shipments for safe transport to a waste disposal facility. 

�鶹��ý’ proper handling and management of hazardous waste continues to help safeguard CDC campuses from unnecessary risk and reduce incidents.

�鶹��ý team members supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)  are working with the architecture and engineering, insurance and reinsurance, and retail sectors to co-develop environmental data tools that are accessible and actionable, helping industries and communities build weather resilience. 

 showcases how NOAA data products, and this initiative, are equipping professionals to design infrastructure that can withstand normal and extreme conditions today and tomorrow.  

Turning Data into Design Insight 

In the video, Dan Walker of the American Society of Civil Engineers describes how NOAA data underpins building codes, engineering standards, and infrastructure planning. As extreme weather becomes more frequent and conditions continue to change, designing based solely on historical data is no longer enough. Access to reliable environmental data allows architects and engineers to account for future risks and build with long-term performance in mind. 

Applying Data in the Real World 

Through ongoing collaboration with industry partners, the initiative helps translate complex environmental data into tools that support day-to-day decision-making. These resources provide critical insights that help professionals evaluate risk, plan for future conditions, and design more resilient infrastructure, including: 

•  (Updated Summer 2025): A comprehensive record of historical weather events and impacts, enabling professionals to understand past hazards and incorporate that knowledge into risk assessments and infrastructure design. 

• Typical Meteorological Year (Estimated Release Spring 2026): Typical and projected weather conditions can be used to inform energy-efficient building design, system performance, and long-term planning for changing climate conditions. 

• Precipitation Time Series Explorer (Estimated Release Fall 2026): An interactive tool using  data to show historical and near real-time precipitation at specific locations, helping engineers assess rainfall trends, frequency, and extreme event risk for design planning. 

These tools help architects and engineers move beyond static data, supporting smarter decisions that improve performance, reduce risk, and strengthen resilience over time. 

Delivering Broader Impact 

The benefits of this work extend beyond individual projects. Data-informed design helps reduce uncertainty, improve efficiency, and lower long-term costs. More importantly, it supports infrastructure that keeps communities safe, maintains essential services, and strengthens economic resilience. From transportation systems to commercial buildings, these insights are helping ensure infrastructure is prepared for both current and future challenges. 

Supporting What Comes Next 

�鶹��ý is proud of its team members contributing to the NCEI industry initiative, helping transform environmental data into practical solutions that strengthen industries, support the economy, and build safer, more resilient communities. To learn more, visit the  page and watch the video now!  

Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification System (PHILIS) is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suite of mobile laboratories designed to provide on-site analysis of chemical agents. �鶹��ý employee owners support the PHILIS team with on-site responses and chemical analysis. �鶹��ý PHILIS teams recently supported the technical design and integration of state-of-the-art emergency response mobile laboratory units engineered for the rapid detection and quantification of hazardous materials. �鶹��ý PHILIS teams in Castle Rock, Colorado and Edison, New Jersey collaborated with EPA and MRIGlobal — a research- and technology-focused contract company — representatives to orchestrate the configuration of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry, and preparatory systems to ensure benchtop-level performance under mobile conditions. �鶹��ý staff validated all critical support systems, including electrical, information technology (or IT), climate control system (or HVAC), vibration isolation, fume hoods, cabinetry and chemical storage, plumbing, power, fire, lighting, vacuum, and high-purity gas delivery systems. �鶹��ý chemistry staff upgraded and organized the current facility to best support the new laboratory units by implementing a transition and decontamination plan, installing an upgraded electrical system with higher voltage and amperage power supplies, and training staff on safe practices in use and movement of the new labs and equipment. �鶹��ý staff ensured that the laboratory adhered to safety standards while optimizing workflow for the hazardous material sample receiving, preparation, processing, analysis, and review while deployed to support EPA emergency response activities. 

Visit EPA’s website to . 

In February 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio spilling chemicals that contaminated surrounding soil, water, and the air. Several Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification Systems (PHILIS) – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suite of mobile laboratories designed to provide on-site analysis of chemical agents – and staff were mobilized to the site following the accident to conduct analysis of various contaminated media. The �鶹��ý PHILIS team provided immediate response and continued to support to provide on-site recovery. The team demobilized in late June 2023 and continue to conduct analyses of clearance samples from the PHILIS base of operations.  

On November 17, 2025, the EPA tasked the �鶹��ý PHILIS team in Edison, New Jersey with receiving and testing for 2-Butoxyethanol in ground water samples in follow-up from the train derailment project in 2023. �鶹��ý staff immediately began developing a method in SPA01 (a sample preparation laboratory where collected samples are prepared by extraction or other means prior to chemical analysis) and APL02 (a chemical analysis laboratory, dedicated to the testing for organic semivolatile compound contaminants in environmental samples). After conducting quality assurance/quality control testing, the team was ready to receive samples and begin analyzing as of December 2, 2025. The first samples were received on December 11, 2025, and the final samples were received on February 13, 2026. �鶹��ý chemists and managers worked diligently to turn the data over within a 24-hour period for review by EPA Region 5. PHILIS Edison laboratories have analyzed a total of eight work orders, and 50 aqueous samples. All analytical results were below the established reporting limits. 

Learn more about .  

Established in 1986, NOAA’s National Mussel Watch Program has been systematically monitoring nearly 600 chemical contaminants (including legacy organic contaminants, trace metals, and contaminants of emerging concern) and biological indicators for the establishment of baseline contamination levels in coastal waters around the U.S., including the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. �鶹��ý employee owners have played an integral role in supporting this effort.

A substantial collaboration in the 2026 South Atlantic Coast collection survey was with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). �鶹��ý employee owners joined SCDNR for sample collection along the South Carolina coast, leveraging their boats, equipment, and resources. Two teams volunteered to collect samples at 16 sites, coinciding with adjacent SCDNR collection sites needed for their own projects and research. For each site, the team collected three resealable bags of oyster samples, and recorded water quality data at each location. The team double bagged the samples, packed them on ice in coolers with specific labeling, and shipped them to the laboratory where they will be analyzed.

�鶹��ý employee owners will work with the Mussel Watch Program federal lead to summarize the laboratory results and publish a series of technical memoranda. This data and information can help regional managers and stakeholders understand historic and current trends as they develop strategies to monitor and assess contaminants in the region. 

Visit the website to learn more about the . 

This effort supports the RPI-�鶹��ý joint venture contract with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.