August 2002
Alabama
RALEIGH, N.C.—Martin Marietta Materials announced the purchase of four quarry operations in central Alabama from Oldcastle Materials. Three of the quarries are located to the south of Birmingham and serve southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, and the panhandle area of Florida via truck and rail transportation. The fourth quarry serves Tuscaloosa and parts of southern Alabama and Mississippi. The quarries produce approximately 5 million tpy of limestone and have mineral reserves in excess of 100 million tons.
Alaska
ANCHORAGE—As plans for the long-awaited Coastal Trail move forward, there seems to be one missing ingredient — the coast. While routes through inland segments are targeted for an environmental impact statement (including one route that proceeds through Sand Lake gravel pits), local officials have chosen to disregard the coastal route because of potential impacts to wildlife and habitat.
Arizona
PHOENIX—Vulcan Materials Co. received the Arizona Rock Products Association’s (ARPA) highest honor for safety, winning an award for having the best safety record among the association’s member companies. Vulcan’s Arizona employees have worked 545,283 hours without having a lost-time accident. “Safety comes first at Vulcan Materials Co.,” said Tom Vanderwalker, principal safety and health specialist for Vulcan’s Western Division. “We believe a safe and healthy working environment is paramount for our employees, contractors, and subcontractors.”
Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK—The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission voted against a proposal by an environmental group to stop gravel mining along Crooked Creek. According to The Associated Press, the group asked the commission to declare the stream an extraordinary water resource, which would ban gravel mining. The commission voted 6-2 against the special protections.
California
SACRAMENTO—California led the nation in the production of non-fuel minerals for the third consecutive year, according to statistics released jointly by the Department of Conservation’s California Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey. Construction sand and gravel was the state’s leading industrial mineral with a total value of about $953 million, a 1-percent increase from 2000.
Colorado
ENGLEWOOD—According to the Colorado Rock Products Association (CRPA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an effort to work with several state agencies in developing new forms of regulatory flexibility for facilities that have Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and a solid compliance record. The effort, outlined in a memorandum of agreement between EPA and Colorado, Massachusetts, and Virginia, signals the latest federal effort to develop incentives for using EMS programs. The EPA-state agreements could create several new measures under which states and EPA could ease requirements — particularly reporting and permitting requirements — for facilities using EMS programs.
Connecticut
NEW HAVEN—New Haven and New London received $300,000 in grants to bolster security at their ports, according to The Associated Press. New Haven also received $200,000 for a detailed study of its security needs. The cities were among 51 sites nationwide to receive more than $93 million in funding, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.
Delaware
DOVER—The capital spending budget, which includes about $225 million in transportation spending, was among the issues on deck for the year’s final legislative session. According to The Associated Press, lawmakers passed the state operating budget and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner signed it the same day.
Florida
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY—In a 6-0 vote, the county planning and zoning commission approved Hank Fischer’s plan to turn a citrus grove into a mining site. According to the Press Journal, the land was already zoned for mining, and the site will be reclaimed as a subdivision of lakefront homes. The producer said that he expects to excavate more than 1 million cu. yds. of material during the next 10 years.
Georgia
ATLANTA—On Aug. 21, U.S. Rep. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) will host a high-speed rail summit in hopes of the Southeast becoming the nation’s demonstration area for high-speed rail. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the impetus for the summit comes from the Southeastern Economic Alliance, an association of 14 chambers of commerce in five states. Alliance leaders would like to see major cities in the Southeast linked by high-speed rail.
Hawaii
AINALOA—Hawaii County officials are working to get a locked emergency road in the Puna District reopened. According to The Associated Press, most of the 10.5-mile, publicly used road is publicly owned. Officials of the Ainaloa subdivision say that the purpose of the road has changed from an emergency road to a highway and the county should buy it.
Idaho
ST. ANTHONY—City and county governments are clashing over stockpiles at a gravel pit here. According to the Idaho Falls Post Register, Fremont County officials want to access the stockpiles of a gravel pit on the city’s south side in order to complete road projects this summer. The city council said that the pit was in an area zoned for residential use and had to be closed. While the county could access gravel at other sites, representatives said that additional costs would be incurred and the material would need to be crushed, which could hinder the company’s ability to complete projects.
Illinois
SPRINGFIELD—Officers for the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) for 2002-2003 include the following: Britt Lienau, Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co., president; Bruce Larson, Prairie Material—Aggregate Division, vice president; Ray Wright, Builders Sand and Gravel, Inc., treasurer; Steve Warnke, Meyer Material Co., secretary; and Anne Leslie, Raimonde Drilling Corp., chair, Associates Division.
Indiana
CARMEL—The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals denied Martin Marietta’s requests to mine sand and gravel from property near the Kingswood subdivision. According to The Indianapolis Star, the board also refused the company’s request to move its processing plant.
Iowa
DES MOINES—Two Dallas County aggregate producers face permitting problems. According to the Des Moines Register, Martin Marietta Materials filed a lawsuit, its second, asking a Dallas County District Court judge to force the county’s Board of Adjustment to issue a mining permit. Martin Marietta first requested the permit last October, shortly after the board issued a permit to Hallett Materials, which has an operation adjacent to Martin Marietta’s. Board members said they were concerned about noise from two operations. And while Martin Marietta seeks legal recourse, nearby homeowners are trying to rescind the mining permit issued to Hallett construction, saying it violates the county’s land-use ordinance.
Kansas
KEYSTONE, Colo.—The Kansas Aggregate Producers’ Association, the Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and the Kansas Asphalt Pavement Association held a joint mid-year meeting in late July at the Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colo. Meeting highlights included a status report from KDOT on the Comprehensive Transportation Program; a presentation on aggregates properties, gradations, and washing; and a presentation on trends in the ready mixed concrete industry.
Kentucky
LOUISVILLE—Kentucky and Indiana transportation officials have tentatively picked routes for two new Ohio River bridges — including one in downtown Louisville. According to The Associated Press, officials involved with the Ohio River Bridges Project say the favored routes are the downtown and eastern routes. The three-year, $22 million Ohio River Bridges Study released last year concluded the best way to solve the Louisville region’s traffic congestion was to build two bridges and reconfigure Spaghetti Junction.
Louisiana
BATON ROUGE—The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development awarded a job to Martin Marietta Materials of La., Inc., according to Dr. Kam Movassaghi, DOT secretary. With a bid of $1.89 million, Martin Marietta was the apparent low bidder on a project that involves clearing and scrubbing, asphalt concrete overlay, pavement patching, and related work on LA1 in Caddo Parish.
Maine
BANGOR—Maine and New Hampshire’s transportation departments have joined forces to promote rail and bus service along the Interstate 95 corridor as a way of reducing traffic and pollution. According to the Portland Press Herald, it is the first time the two departments have merged marketing efforts. The $100,000 pilot effort consists of a 30-second commercial and a website with the schedules for more than a half-dozen bus and rail services.
Maryland
HAGERSTOWN—In an age of highways and high-speed transportation, rural residents of Frederick County are fighting a proposal to pave over miles of dirt and gravel roads. According to The Associated Press, a neighborhood group opposes the county commissioners’ plan to pave the roads, saying it detracts from the area’s rural appeal.
Massachusetts
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—According to the Colorado Rock Products Association (CRPA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an effort to work with several state agencies in developing new forms of regulatory flexibility for facilities that have Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and a solid compliance record. The effort, outlined in a memorandum of agreement between EPA and Colorado, Massachusetts, and Virginia, signals the latest federal effort to develop incentives for using EMS programs. The EPA-state agreements could create several new measures under which states and EPA could ease requirements — particularly reporting and permitting requirements — for facilities using EMS programs.
BOSTON—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. attorney’s office levied more than $1.3 million in fines and penalties against Boston Sand and Gravel, according to The Boston Globe. The newspaper reported that the fines for the Big Dig supplier were for illegally discharging wastewater over the span of several years into the Charles River basin and two other sites. In a consent order signed by the company, the EPA, and the U.S. attorney’s office, the company committed to regular outside audits of the firm’s compliance with clean water laws and to create an environmental management system.
Michigan
DETROIT—Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick told a Senate panel that with help from the federal government, Detroit can completely overhaul its transportation system. According to the State News Service, Kilpatrick described the city with a revitalized People Mover, a new downtown bus terminal, new bicycle paths along the Detroit River Waterfront, and a rail link from downtown to Metro Airport.
Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS—Future availability of reserves are in question according to area experts. A study by the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Geological Survey predicts that aggregates in the seven-county metropolitan area could be depleted by 2029. In an interview with the Pioneer Press, Tim Reagan, director of the Aggregate & Ready Mix Association of Minnesota, said that those estimates may be too optimistic. He said that the sand and gravel supply could be exhausted in the next 15 years. The Metropolitan Council is working with producers to prevent deposits from being developed over and to make it easier to permit a new mine.
Mississippi
CHOCTAW—The 4th Mississippi Transportation Institute (MTI) Conference is scheduled for Oct. 27-30 at the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw, Miss. Technical and professional development sessions will focus on all modes of transportation in an effort to provide useful information and partnering opportunities. Contact MTI at (602) 359-7011.
Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY—The Land Reclamation Commission voted 4-1 to hold a formal evidentiary hearing on Holcim’s plans to strip mine limestone on 1,600 acres in Ste. Genevieve County. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the decision followed more than two hours of testimony regarding Holcim’s plan to build the largest cement plant in the United States on the Mississippi River. Mike Mullin, director of government affairs for Holcim’s proposed plant, told the newspaper that the decision “did not set us back at all.”
Montana
HELENA—The state stands to lose approximately $15.3 million per year in federal highway funds by 2007 if the Legislature fails to adopt a .08 “blood alcohol content” standard, according to a report from the Montana Department of Transportation. Under federal guidelines, Montana will begin losing up to $3.8 million in federal fiscal year 2004, with penalties increasing to the $15 million level by FY2007 if the state does not pass an acceptable law.
Nebraska
GERING—The City Council approved a resolution in support of lobbying for federal funds for the Heartland Expressway. According to The Associated Press, the city of Scottsbluff and Scotts Bluff County already approved similar measures for lobbying for funding in the FY2003 federal transportation bill.
Nevada
LAS VEGAS—In comparison to the nation’s largest cities, Las Vegas fared better than it did the year before on the issue of congestion. According to an annual report from the Texas Transportation Institute, Las Vegas ranked 18th in the nation for traffic congestion. That is an improvement from its ranking of ninth last year.
New Hampshire
CONCORD—Maine and New Hampshire’s transportation departments have joined forces to promote rail and bus service along the Interstate 95 corridor as a way of reducing traffic and pollution. According to the Portland Press Herald, it is the first time the two departments have merged marketing efforts. The $100,000 pilot effort consists of a 30-second commercial and a website with the schedules for more than a half-dozen bus and rail services.
New Jersey
TRENTON—The New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association (NJCAA) moved into new facilities on July 1. The new offices are located at 142 W. State St., 2nd Floor, Trenton, NJ 08608; Phone: (609) 393-3352; Fax: (609) 393-3354.
New Mexico
TAOS—Two airports, Taos Regional Airport and Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, will share $500,000 in federal funding under a new program to help smaller communities improve airline service. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the Small Community Air Service Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It provided grants to 38 states, totaling about $20 million.
New York
CHEEKTOWAGA—Buffalo Crushed Stone held a successful open house event in mid June. According to The Buffalo News, the highlight of the day was a blasting demonstration. While a group of approximately 20 protesters demonstrated outside the gates, they received little sympathy from attendees interviewed by the newspaper. One pointed out that the quarry had been part of the community before the protestors moved in. Another said that she lived near the quarry and that it was a good neighbor.
North Carolina
RALEIGH—An editorial in the News & Observer called sprawl “the nation’s default pattern” saying that it allows developers to maximize profits by building on cheaper land away from city amenities and worsening traffic and air pollution. The editorial encouraged advocacy of a mixed use development.
North Dakota
BISMARCK—MDU Resources Group, Inc., acquired Buffalo Bituminous, Inc., a privately held grading, asphalt, and sand and gravel company serving central Minnesota. The company will become part of Knife River Corp., the construction materials and mining subsidiary of MDU Resources.
Ohio
COLUMBUS—Martin Marietta Materials announced the sale of six of its quarries in the Columbus, Ohio, area. They were sold, as part of the company’s planned divestiture program, to an Oldcastle subsidiary. “While the sale of the locations in the Columbus area reduces our presence in Ohio, we will continue to be a leading producer in that state with an increasing investment in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas,” said Stephen P. Zelnak, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer.
Oklahoma
TULSA—A total of 41 proposals from communities across the state will receive funding grants under TEA-21, according to The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma’s grants, totaling $11.9 million in federal money, are being administered by the state department of transportation.
Oregon
TANGENT—KRC Holdings, Inc., announced that one of its companies, Morse Bros. Training Team, creator of the Mentor Driver Program, changed its name and has begun offering services to companies throughout the construction materials industry as DynaMax Performance Solutions. “We are renaming ourselves to smash the perceptions that we only provide training services and that we are limited to assisting Morse Bros.,” said DynaMax Team Leader Dan Abbott. DynaMax conducts workshops on the Mentor Driver Program and other construction materials-related programs, including customer service, leadership development, teamwork, strategic planning, and organizational effectiveness.
Pennsylvania
COLLEGE TOWNSHIP—Hanson Aggregates’ Oak Hall Quarry is considering various expansion options, according to the Centre Daily Times. The newspaper reports that Hanson wants to expand its operation into an additional 42 acres of farmland. Hanson engineer Larry Lauritzen told the newspaper that Hanson would prefer to follow a vein of high-quality limestone south rather than continuing to mine deeper. At press time, no decision had been reported.
HARRISBURG—The Transportation Construction Industries Political Action Committee (TCI-PAC), a coalition consisting of members of the Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, Pennsylvania Asphalt Pavement Association, Pennsylvania Aggregates & Concrete Association, and the American Concrete Pavement Association, Northeast Chapter, is trying to raise $200,000 for its efforts. Pledge forms are available at its website at www.tci-pac.org.
Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE—Gov. Almond vetoed two identical bills that would have banned tolls on a new or rehabilitated Sakonnet River Bridge and would have prohibited transfer of that bridge to the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority. According to The Providence Journal-Bulletin, Almond said, “The Sakonnet River Bridge is an integral component of Rhode Island’s transportation infrastructure. Maintaining access across the Sakonnet River is, however, costly. Finding a way to finance a new bridge will allow the state to meet the objective of providing better, safer, faster, and more efficient access over the Sakonnet River without adversely affecting local cities and towns.”
South Carolina
COLUMBIA—South Carolina’s Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has been building a case for increasing the state’s 16¢ gasoline tax or finding an alternative source of road funding, according to The Herald. SCDOT has reported that more than half of the state’s secondary roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Because the state uses its gas tax money to match federal highway funds, the department is not funding secondary road resurfacing.
South Dakota
GERING, Neb.—The Gering City Council approved a resolution in support of lobbying for FY2003 federal transportation funds for the Heartland Expressway. According to The Associated Press, South Dakota has completed a large portion of its development.
Tennessee
NASHVILLE—The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) would cut $110 million from its budget for next year under a no-new-taxes proposal, according to a report in the Chattanooga Times/Chattanooga Free Press. To make the budget balance, TDOT would cut $35.7 million in state highway projects, $30.7 million from a state aid program to local governments for county road maintenance, and $20 million from mass transit programs.
Texas
SAN ANTONIO—According to a report in the San Antonio Business Journal, the area is home to 14 quarries that employ about 1,400 with an annual payroll of more than $50 million. Of those 14 operations, five quarries and one sand plant are operated by Martin Marietta’s Southwest Division. Vulcan Materials Co. operates four limestone quarries, four asphalt plants and three ready mix concrete plants in the San Antonio area.
Utah
SALT LAKE COUNTY—Expansion at a limestone quarry may cease if a 3rd District judge rules that Salt Lake County erred in approving the 50-acre enlargement. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, a non-profit environmental group asked the judge to stop the project on the grounds that the county misinterpreted its own zoning ordinance in approving the expansion. At press time, the judge had not decided the matter.
Vermont
MANCHESTER—Plans for passenger rail were not built into next year’s state budget. According to The Associated Press, the Legislature funded the rail budget for FY 2003 at $2.05 million, the same as the current budget, meaning that there will not be enough money to expand service to North Bennington and Manchester.
Virginia
RICHMOND—Luck Stone announced that it acquired the assets of Bull Run Stone Co. in Loudoun County, Va. “Luck Stone is excited to expand its presence in Loudoun County, the second fastest growing county in the United States,” said Charlie Luck IV, president and chief executive officer. “We have been operating in northern Virginia since 1938, and as we continue to grow and strengthen our presence in northern Virginia, our customers and associates will benefit from this expanded reach.” The announcement follows Luck Stone’s acquisition of former Martin Marietta sites in Spotsylvania and Culpeper, Va. last month.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—According to the Colorado Rock Products Association (CRPA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an effort to work with several state agencies in developing new forms of regulatory flexibility for facilities that have Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and a solid compliance record. The effort, outlined in a memorandum of agreement between EPA and Colorado, Massachusetts, and Virginia, signals the latest federal effort to develop incentives for using EMS programs. The EPA-state agreements could create several new measures under which states and EPA could ease requirements — particularly reporting and permitting requirements — for facilities using EMS programs.
Washington
MAURY ISLAND—Following a permit denial from King County officials, Glacier Northwest officials are evaluating whether or not to appeal the decision. According to an article in The News Tribune, the company’s request to expand its pit and enlarge a dock will require both a substantial development permit and a conditional-use permit. The county’s refusal to exempt the company from the shoreline permit process followed a recent state Department of Fish and Wildlife decision permitting Glacier to upgrade and expand its dock.
PORT LUDLOW—Poulsbo-based Fred Hill Materials is facing opposition from homeowners in the community over its plan to build a 1,100-ft. pier for shipping aggregate by barge. According to The Associated Press, the company operates a 144-acre Shine Pit inland from the canal and would use water transportation to greatly reduce truck transportation.
West Virginia
CHARLESTON—Plans for a 8,080-ft. suspension bridge across the Ohio River in Corridor D may be scrapped due to cost and potential security issues. According to the Charleston Daily Mail, the estimated cost of the suspension bridge has risen from $120 million to $140 million, leaving officials to consider some less expensive options such as tied-arch design, a cable-stayed single tower bridge and a cable-stayed double tower bridge.
Wisconsin
MIDDLETON—The County Board’s Zoning and Natural Resources Committee postponed action on a limestone quarry in Middleton because the town board had not reviewed plans for the site. According to the Capital Times, the 18-acre quarry would be leased to WK Construction, which already operates a sand pit and a quarry next to the proposed site.
Wyoming
POWELL—City officials plan to seek a state grant to cover 80 percent of the cost for a 3-mile pathway through town, according to The Associated Press. The Wyoming Department of Transportation will decide this fall whether to award a $79,000 Transportation Enhancement Activities-Local grant to Powell. The project would connect two existing paths: one in Homesteader Park and another along Wyoming 295 which starts at Northwest College. Construction is not expected to begin for several months.