September 2002
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Alabama
BIRMINGHAM—Vulcan Materials Co. recently 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.
Alaska
ANCHORAGE—Summit Alaska, Inc., is facing opposition from local residents over their gravel pit and asphalt plant, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Although the state regulates the operation of the asphalt plant and monitors the particles it emits to make sure the operation complies with federal and state air quality standards, residents in the Midtown Estates subdivision feel that the plant’s emissions are detrimental to their health.
Arizona
PHOENIX—Senate Bill 1344, titled Aggregate Mining Community Notice Act, is making its way through the Arizona Legislature to become law. Provisions of the act include a requirement of new or major modifications to aggregate mining operations within an aggregate mining operation’s zoning district to file a community notice with the State Mine Inspector and notify residential property owners within one-half mile of the operation.
Arkansas
CROOKED CREEK—A recent proposal for Crooked Creek called for designation of 39 miles for extra environmental protection, including a ban on gravel mining, according to The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. None of the 39 miles under consideration is currently being mined, and there are no plans for gravel mining. The proposal was met with opposition by gravel miners in the area, however, and the proposal was rejected 6-2 by the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission. The commission members who voted against the new designation said there was no evidence that Crooked Creek was being damaged by gravel mining.
California
TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST—According to the Sacramento Bee, the rehabilitation of Interstate 80 has brought a proposal for a rock quarry on the public lands of Tahoe National Forest. The proposed area covers 60 acres near Yuba Gap. Watsonville’s Granite Construction Co. proposed the granite quarry. The proposed quarry area is within a 1,370-acre area burned by last summer’s Gap Fire.
Colorado
TELLURIDE—Due to a reallocation of federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds, work is under way to pave two sections of Telluride’s streets. The CMAQ funds are allocated by the state Transportation Commission to rural areas in need of air quality improvement. The town of Telluride is currently listed by the state Department of Health as a “non-attainment maintenance” area, or an area that has not been in compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. A primary contributor to poor air quality in the area is dust from dirt roads.
Connecticut
CROMWELL—According to The Hartford Courant, the citizens’ group Save the Neighborhood has proposed a restriction on sand and gravel excavation operations near residential neighborhoods. The group has submitted a petition to planning and zoning and wetlands commissions to hold a public hearing on the proposal. The group formed earlier in the year to oppose Millane Nursery’s proposal to excavate sand and gravel on 24 acres. Millane withdrew its application but has resubmitted a new version of its proposal.
Delaware
DOVER—The Delaware DOT recently installed centerline rumble strips on Route 301 after experiencing a high fatality rate due to head-on collisions. The strips achieved immediate results; the head-on collision rate dropped 90 percent, and the fatality rate fell to zero. The project was honored with a 2001 National Highway Safety Award by FHWA.
Florida
EVERGLADES—According to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the NRDC, Sierra Club, and National Parks Conservation Association filed suit in federal district court to reverse an Army Corps of Engineers decision that recently approved limestone mining on more than 5,000 acres of Everglades wetlands. The Corps has issued 12 permit approvals to 10 companies over the last few months. The environmental organizations assert that the approvals in the “Lakebelt” area violate numerous federal environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act (see “The Future of Mining in Southern Florida” in AggMan, July 2002, p. 36).
Georgia
SAVANNAH—The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) recently added structures to improve their hurricane evacuation plan. Three median crossovers were built along I-16, one near Dublin and two others near Savannah. The crossovers will help facilitate contra-flow lanes in the event of a hurricane evacuation. Also, GDOT has built drop gates along I-16 that will deny entrance onto eastbound ramps when lanes are contra-flow.
Hawaii
HONOLULU—Hawaii police departments recently received $250,000 in federal grants for their enforcement effort during the “Click It or Ticket” campaign. The campaign was intended to encourage use of seat belts in Hawaii. Hawaii’s seat belt usage is 83.5 percent, and the state took a stonger approach to enforcing seat belt usage.
Idaho
BLAINE COUNTY—The state has filed an appeal of 5th District Judge James May’s rejection of its suit against Blaine County for restricting operations at the gravel mine, according to the Lewiston Morning Tribune. The county required the company to apply for a conditional use permit, but then refused to grant it. The state contends in its appeal that its constitutional duty to manage school endowment lands for the maximum return should be considered above any land-use regulations imposed by county commissions or city councils.
Illinois
CHICAGO—According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) is looking into the future to prevent gridlock in America’s third congested city. The agency is holding meetings to invite the public to help develop a regional transportation plan that will span the next 30 years. The plan is titled “Shared Path 2030” and has goals that include rebuilding the existing infrastructure so that it operates at maximum capacity, as well as providing other transportation links.
Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS—Martin Marietta Materials is appealing the Carmel Clay Board of Zoning Appeals’ decision to refuse three variances and two special use permits, according to The Indianapolis Star. In the appeal, attorneys with Barnes and Thronburg of Indianapolis have referred to the board’s decision as illegal and unsupported and they have asked the court to review and overturn the board’s decisions.
Iowa
LOESS HILLS—The Iowa Limestone Producers Association (ILPA) recently donated several samples of rock fossils and minerals to the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. The nature center’s goal is to interpret the Loess Hills’ community and to provide opportunities for public recreation, education, and stewardship.
Kansas
KANSAS CITY—A recent seminar, tour of concrete homes, and fundraiser benefiting the Kaw Valley Habitat for Humanity drew a host of high-profile public officials. The Kaw Valley Habitat affiliate has embraced the concept of building energy-efficient, disaster-resistant concrete homes, with 10 insulating concrete form (ICF) homes being built in 2001, and another 12 homes in 2002. The event was sponsored by the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the Concrete Promotional Group (CPG) of Kansas City, Kaw Valley Habitat, and Fannie Mae.
Kentucky
LOUISVILLE—According to The Courier-Journal, transportation issues have become a major topic in the 3rd District congressional race. Republican representative Anne Northrup supports construction of a pair of new Ohio River bridges and her opponent, Democrat Jack Conway is pushing for a light-rail transit system.
Louisiana
RUSTON— According to The News-Star, plans are being made to reconstruct Ruston’s service roads. City leaders are pushing for a proposed service-road improvement project. The plan includes extending the current northern and southern service roads from the old Rock Island Railroad underpass on the west to Louisiana 33 on the east. The existing frontage road between U.S. 167 and Louisiana 33 would become one-way westbound, and the service road along the southern side would become one-way eastbound. A new three-lane, two-way overpass would be built joining the westbound and eastbound roads.
Maine
AUGUSTA—The Second Regular Session of the 120th Maine Legislature recently passed legislation that will allow motor fuel tax indexing. The motor fuel tax indexing provides for annual adjustments to gasoline and diesel-fuel taxes based on the national Consumer Price Index, provided that future legislatures approve the increases. Legislative staff estimate that fuel-tax indexing will raise $48 million for the Highway Fund in the FY 2004-2005 biennium, more than half the fund’s projected $88 million structural gap.
Maryland
SILVER SPRING—Transportation is an important topic in the campaign race for governor. Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and her opponent Robert Ehrlich, have both made it clear that they plan to build more roads to ease traffic woes, according to the Associated Press. A recent study by the Texas Transportation Institute ranked the Washington area third nationwide for traffic congestion. Local governments may lose federal transportation funding if vehicle emission levels from stalled vehicles surpass federal limits. A proposed solution is to build a new east-west highway through Montgomery called the Intercounty Connector (ICC). The road would link Interstate 95 and Interstate 270 above the Capital Beltway, and take traffic off the Beltway.
Massachusetts
SAXONVILLE—According to The Boston Globe, a proposal for a planned unit development with 698 single- and multi-family homes, condominiums, apartments, and housing for the elderly on 170 acres is being embroiled in controversy. Opponents to the development fear an increase of traffic and overcrowding, and are concerned at the developer’s low projected numbers. The neighborhood is being built at an obsolete sand and gravel yard. National Development has a purchase and sale agreement with New England Sand and Gravel, subject to acquisition of a building permit.
Michigan
LANSING—According to the Detroit News, transportation is voters’ third-biggest concern and will play a crucial role in the upcoming election of governor. Voters expect Michigan’s new governor to do something about the state of their roads, congestion, and mass transit, in spite of tight state revenues and decreased federal help. Although voters want something done about their transportation system, most are opposed to an increase in the current gasoline tax of 19¢ a gallon.
Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS—According to the PR Newswire Association, Minnesota’s aggregate companies are focusing on helping small towns and communities grow and stay financially sound for the future with the “Good Neighbor Program,” sponsored by the Aggregate Ready Mix Association of Minnesota (See “‘Good Neighbor Program’ Educates Communities, page 36). The program is designed to help the communities in and around quarries and mines prosper. Through the program, aggregate mines and quarry companies are working in conjunction with city planners, homeowners, and environmental groups to explain the state’s need for mined aggregates, explain how new technologies are protecting the environment during the process, and showcasing success stories.
Mississippi
JACKSON—Construction began on Highway 84 recently. The project will provide for construction on Highway 84 from the east end of the Prentiss Bypass Road to the Covington County line. It will consist of grading, drainage, and bridge work necessary to construct an additonal parallel lane on the existing highway. The new section of roadway is part of the 1987 Four-Lane Highway program, a $5.2 billion act to build four lanes or make other improvements to approximately 1,811 miles of highway. Pace Brothers Enterprises, Inc., was awarded the contract with a bid of $3.3 million. The estimated contract completion date is July 2003.
Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY—The international Traffic Records forum recently recognized the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for its efforts to promote safety and save time and money through development of an improved traffic records database for the state. The Best Practices Award was given for a joint project of three Missouri state agencies including MoDOT, the Missouri Division of Highway Safety , and the Missouri State Highwya Patrol. In 1998, the agencies began developing an electronic system for traffic records data collection, including crash data. The effort has integrated data and omitted duplication between the agencies, resulting in a savings of $760,000. The system allows quicker input and provides more accurate crash information, which aids highway engineers working on high-crash locations and various other highway safety improvements.
Montana
HELENA—Safety improvements and the replacement of two bridges on U.S. Highway 191 is part of the second phase of the U.S. Highway 191 improvement project plan. The first phase was completed in 1999, and included new guardrail, new signage, and bridge rail upgrades. The second phase includes upgrading guardrails and adding turn lanes at various locations. Current plans also include flattening slopes along one or both sides of the road at six locations to promote safety.
Nebraska
OMAHA—Rinker Materials Corp. recently paid $540 million for Kiewit Materials Co., an asphalt, concrete, sand, and gravel producer, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Under terms of an agreement between the two companies, Rinker offered $17 for each share of Kiewit Materials’ stock. Last year, Kiewit Materials’ sales reached $509 million with pretax earnings of $57.5 million, making the company one of the 10 largest in the U.S. industry.
Nevada
LAS VEGAS—Rinker Materials, Inc., is hoping to fill and sell its sand and gravel pit in urban southwest Las Vegas and open a more remote operation outside of Henderson, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The company has owned and operated the pit for the past 47 years. The company produces about 40 percent of the region’s concrete.
New Hampshire
CONCORD—Rock of Ages Corp. recently reported that the pre-tax loss for the first quarter of 2002 declined by 8 percent, or 6¢ per share, compared to the pre-tax loss for the first quarter of 2001. The company has always had losses in the first quarter because of winter weather-related disruptions of its operations. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kurt Swenson said, “The significant improvement in the pre-tax loss enhances our confidence in our bullish outlook for the year as a whole. The expected 25 percent tax rate for 2002 compared to the unusually high 32 percent estimated rate used for the first quarter of 2001 is the sole reason that our improvement in pre-tax earnings translated to a net loss for this year’s first quarter that is comparable to last year’s.”
New Jersey
TRENTON—Legislation was recently adopted by the legislature which will allow the Division of Motor Vehicles to increase the fees for registering commercial vehicles. It was signed into law by Governor McGreevey July 1, 2002. The New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association (NJCAA) was successful in getting amendments to this legislation excluding trucks producing construction materials, including ready mix concrete, stone, sand, gravel, clay, and clean-fill, from the increased registration fees. Asphalt was added to the amendment to help alleviate the fees from members in the black top business. The NJCAA estimates that this amendment will save members as well as those in the asphalt industry approximately $200,000 per year.
New Mexico
HONDO VALLEY—A joint venture was awarded a $129.4 million design/build contract by the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department. The project involves the complete reconstruction of U.S.-70 in Hondo Valley in the El Capitan Mountains. The joint venture team is comprised of Granite Construction Co., Phoenix; Sundt Construction Co., Phoenix; and James Hamilton Construction Company, Silver City, N.M. The Albuquerque office of URS, a design firm headquartered in San Francisco, will provide engineering services to the joint venture under a subcontract. The scope of this project includes 1.3 million yards of excavation, inclusive of drilling and blasting, and calls for the reconstruction and widening, from two to four lanes, of the 38-mile stretch between Ruidoso Downs and Riverside. Aggregate products required to complete the project include 250,000 tons of cold milling, 675,000 tons of aggregate base courses, and 900,000 tons of asphaltic concrete aggregates.
New York
ALBANY—According to the report “Showing their Age” from The Road Information Program (TRIP), 14 percent of New York State’s bridges are structurally deficient and another 24 percent are functionally obsolete. This makes a total of 38 percent of the state’s bridges that are inferior. Structurally deficient bridges are defined as showing significant deterioration of the deck, supports, or other major components. Obsolete bridges are defined as not meeting current design standards such as narrow lanes or poorly aligned approaches. New York reports on 17,373 bridges, of which 2,406 are rated structurally deficient and 4,182 functionally obsolete. Twelve of the 25 most deficient bridges in the nation, which carry at least 50,000 vehicles a day, are located in the state of New York.
North Carolina
DURHAM—According to The Herald-Sun, supporters of the East End Connector have inundated Durham officials with emails urging construction of the road. Elected officials said they plan to push for the project, which at its current planning pace might be a decade or more into the future. Funding for the project has been the only detrimental issue for years. The road would connect Interstate 85 and U.S. 70 with the Durham Freeway, allowing northern Durham traffic to more directly connect with Research Triangle Park.
North Dakota
BISMARCK—The North Dakota DOT is building a project using asphalt binders that meet the new Superpave binder specification. The project is located on Highway 52 west of Carrington. The project will incorporate two Superpave binders, PG58-34 and PG58-40. DOT engineers will watch the road over several winters to see how the two binders hold up to low-temperature cracking.
Ohio
WILMINGTON—According to The Columbus Dispatch, Clinton County will receive at least $1 million from Martin Marietta Materials for the mining of limestone and gravel at a site in the county. Also, the county will be able to reclaim the land used by Martin Marietta Materials for park use. Martin Marietta had previously sued the county for the right to operate the quarry, and U.S. Magistrate Jack Sherman, Jr., approved a settlement where, under agreement, Martin Marietta will mine one of the three sites it had planned to mine in Wilson Township. The value of the reclamation and payments by Martin Marietta in a 22-year period will be worth more than $2 million. Martin Marietta plans to begin mining by next spring on a 290-acre tract owned by partner Watson Sand & Gravel.
Oklahoma
TULSA—According to the Tulsa World, the city of Tulsa is undergoing a plan to revamp L.L. Tisdale Parkway’s scenic strip. The city is currently in Phase 1, which will include the building of an interchange between the Gilcrease expressway and Highway 75, and go over to Lewis Ave. Phase 1 will also include drainage and utility relocations. The project will cost a little more than $50 million, all coming from federal funding.
Oregon
ROSS ISLAND—Ross Island Sand and Gravel is making plans to donate the island it operates on to the city, according to The Oregonian. The company is holding public hearings and plans to submit a proposal on its reclamation plan by Oct. 1. The company plans to create more than 27 acres of habitat for fish and birds in the island’s mined lagoon over the next decade. The plan calls for 4.5 million cubic yards of fill, deposited over 10 years. The imported sand and soil would also add about 5 acres of uplands at the 157-acre lagoon’s northwestern edge.
Pennsylvania
WELLSBORO—According to the PR Newswire, the Pennsylvania state Transportation Commission recently adopted the 2003 Transportation Program that outlines more than $34 billion in highway, bridge, transit, aviation, and rail-freight spending for the next 12 years. The 12-year program is divided into three, four-year segments. The first four-year segment constitutes the Transportation Improvement Program. Projects included in the first four years total $13.4 billion, including $7.9 billion for highways and bridges, $5 billion for transit, $372 million for aviation, and $87.7 million for rail freight.
Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE—The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will join the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) in a joint venture. The “Reach the Beach” initiative will have select RIPTA bus operators report on beach traffic conditions for broadcast on RIDOT’s extensive information network. The initiative is designed to provide timely traffic information to and from South County beaches.
South Carolina
EASLEY—According to The Greenville News, growing population and traffic figures for the Easley area may entice the government to allot more money to the area for road improvements. New census figures recently prompted the federal government to change the Easley’s area of classification from rural to urban for traffic planning purposes. Easley has had a population increase of 2,500 residents between 1990 and 2000 to total 17,700 residents. Easley Mayor Kris Kristopherson is appointing a transportation committee to help allocate transportation funds.
South Dakota
PIERRE—Unless the state Department of Transportation’s Transportation Improvement Program changes, South Dakota’s highway projects will be delayed, according to the Aberdeen American News. Early in President Bush’s administration, President Bush announced that he was seeking a 30-percent decrease in nationwide transportation funding. South Dakota has been getting about $191 million a year in federal highway funds, and a 30-percent cut would mean a loss of $57.3 million.
Tennessee
NASHVILLE—According to the Tennessean, Hoover, Inc., recently appealed the 1998 Chancery Court decision that denied its request to establish a new quarry. Hoover, Inc., is seeking a conditional use permit to build a rock quarry on approximately 75 acres of property. Hoover, Inc., had operated a quarry for almost 45 years at a site on Donelson Pike before it was forced to relocate due to airport expansion in 1987. The company faces opposition from residents in the area, and is entering its 10th year of appeals.
Texas
AUSTIN—The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recently announced $110.9 million in federal grants for Texas airports. In addition, $41.9 million was granted to the Texas state block grant program. The funds will be used to provide a wide range of improvements at general aviation and relieve airports in the state.
Utah
LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON—Utah visitors and residents alike have the opportunity to hike along a scenic trail that offers insights into the quarrying of granite used to build the Salt Lake City Mormon Temple, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The Temple Quarry Trail has interpretive signs that give the history of towns that sprang up near the quarries.
Vermont
SAXTONS RIVER—After 40 years of talk and unexpected delays, road work has finally begun on Route 121. Due to the state’s development of a program that allows local oversight of state funded projects, the project can now begin. The program frees up state engineers and increases the number of projects that could be under way at one time across the state.
Virginia
RICHMOND—Luck Stone Corp. recently launched its completely redesigned construction aggregates website. Customers visiting the site can find detailed location and product information and tips on how to work with a Luck Stone scale office. The site also features news about the division, including its community involvement and its commitment to environmental management. Luck Stone operates 16 crushed stone plants, three sand and gravel operations, and eight architectural stone centers.
Washington
TENINO—Quality Rock Products recently proposed to build a hot mix asphalt plant and a concrete batch plant and expand a gravel mine, but is facing opposition from environmental advocates and the operation’s neighbors, according to The Olympian. County Hearing Examiner James Driscoll approved the project, but in an appeal hearing, commissioners remanded the proposal back to Driscoll for a more detailed examination. A new hearing is scheduled, after a thorough look into the several issues that surround the plant’s opposition.
West Virginia
INSTITUTE—According to The Charleston Gazette, eighth and ninth grade students recently took part in an Engineer Camp at West Virginia State College. Students began at minimum wage and were able to work their way up to an engineer’s salary of $50 an hour. The program, with 40 sites nationwide, recruits students with math and science interests to engineering and transportation fields. It is funded through grants from the Summer Transportation Institute and West Virginia Department of Highways.
Wisconsin
LISBON—Genesee Aggregate Corp. is seeking county approval to expand by more than 100 acres, extending the operation toward the banks of the Bark River, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Company officials say that the gravel pit generates 15,000 tons or more weekly. The Town Board approved Genesee Aggregate’s zoning request for the expansion in April.
Wyoming
CHEYENNE—Wyoming Department of Transportation director Sleeter Dover was recently named president of the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Dover said his first priority will be to represent the West as federal transportation funds are distributed to the states.