July 2002
Alabama
BIRMINGHAM—Vulcan Materials Company announced that three of its operations have been recognized as gold medallion winners in the community relations awards program of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association. The gold medallion recognizes aggregates facilities that have outstanding, employee-supported programs for enhancing their communities. Vulcan’s Southwest Division received a gold medallion for its creation and ongoing sponsorship of a sporting clays tournament to benefit the San Antonio Cancer Therapy Center. Vulcan’s Southeast Division received two gold medallions. At its Columbia, S.C., quarry, Vulcan is working to enhance communications with its neighbors and to address specific issues related to truck traffic. The division’s other gold medallion was awarded for its work with the Boys Home of the South, a residential facility for boys who are neglected, orphaned, abandoned, or abused.
Alaska
ANCHORAGE—The city is expected to receive almost $200 million of state and federal funding if two bond measures pass in November. Under the state’s budget plan, the funds will pay $15 million for the Port of Anchorage and $74 million to finance the extension of two roads.
Arizona
PHOENIX—The Aggregate Mining Community Notice Act, SB1344, was signed by the Governor in late May. According to the Arizona Rock Products Association (ARPA), the bill will provide safeguards to ensure the continuation of mining and mining related activities throughout the state.
Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK—According to The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas Environmental Federation is asking state environmental regulators to declare a 40-mile stretch of Crooked Creek an extraordinary resource water. The legal designation guarantees environmental protections to the creek, including a provision that would prohibit sand and gravel mining.
California
SANTA CLARITA—In late May, a state board declined to hear an appeal of the county Board of Supervisors’ rejection of Transit Mixed Concrete’s sand and gravel mine in Soledad Canyon. According to The Daily News of Los Angeles, the chairman of the board said that it does not have the right to resolve the dispute because county officials didn’t complete the environmental review of the project and because Cemex, Inc., TMC’s parent company, has sued Los Angeles County in federal court. The chairman did endorse one of the company’s claims, saying that “the public record demonstrates delay and indecision by Los Angeles County in its processing of this surface mining application.”
TULARE COUNTY—Kaweah River Rock recently held its first public hearing for its proposed 280-acre project. According to The Fresno Bee, speakers asked for reports on water quality from wells surrounding the proposed mine. David Harrald, general manager, said that the company’s environmental impact report from its previous permitting effort provides a guideline that should make this effort easier.
Colorado
PUEBLO—Transit Mix recently shut down its gravel operations along the Arkansas River west of Pueblo and began mining a new plant on the east side of the town. According to The Pueblo Chieftain, the company is considering a number of reclamation options including using the former site for water storage. The company will also leave in place a bridge that held its conveyor so the state would be able to link recreation areas on both sides of the river.
Connecticut
MANCHESTER—In mid-May, The Balf Co. asphalt plant resumed operations. According to The Hartford Courant, it had been closed since February when the state Department of Environmental Protection closed the plant, citing licensing and permitting issues. Balf disputed the claims and appealed the notice of violation. At press time, a status conference was scheduled, but had not yet occurred.
Delaware
DOVER—The state of Delaware and the Norfolk Southern Corp. may be creating the nation’s first toll bridge for railroads. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, tolls will be used to repair the Shellpot Bridge in the Port of Wilmington. Railcars already are equipped with a computer chip, like an E-ZPass box, that will allow for automatic billing. The bridge needs $13.5 million in repairs. Bridge tolls will range from $35 per car to $5 per car, based on the number of crossings. The deal could become a model for public funding of rail facilities.
Florida
CHATTAHOOCHEE—Opponents of dredging along the Apalachicola River say that the closing of Martin Marietta’s plant here is one more reason why dredging should no longer be allowed. While barge traffic on the river is down, supporters contend that that is because rainfall has been light and water levels are low. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, local environmental advocates are petitioning Congress to stop paying for dredging when it approves the Water Resource Act, which provides funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Georgia
ELBERTON—The more than 45 quarries in and around Elbert County are the source of about 280 businesses in the granite industry and employ 2,400 people. According to the Athens Banner-Herald, the operations are feeling pressure from foreign granite as traditional buyers turn to China for cheaper prices. The Elberton Granite Association has launched a “buy American” campaign targeting monument retailers to combat the pressure.
Hawaii
HONOLULU—The state has passed legislation to cap the price of gasoline, beginning in 2004. The gas cap will be based on averaged prices from West Coast markets. Politicians are said to be watching the results closely. The last time the nation experimented with price controls at the pump was during the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s.
Idaho
ASOTIN—On the heels of the recommended approval of Atlas Sand and Rock’s permit request for a quarry, sand and gravel pit, asphalt plant, and concrete plant in Asotin County, another mining project is picking up steam. According to the Lewiston Morning Tribune, Jack J. Streibick has completed a draft environmental impact statement for his Bayman Gravel pit. At press time, the report was available for its 30-day public comment period.
Illinois
DECATUR—A new state law, HB3246 doubles fines for speeding through construction zones. According to The Chicago Tribune, the law is one of several aimed at protecting construction workers and emergency personnel responding to accidents in construction zones. Another piece of legislation, which is currently in the works, would require that a state police officer and vehicle be stationed at construction sites on state highways. The bill is expected to be signed this month.
Indiana
LAFAYETTE—Purdue University’s plan to sell 182 acres to Purdy Materials has hit a snag. According to The Associated Press, the company planned to cut down approximately 40 trees in a nearby park to meet the county’s requirement to provide a safe entrance to the mine site. Although the university volunteered to plant twice as many trees elsewhere in the park, the proposal drew objections. One objection came from a park board member who owns land near the park that he leases to another gravel mining company.
Iowa
DES MOINES—The state will receive nearly $8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for projects across the state. Nearly $2 million will be used for the Iowa DOT’s Intelligent Transportation System.
Kansas
TOPEKA—The Kansas Aggregate Producers Association (KAPA) is working with the University of Kansas, the Kansas Geological Survey, and the Kansas Department of Transportation to locate, identify, and qualify new sources of aggregate. According to KAPA, recently approved research will be conducted by the state geological survey to identify sources of limestone in Douglas, Franklin, and Miami counties. The study will begin in FY 2003.
Kentucky
FRANKFORT—According to the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors, an internal review of the state Transportation Cabinet failed to uncover any serious problems beyond the three that were already the focus of law enforcement. Allegations are already being investigated in regards to a bridge painting project, the Disadvantage Business Enterprise Program, and the Division of Driver Licensing.
Louisiana
BATON ROUGE—Louisiana’s infrastructure is among the worst in the nation, according to a report from The Road Information Program (TRIP). The study showed that the state has the second-worst road conditions in the nation and the tenth worst bridge conditions. Rising levels of traffic congestion also plague the state, according to the TRIP report, which found that 27 percent of the state’s major roads are in poor condition and 34 percent of its bridges (20 ft. or longer) are in need of repair or replacement.
Maine
NORRIDGEWOCK—State officials are hoping that a consulting company noted for its work on historic bridges will be able to help them resolve problems surrounding a four-span concrete arch bridge across the Kennebec River. According to the Central Maine Morning Sentinel, the state Department of Transportation has been at a standstill for a year trying to decide whether the old bridge should be replaced or not. While the bridge is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, it is obsolete and considered dangerous for traffic.
Maryland
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY—Aggregate Industries PLC won a permit battle to mine 685 acres along Route 5, near McKendree and Accokeek roads. The 5-2 vote came after a two-hour meeting held in a full auditorium — where half the attendees sported blue and white Aggregate Industries caps. According to The Washington Post, the permit contained a number of conditions and incorporated elements of a covenant the company signed with six south county citizens.
Massachusetts
MALDEN—After more than 120 years of operation, Rowe Quarry will be transformed into an apartment complex. According to The Boston Globe, officials in Malden and Revere are working on a joint collaboration with the producers to transform the 100-acre quarry. Previous efforts to reclaim the operation as a disposal site for sludge and fly ash and for an asphalt plant had been thwarted by the two government bodies.
Michigan
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP—Developers are targeting old gravel pits to redevelop into high-end subdivisions. According to The Associated Press, several developments have sprung up in Oxford Township, Novi, and Bloomfield Township. A decade ago, Oakland County had 30 active gravel pits and was mining about 10 million tons per year. As some of these sites are being tapped out, developers say they offer more creative opportunities for development than farmland.
Minnesota
ALEXANDRIA—According to the Aggregate & Ready Mix Association of Minnesota (ARM), the future of skilled industry professionals is being aided by Alexandria Tech, where students are lining up to sign up for a new program in concrete and masonry skills. The program, which is being funded by ARM and the Minnesota Concrete Masonry Association, has already reached its break-even goal of 20 students, but is on track to register as many as 30 students for the 2002 program.
Mississippi
JACKSON—Following the collapse of the Arkansas River bridge at Webber Falls, Okla., in late May, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is reassuring residents that its bridges are designed to withstand being struck from time to time. “We always design them so the bridge wins and the barge sinks,” said Harry Lee James, a bridge engineer for the state DOT.
Missouri
WASHINGTON—Approximately one third of Missouri’s heavily-traveled bridges are deficient and in need of repair or replacement, according to a new study from The Road Information Program (TRIP). The study found that 2 percent of the state’s bridges are structurally deficient and in need of repair or replacement. In addition, 11 percent are functionally obsolete. More than half of the state’s bridges were built before 1960.
Montana
BILLINGS—Speaking before state and county leaders at the National Association of Counties meeting, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) outlined his plans for highway investment and pledged to build up the highway trust fund, keep highway money safe from other appropriations, and streamline permitting. According to The Associated Press, Baucus also introduced the concept of the “courteous driver program” which would designate the left lane for passing only. He also spoke against the gas tax exemption for ethanol.
Nebraska
SARPY COUNTY—Martin Marietta Materials is seeking a permit to expand its operation here from 150 acres to 270 acres. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the company is seeking a special-use permit that would allow it to open a new 70-acre limestone quarry on the site. The company purchased the plant last year and, according to the county’s building and planning coordinator, it represents the only source of limestone in the county. The quarry has had a permit to operate since 1987.
Nevada
RENO—U.S. Aggregates, a Draper-based producer of crushed stone, sand and gravel, received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Reno, Nev., to sell its assets to Oldcastle Materials for approximately $140 million. The assets are in nine states. Subsequently, Oldcastle Materials reached an agreement to dispose of some USAI operations which are non-core to its business. Oldcastle will retain USAI’s integrated construction materials business in Utah and a quarry in Birmingham, Ala. According to Tom Hill, chief executive officer of Oldcastle Materials Group, “The USAI deal achieves a primary objective of the Materials Division to further expand its operations in the Mountain region. In particular, the deal augments the Division’s activities into the attractive Cedar City/St. George region in southern Utah. The transaction also provides a major quarry in the city of Birmingham, Ala., Oldcastle Materials’ first location in the southeast.”
New Hampshire
THOMASTON, MAINE—Dragon Cement and Concrete began talks with Quebec’s Port Authority about creating a marine terminal on the St. Lawrence River. According to the Bangor Daily News, the company has an intermodal rail and barge system to ship
from Thomaston into Boston and New Hampshire. A deal with the Port Authority would allow it to move into the Canadian market as well.
New Jersey
WEST TRENTON—The New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association, along with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Concrete Institute and the Northeast Chapter of the American Concrete Pavement Association, honored the New Jersey Department of Transportation at its award ceremony held in May. The associations recognized the contribution of the state DOT in showcasing the durability of concrete. The state system includes the “Concrete Mile” which is a portion of the Morris Turnpike that was dedicated for use as an experimental “Portland Cement-Concrete Road.” The one-mile track, which was constructed by Thomas Alva Edison and his company — the Edison Portland Cement Company — is still being used 90 years later, with only minor repairs.
New Mexico
RIO ARRIBA COUNTY—A district judge refused to close a Cebolla gravel pit that was not permitted by the county. According to the Albuquerque Journal, he cited potential damage to the state highway department as the reason why he refused to stop production at the 87-acre mine. The newspaper said that the Highway Department is trying to get around the county zoning and mining regulations by buying the property so that it becomes state property and is not subject to county regulations.
New York
RIVERHEAD—Calverton Industries scored a victory in the latest skirmish in a four-year long battle with officials here. According to the Newsday, a town board member sought the right to test any construction materials brought into Calverton Industries for toxic contaminants. The proposal was voted down 3-2. The city has spent nearly half a million dollars fighting the operation, which has been reduced from 40 acres to 10 acres.
North Carolina
RALEIGH—Surprises at Martin Marietta Material’s 1,000-acre quarry in the Bahamas were among the reasons cited for the producer’s $10.5 million first quarter loss. According to The News and Observer, the company had predicted larger profits, lower transportation costs, and the ability to enter new markets when it purchased the quarry. Responding to the local media, Stephen P. Zelnak, Jr., president and chief executive officer, said that the company has spent $34 million in upgrading its current plants over the last two years. The Bahamas quarry is also about to reach full capacity, which is anticpated at 4.2 million tons per year.
North Dakota
FARGO—Accidents in construction zone areas are up in North Dakota, according to the state department of transportation. Last year, there were 20 total crashes in the Interstate 29 construction zone. As of the end of May, there had already been 11 so far this year. The DOT officials attribute the increase to faster moving traffic.
Ohio
AMHERST—American Stone Industries, Inc. reported a 13.2-percent increase in net sales in the first quarter of 2002, compared with the first quarter of 2001. “First quarter sales were much better than a year ago, although still below the break-even level,” said James Rallo, president and chief executive officer. “The higher sales, combined with operating efficiencies, led to the improvement in our net results.”
Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY—It will take an estimated $15 million and as long as six months to repair an interstate bridge that collapsed after being struck by a barge in eastern Oklahoma. According to The Associated Press, Oklahoma Department of Transportation officials said that an inspection of the 1,988-ft. structure last year found no difficulties. The bridge, which was built in 1967, had a 75-year life expectancy. More than a dozen people were killed when the bridge collapsed after being struck by a barge in late May.
Oregon
ROSS ISLAND—Ross Island Sand & Gravel outlined its new proposal for restoration of Ross Island, according to The Oregonian. The producer has pledged to donate the island to the city of Portland within the next five years. While the details have yet to be determined, the company must first establish a restoration plan that satisfies the Oregon Division of State Lands by 2003. The new plan differed from its last proposal, issued in 1979, based on changes in attitude regarding fish and bird habitats.
Pennsylvania
PLEASANT GAP—The state Supreme Court refused to let Centre Lime and Stone appeal a municipality’s decision to bar sandstone mining on Nittany Mountain Ridge. According to the Centre Daily Times, the decision may be the final one in a seven-year battle over the validity of Springfield Township’s zoning ordinance. In a related matter, the College Township Council said it would wait until the township Planning Commission drafted a conditional use ordinance before deciding on Hanson Aggregate’s request to rezone farmland to expand its Oak Hill Quarry. The township has completed its public hearings on the zoning request and the deadline for written comments has passed. The conditional use permit would give town supervisors a legal basis to set conditions for its approval of land-use decisions.
Rhode Island
Providence—The fight is on for the development of land under Route 195 when it is relocated. According to The Providence Journal-Bulletin, the Senate passed a bill that would control the disposal of the land. The bill drew immediate criticism because it would let the Legislature influence the way the land is developed.
South Carolina
CHARLOTTE—According to newly released census data, three-car families outnumber one-car families in Union County. A report in The Charlotte Observer also notes that the commute time in York County, South Carolina’s fastest-growing area, is up by 25 percent. According to the report, the Charlotte Area Transit System is building a $1 billion-plus rapid-transit system of trains and buses that should be operating within 15 years. A local transportation policy expert said that the area needs to take a regional approach to transportation and land use. Traffic flow on highways such as I-485 and Interstate 77 need to be examined.
South Dakota
GERING, NEB.—Advocates from Nebraska, South Dakota, and Colorado met in late May to endorse the 60 Heartland Expressway. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the group is looking to join forces with the Texas-based Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor and build political momentum and strategies for winning federal highway transportation money for both projects. Their goal is to create a new north-south highway corridor in the western Great Plains. The Heartland Expressway is a federally designated corridor to improve accessibility between Denver and Rapid City, S.D., through the Nebraska panhandle. It has completed four-lane segments from Gering to Kimball and in the Rapid City area. “We see the Heartland as an absolute necessity for the long-term viability of this portion of the Great Plains,” South Dakotan Pat McElgunn told the newspaper. “When you’ve got low population density — and your neighbors have low population density — you realize that if you don’t have a transportation connection you have insurmountable challenges.”
Tennessee
NASHVILLE—According to the Rogers Group, it received three smooth paving and two safety awards at the Tennessee Road Builders’ recent meeting. Project Manager Sam Loyd and Rogers’ East Tennessee construction team won the Region I Small project smooth paving award for Contract #1706 in Knox County. Project Manager Jim Richardson and Northern Middle Tennessee won the Region II Small Project award for Contract #1814 in DeKalb County. Region III’s Large Project award went to Southern Middle and Project Manager Howard Nutt for Contract #1508 in Giles County. The company had 21 of its Tennessee opera-tions win safety awards for achieving zero frequency rates for 2001, with a total of 527,272 hours. The company also won a second place award for all its Tennessee operations for achieving 628,112 hours with no accidents.
Texas
AUSTIN—The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TRNCC) proposed a rulemaking package related to a facility’s compliance history that will affect all plant operations regulated by the TRNCC, including quarrying, mining, cement, and concrete facilities. According to the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association, one of the key components of HB2912 was the implementation of compliance history for all plants under the purview of the TNRCC. Each facility site will be given a performance rating of high, average, or poor. To view the proposed rule in its entirety, go to www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/oprd/rules/propadop.html.
Utah
SALT LAKE CITY—The American Society of Civil Engineers named the city’s Interstate 15 rebuilding project as its top civil engineering achievement of the year. Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) officials received the award because it is the largest public works project ever undertaken using design-build methodology. UDOT completed the 15-mile project early and on budget. The project was completed well before the commencement of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Past winners of the award include the World Trade Center and the Denver International Airport.
Vermont
MONTPELIER—Vermont ranks top among New England states for employees working from their homes, with 6.8 percent of employees in the state telecommuting to work. This increase comes as the average travel time in the state grew 21.6 percent in the last decade, according to U.S. Census data.
Virginia
CHESAPEAKE—Environmentalists and the city of Virginia Beach are fighting a proposal for a sand mine near Stumpy Lake in Chesapeake. According to The Virginian-Pilot, ESG Companies have filed plans to mine a 145-acre area over a seven-year period. The company has proposed a forested buffer zone, a 20-acre park, and technologies to keep runoff from washing downstream and polluting an adjacent lake.
SURRY COUNTY—A 10-year-old girl drowned while playing in a sand and gravel pit near her home. According to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the girl died while playing at the site with her brother and a friend.
Washington
MAURY ISLAND—Glacier Northwest is being approached by The Cascade Land Conservancy about a possible deal to purchase its land in East King County. According to The Seattle Times, the company is in the midst of an expansion bid, but has said that it would be open to selling the land if the price were right. Opposition groups are hoping to stall or derail Glacier’s bid for expansion in hopes of driving down the land value. The company estimates that the quarry has reserves of approximately 60 million tons of gravel. “They came to us a while ago and we said, ‘we’ll listen,’” Ron Summers, the company’s general manager, told the newspaper. “But the value of the property is going to be very high — in the multi-millions.”
West Virginia
BERKELEY SPRINGS—Better Minerals & Aggregates Company reported first quarter 2002 sales of $5.1 million, down from sales of $59.0 million in the first quarter of 2001. First quarter EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) totaled $2.2 million compared to last year’s results for the same period of $3.5 million. Aggregates’ sales for the first quarter of 2002 totaled $17.2 million, almost flat with first quarter 2001 sales of $17.1 million. “We are pleased that our aggregates’ sales held relatively steady, particularly since the first quarter of the year is traditionally soft in this market,” said R.D. Reeves, president and chief executive officer. “I do see indications that we will have a good construction season this year, and I am optimistic about our prospects for this segment in the months to come.”
Wisconsin
DANE COUNTY—A proposal to give towns control over approval of new quarries and sand and gravel pits was recently discussed before the Dane County Zoning and Natural Resources Committee. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the proposal won’t be discussed further, however, unless there is interest by committee members or a majority of towns. So far, only towns have expressed support of the proposal, according to the article. Sup. Andy Olsen, a former zoning committee member, presented the plan which would create a special zoning category for new aggregate operations and give town boards the power to veto them. He told the newspaper that towns need more bargaining power and local control to put residents on equal footing with producers. “Our association believes towns should be able to get out of county zoning and create our own,” Richard Stadelman, executive director of the Wisconsin Towns Association, told the newspaper. “But they can’t pick and choose what they want to regulate. To say that we’re going to adopt some standards to keep out quarries is indefensible.”
SPRINGFIELD—Residents of Springfield and Middleton are organizing an effort to stop a proposed 100-acre limestone quarry. According to the Capital Times, Northwestern Stone has requested a conditional use permit for a quarry that would be located on farmland along the line between the two towns. If the permit is granted without any conditions, Northwestern Stone would be able to operate the quarry for at least 10 years and work 13 hours a day, six days a week.
Wyoming
CHEYENNE —A Laramie County Commissioner is seeking re-election citing the need to better maintain the county’s roads. According to the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Diane Humphrey said that roads need to be well maintained and safer.