Once commonly used in coal and wood-burning stoves, U.S. production of mica has all but ceased.

By Bill Langer

ˈī-zәn-glas (noun): two materials, both of which can occur in thin, relatively transparent sheets: (1) thin sheets of mica; (2) a gelatin made from fish bladders.

(Author’s note: This article is about mica, not fish guts. I am a geologist, not an ichthyologist.)

When I hear the term isinglass, I start singing ‘with isinglass curtains y’ can roll right down, in case there’s a change in the weather.’ Those of you who are Broadway stage or old movie buffs, or have kids who perform in high school plays, might recognize the lyrics from The Surrey With The Fringe On Top, a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1943 Broadway production and 1955 motion picture film, Oklahoma. The lyrics refer to oiled canvas side curtains with large isinglass (mica) inserts used on horse-drawn carriages and early automobiles. (Go ahead, hum a few bars.)

Mica mining in the United States began in 1805 in New Hampshire pegmatites. Some mines produced sheets over 3 feet wide.

Mica can resist temperatures as high as 1,300 degrees F and can readily be split into flexible, transparent sheets that are thinner than a human hair. This makes mica an excellent material for use as windows in wood or coal-burning stoves. Because the 19th century United States relied on stoves for heating and cooking, whereas the Europeans relied on open fireplaces, the United States outpaced other countries in mica production.

Mica can withstand an electrical charge of over 3,800 volts per 1/10th of an inch of thickness without being destroyed. Consequently, the growth of the electrical industry in the late 1870s created a huge demand for mica, which rapidly depleted U.S. mica resources. Furthermore, the high cost of hand-splitting and trimming mica created a great disadvantage for domestic production when competing with low-cost foreign labor. By 1885, India had become a major supplier of sheet mica to the United States, and, soon thereafter, tariffs were imposed on mica imports.

A patent was issued in 1892 for built-up mica, whereby flakes of mica were bound together in a way that maintained their dielectric properties. Mica flakes were also used as insulators in electric motors, spark plugs, and magnetos in gasoline engines, and as a sound diaphragm in phonographs. Built-up mica was even used for decorative purposes like lamp shades made by the famous Arts & Crafts coppersmith Dirk Van Erp. These uses further depleted U.S. reserves and increased imports from India.

The development of the vacuum tube during 1904, its use in radios during and following World War I, and the development and use of sophisticated electronic equipment during World War II maintained the demand for mica. By then, the United States was almost wholly dependent on imports for sheet mica.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the demand for mica diminished as transistors replaced vacuum tubes. The advancement of solid state electronics in the 1970s further decreased demand. The U.S. production of sheets and large flakes of mica has been virtually non-existent since 1976. The United States still produces very small mica flakes that are used in joint compound, oil-well drilling additives, paint, roofing, rubber products, and so forth. But, that’s another story.

Today, a few U.S. companies fabricate built-up mica sheets by mechanized or hand-setting overlapping, large mica flakes (imported) alternately with layers of shellac or other binder. Built-up mica is used primarily as an electrical insulation material in high-temperature, fire-resistant applications including aluminum plants, blast furnaces, kilns, smelters, and for critical wiring applications such as for national defense and fire alarm systems.

Some built-up mica sheets are gorgeous, and, just like in the early 20th century, they can be put to decorative uses. My favorite…mica lamp shades. Yet, sadly, mica is no longer used for isinglass curtains. (Still humming?)

Bill Langer is a geologist with the Mineral Resources Team of the U.S. Geological Survey and can be reached at 303-236-1249 or via e-mail at blanger@usgs.gov.

John Neuner is the managing director at Harris Williams & Co. He can be reached at 804-648-0072 or jneuner@harriswilliams.com.

The overall equity markets continue to trade sideways as investors look to synthesize the mixed economic, financial, and industry data. For the month, the S&P 500 ended up 3.4 to 100.6 but only after hitting an intra-month low of 92.3. Similarly, the AggMan Index moved slightly from 100.7 to 100.1 and to remain essentially unchanged despite spending the majority of the month in the low to mid-90s. With second quarter earnings being released by most of the industry players, the reports coming out show some signs of life in volumes driven by public construction projects in many areas of the country — some driven by stimulus funding and some by the extension of the Federal Highway bill. Furthermore, there are signs of life in the future as the U.S. House of Representatives passed a transportation bill providing $45 billion in federal funding for highways in 2011, a 10-percent increase from 2010. Despite these positive funding dynamics, several industry players have fallen short of expectations for second quarter revenue and earnings, which has weighed on stock prices. Additionally, the broader economic data has been showing signs of slower recovery, and this has placed a cloud over market valuations. Unfortunately, this cloud is likely to linger until more of the broader economic indicators reflect a clearer picture of the rate of recovery.

Divestitures and Private Equity Drive M&A

Acquisitions continue at a modest pace with divestitures and private equity activity continuing to lead the way. Second quarter results indicate that the sector is continuing to bump along the bottom. The major strategic players remain focused on balance sheet management and capital raising activities, while the private equity players are actively looking for opportunities to deploy their committed capital.

Recent transactions

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. acquired three quarries and the remaining 49-percent interest in Granite Canyon Quarry from Cemex for $65 million in June. Granite Canyon is located in Wyoming and the three quarries are located in Fort Calhoun, Neb., Guernsey, Wyo., and Milford, Utah.

George H. Reddin is a principal in FMI’s Investment Banking practice. He can be reached at 919-785-9286 or at greddin@fminet.com.

Cemex announced in July that it has reached an agreement to sell seven aggregates quarries, three resale aggregate distribution centers, and one concrete block manufacturing facility in Kentucky to Bluegrass Materials Co., LLC for $90 million. Bluegrass Materials Co., LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Panadero Aggregates Holdings, LLC, which was formed in 2010 by John D. Baker II and Edward L. Baker II, formerly of Florida Rock Industries, to invest in aggregates and other construction materials businesses.

Boral Industries Inc. is acquiring the remaining 50-percent stake in MonierLifetile LLC from Monier Group GmbH for $75 million. MonierLifetile LLC manufactures concrete roof tiles in the United States. It offers lightweight tiles, roof system components, standard weight tiles, energy efficient roof systems, and cool roof tiles. MonierLifetile LLC was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between Lafarge and Boral and is headquartered in Irvine, Calif.

Other financial news

U.S. Concrete, Inc. announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court granted the company’s request to confirm its plan of reorganization, paving the way for the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings. The plan provides for the conversion of approximately $285 million of senior subordinated notes into equity of the reorganized company. At Aggregates Manager press time, the company expected to emerge from Chapter 11 by the end of August 2010.

Moody’s Investors Service and Standard and Poor’s are considering a cut to Lafarge’s credit rating, which is one notch above speculative grade, as the company is facing challenges to meet leverage ratios. HeidelbergCement, rated three notches below investment grade, recently issued EUR 650 million of eurobonds.

With her first novel about to hit the bookstands, Sam Brannan blends mining with writing — and a little industry public relations.

By Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief

When trying to shape community opinion about a controversial issue, conventional wisdom suggests putting a face to the issue. And that’s just what new author Sam Brannan, vice president of corporate development for Pete Lien & Sons, has done in her debut novel, “In the Belly of Jonah.”

Taken after the final blast in one of the family’s quarries, Sam Brannan features a description of blasting in her debut novel.

The book, the first in a series, features Liv Bergen, a mining division president running a Fort Collins, Colo., limestone operation. That mine serves as the setting for a number of scenes throughout the book, and Brannan educates readers about various aspects of mining by weaving details into the narrative. “The primary interest I had was to make it a very fast and easy read that got the reader interested in the protagonist while subtly — very, very subtly — teaching them about our industry,” she says.

In one of the opening scenes, the character describes the precision of the blast holes, including the safety aspects of the preparations. As the foreman counts down the blast on the site’s radio system, the character notes: I counted down the rest of the way, and at precisely one second past zero, the ground rumbled, dust puffed, and rock crumbled as if Mother Earth had simply made a polite cough.

Brannan writes what she knows and highlights blasting because it is not only what she considers one of the most fun aspects of mining, but also one of the most misunderstood. “When people hear the word ‘blast,’ it just sounds so destructive. I was just trying to find a way to say that it isn’t at all,” she says. “With the technology that exists in our industry, it’s so precise. I was trying to capture it in a really soft way that isn’t the big bang that most people think.”

An ancillary character in the book, Jill Brannigan, is a college athlete who interns at the mine during summer break. Through the character, Brannan describes the physical nature of the work, but also showcases the employment opportunities in the field. “I was lucky to have a father who was very insistent that all of us who wanted to participate in the family business had to work from the ground up,” she says. “We had to start on the front line and work our way through the company, then we had to go out and find a job somewhere else for five years so we could bring back outside knowledge. That’s when we were qualified to apply for a job here.”

Having worked her way through the various positions in the company, Brannan says that she wanted to show that it could be done, and done well. In fact, when the Equal Opportunity Commission conducted a demographic study at Pete Lien & Sons, it found that the company outperformed the communities in which it operates in every category except with women in front line positions. Typically, they were quickly promoted and didn’t remain in those positions for very long. “It’s hard to get women to apply for those (front line) jobs,” Brannan adds. “This is kind of a shout out to those women that this is a fun industry. Try it, you may like it. Those who try it usually do like it and do very well.”

Like Brannan, her protagonist is a female mining executive who wears jeans rather than suits to work (much to her mother’s dismay).

Reclamation requirements are also woven into the story. The protagonist talks about how soon the land being mined will be reclaimed and talks about the bonding requirements she deals with as a company executive. Environmental issues were a big part of Brannan’s daily routine when she worked in Colorado, where many people relocate to enjoy the state’s natural beauty. “There seems to be a misconception about mining conflicting with that,” Brannan explains. “I’ve always believed that mining enhances it. I consider the miners of the world — those who are reclaiming — to be true environmentalists. The definition of environmentalism isn’t passive use. It is active use enhancing what natural resources are out there and leaving it in as good or better condition than we found it.”

Somewhat surprisingly, the mining aspects of the book held great appeal for Brannan’s publisher, and that aspect is being fostered throughout the series. “Originally, the protagonist started in the mining industry and moved into the FBI very quickly,” Brannan says. “I was trying to be very subtle, and they wanted to put it right up front.

“I just didn’t think anybody would be interested in mining. In fact, I thought people might be a little put off by it,” she adds. “What I found was that people who aren’t familiar with the mining industry are intrigued by it. That’s good news. It means that all of my peers and the people in the industry have done a great job changing the image of the industry that was prevalent 20 years ago.”

Meet the Miner/Author. Sam Brannan welcomes feedback on her book. If you’d like to meet her or pick up a copy of “In the Belly of Jonah,” she is exhibiting at ConExpo-Con/Agg. She can be found in the South Hall at Booth 12311.

Since receiving a positive reaction to the mining angle from her publisher, Brannan has rewritten many of the subsequent stories in the Liv Bergen series to include other types of mining. The second novel is set in an iron mine in the Black Hills, and Brannan says that mining equipment takes the center stage in terms of the industry’s role in the story. To date, she’s written nine books and is not yet finished with her character’s storyline, but will wait to see how the first novel is received before publishing the remaining novels. The book can be found in major airport and independent book stores this month. It is also available in electronic format for download.

In the meantime, Brannan plans to continue her work in the mining industry. “If I could write the perfect scenario for how this would end, it would be that I can continue to quietly do my job here in Rapid City, S.D., and help out in the mining industry in the capacity I am in now,” Brannan says. “And, as… a hobby, I’d get these books out there in wide enough circulation that it makes a difference.” AM

By Therese Dunphy

Been guarded about your guards lately? If so, you’re not the only one. Operators around the nation are likely quite familiar with two particular sections of the Code of Federal Regulations — 30 CFR § 56.14107 (moving machine parts) and 30 CFR § 56.14112 (construction and maintenance of guarding). Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors have written these numbers quite a bit during recent months.

In fact, from Jan. 1 through mid-August, stone, sand and gravel operators received 3,628 citations for 56.14107(a), 879 citations for 56.14112(a1), and 415 citations for 56a.14112(b). For a little perspective, moving machine parts citations account for 10.11 percent of all citations issued to stone producers this year, while they account for nearly 12.89 percent of all citations issued to sand and gravel producers during the same time period.

Anecdotally, stories about guarding requirements and citations have begun to resemble fish tails, with each operator having a more outlandish and seemingly far-fetched story than the next.

And it’s no wonder. While guarding has been a high priority during inspections, it has seemed that a clear, concise explanation of guarding may not have been a high priority when it came to inspector training. As the ranks of MSHA inspectors swelled, new field personnel each seemed to have a different interpretation of what was a proper guard and what was not. Even new equipment, fresh from the original equipment manufacturer, has not escaped unscathed, as safety features on some of these machines were also found inadequate.

After much discussion between industry inspectors and regulators, MSHA undertook an effort to update its guidance on guarding. Its newly released presentation, Guarding Conveyor Belts at Metal & Nonmetal Mines, addresses guarding around conveyor belts and serves as a supplement to its 2004 guidance, MSHA’s Guide to Equipment Guarding. The presentation contains numerous pictures of adequate and inadequate guards, along with more detailed analysis in the notes section of each page.

It’s worth noting that MSHA is responding to a valid criticism about how its inspectors conduct their site visits. Without clearly defined expectations, it is difficult for well-intentioned operators to meet an inspector’s expectations, and in today’s environment, most strive for a clean inspection. The presentation will go a long way toward providing clarity on this topic for regulators and operators alike.

The agency’s willingness to educate both the industry and its inspectors on this issue is refreshing and should be met with optimism — albeit guarded optimism.

By Kerry Clines, Senior Editor

Fuel-efficient crawler dozers

Komatsu’s new line of D65-16 crawler dozers are powered with a fuel-efficient 8.27-liter Komatsu SAA6D114E-3 engine that pushes with a net 205 horsepower at 1,950 revolutions per minute. Operating weight ranges from 43,690 to 48,940 pounds. The new dozers feature the Sigmadozer blade; an automatic transmission with torque converter; a new six-way, power angle tilt blade; and the Komtrax fleet monitoring system.

Three-product screen

KPI-JCI’s redesigned FT6203CC-3 track-mounted, closed-circuit horizontal screen, replacing the FT6203CC, creates three products instead of two while still maintaining the ability to return oversize material in a closed-circuit operation. Redesigned features include I-beam construction for improved strength, more ground clearance, larger tracks for greater load capacity, a more elaborate and user-friendly blending system, and a bogey attachment that allows increased portability.

Hydraulic breaker ventilation system

Atlas Copco says its new carrier-integrated breaker ventilation system delivers additional air to the breaker, minimizing the risk of extensive wear. The system installs using a simple hydraulic connection to the carrier, requires no separate tow-behind air compressor or additional air hose, is synchronized with the hydraulic breaker, and is said to operate without emissions.

Portable material loader

EarthCorp Industries says its new multi-use loading equipment (MULE) systems can be customized to meet specific loading needs. The 26-, 30-, or 40-foot systems have a non-folding main conveyor with folding clam shell hopper, 48-inch feed belt, and 35-horsepower diesel engine. The systems can be towed behind a standard pick-up truck and can be set up and ready to feed in minutes.

Attach/remove hopper quickly

IRock Crushers’ new Hydraset Hopper is designed to attach and remove the hopper/feeder module as a unit without the aid of any outside lifting devices, allowing the entire module to be detached and transported in minutes, not hours or days. The system has its own internal power pack for operating the removal or installation process. The company says the system can be safely and easily loaded on a trailer, moved, and reassembled with the crushing unit by one person.

Rugged, affordable slurry pump

GIW Industries says its new ZW Pump Series has proven to be a durable, low-maintenance, and affordable pump for vertical sump requirements. Features include a double-suction vertical design, a top- and bottom-suction design that allows it to run continuously in a “snore” condition to provide consistent pump action and reduce pump stress, and a semi-open impeller design that permits large solids to pass freely.

Flexible, side-dump bucket

The JRB Side Dump Bucket, manufactured by Paladin Construction Group, provides wheel loader operators with the flexibility of dumping material from many angles. One side of the bucket is shaped like a standard bucket to hold material, while the other side has a 45-degree, side-shoot dumping angle that allows full side dumping and angle backfilling. The bucket carries up to 4 cubic yards and is available in left- and right-hand dump functions.

Accurate continuous weighing

Cardinal Scale Mfg. Co.’s new 825-CBW continuous bulk weigher is a compact control package for continuous weighing of bulk materials. The control package includes an 825 Spectrum weight indicator, software package, and tape printer. Display features include an interactive touch screen, color-coded QWERTY keyboard for data entry, pictorial representation of the bulk weigher and gates, target weight to be filled, total drafts required, navigation keys, and multiple language selection.

Enhanced sensitivity in metal detection

Eriez says its new Metalarm MA3600 Metal Detector with pulse induction technology provides balanced coil detection sensitivity and performance. Available in two models, the Hawk and Eagle, the units are microprocessor based with self diagnostics and fault indication. Features include local or remote on/off, sensitivity control, healthy signal relay, trip counter, hile pile detector, and various reject systems that can be added.

Remote-control conveyor mobility

The new track-mounted mobile pivot base from Superior Industries delivers free-ranging conveyor movement. The unit is self-contained and powered by an onboard 48-horsepower Deutz diesel engine with a 30-gallon fuel and hydraulic oil tank. Features include wireless remote control operation and heavy-duty, hydraulic-drive rubber tracks nearly 9 feet in length. A two-axis gimbal provides maximum stability and rotational freedom on uneven ground or rugged terrain.

Tires now available in North America

The new Michelin X-Traction tires from Michelin Earthmover Tires are now available in North America. The E4 tires are designed for earthmover transport equipment operating in rocky terrain. Two new technologies — a new cooling system shoulder design and C2 Technology casing architecture — reduce heat build up, allowing trucks to operate continuously at higher speeds. Features include up to a 13-percent deeper tread and thicker under-tread rubber for resistance to cuts and impacts.

Special articulation system

Doosan says its Moxy MT41 articulated dump truck offers high horsepower per ton of loaded weight, a free-swinging rear tandem bogie, and a special articulation system for outstanding productivity and driving performance. The truck’s 444-horsepower Scania diesel engine provides a power-to-weight ratio of 6.38 horsepower per ton and an 82,010-pound payload capacity. Other features include permanent six-wheel drive, independent front-wheel suspension for better traction, a sloping body for low center of gravity, a fully automatic transmission with six forward and three reverse speeds, and a top speed of 32.9 miles per hour in high range and 21.1 miles per hour in low range.

Economical on-site mobility

Superior Industries’ new Single-Wheel Drive conveyor mobility option offers greater flexibility for mobile in-pit conveyors operating in conjunction with a mobile crusher. It also delivers mobility for bin or bunker loading operations and small rail or barge loading facilities. The drive is designed for radial travel at the base of the conveyor. Operated manually or via an optional wireless remote system, the unit is easily steerable. The unit hydraulically lifts for storage under the conveyor.

Expanded breaker size range

The HB 2000 and HB 4700 heavy hydraulic breakers round out Atlas Copco’s range of HB breakers to cover modern excavator sizes. The HB 2000 has a service weight of 4,409 pounds and offers 10 percent more power than its predecessor, the HB 2200. The HB 4700 has a service weight of 10,362 pounds. Both breakers offer features such as VibroSilenced System, AutoControl, ContiLube II System, StartSelect, and the optional DustProtector, as well as the PowerAdapt system that shuts down the breaker when oil pressure exceeds maximum input value.

High-horsepower haul truck

Terex says its new TA300 articulated truck boasts the highest horsepower and torque in its class and is the only 30-ton hauler that comes standard with a fully independent front suspension system. The truck features a 385-horsepower, Tier 3-compliant Cummins diesel engine; a ZF fully automatic transmission with manual override; a maximum torque of 1,309 foot-pounds at 1,400 revolutions per minute; and a 100-percent differential locking action that enables the truck to tackle challenging grades and extreme site conditions with ease.

Easy-to-read display

Rice Lake’s LaserLT remote weight display has a five-button keypad that can remotely change units, gross/net, tare, zero, and print. The large 1½-inch display is fully adjustable for effortless viewing at up to 50 feet. The unit is daisy-chainable for linking multiple units to a single indicator/controller and installs easily with any electronic weight indicator or peripheral equipment using fiber-optic, Ethernet, or wireless methods. Six easy-to-read enunciators and an added red and green stop/go feature boost communication and expand versatility.

Visual blade-wear gauge

Flexco’s new conveyor belt cleaner, the Rockline EZP-LS Limited Space Precleaner, is a compact version of the company’s current precleaners — the low-profile design boasts the same material path options, and visual tension check. The belt cleaner also features a visual blade-wear gauge built into the tensioner. The 4.5-inch-high blade features the patented, faceted ConShear blade profile that allows the blade to renew its cleaning edge as it wears, and the one-pin blade replacement feature is said to allow easy servicing.

Floating conveyor

TCI Manufacturing’s new floating transfer conveyors are designed to work with the company’s bucket dredge. The conveyors are built with a swivel point for dredge movement and a radial-type receiving hopper. Other features include a head-end turn style, head-end discharge hood, and a catwalk and handrails around the head end and down the drive side of the conveyor.

Vulcan’s Kennesaw Quarry is well known for the granite aggregate it produces, but is probably best known for its education program.

When Kennesaw Quarry began mining granite in the early 1950s, that area of northwestern Georgia was fairly empty, nothing like the suburban-Atlanta neighborhood that now surrounds the facility. Mining was easier when there was little development and few neighbors. But the area would find itself transformed from agriculture to a bedroom community for growing Atlanta and then a center for commercial, residential, and institutional development. Kennesaw Quarry supplied materials for much of that growth — the portion of Interstate 75 that runs through the area; Cobb County’s general aviation airport that was built in the 1960s on a portion of the property owned by the quarry; and Kennesaw State College (now University), which was founded in 1966; not to mention Town Center Mall, Cobb Place Shopping Mall, and a shopping strip along one of Cobb County’s busiest roadways. Over time, as more people began living and working in the area, Vulcan lost its anonymity. As civilization surrounded Kennesaw Quarry, mining became more complicated, but what might seem like a curse is actually a blessing.

Education is the key

Vulcan knew that the key to addressing concerns from the encroaching community was to educate the public about the operation and the importance of mining. It wasn’t enough for the quarry just to be involved in the community, the community needed to know why the quarry was there and what was going on inside the pit. So Kennesaw began an aggressive community relations program.

“Our community relations program began in the 1980s when Vulcan decided to relocate the county road that ran through the middle of the plant area to the edge of the property,” says Steve Collier, plant manager. “This allowed Kennesaw Quarry to begin work on the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association’s ‘About Face Program,’ which led to the quarry’s designation as Showplace and, ultimately, Quarry of the Year’ in 1997. Once we felt a little better about our appearance and our operation, we began hosting tours of our facility.”

Enter Edith Parivechio, community relations coordinator. When Vulcan built a new employee training facility at the quarry, she recognized a greater potential. “It started out as an employee building, but it evolved,” Parivechio says. “After we built the building, we began putting granite samples in display cases. Granite samples are nice, but I thought it would be even better to display other minerals and objects as well. We have a great collection of fossils and minerals, and exhibits showing the importance of mining to our society.”

The building quickly became a museum and a place to educate school children, the community, and more. “There are three elementary schools nearby, and they did maybe five or six tours a year,” Parivechio says. “If they had a teacher who enjoyed teaching earth science or geology, they’d bring their students over for a tour.”

The new employee training facility quickly became a museum and a classroom for educating school children and the community.

But even with the quarry’s meeting room and museum, there just weren’t that many students coming to the quarry because it wasn’t well known — until the Wienman Museum (now TELLUS Northwest Georgia Science Center) brought some teachers to the quarry as part of a workshop. “The Weinman hosted a week-long workshop for North Georgia earth science teachers, and one full day was spent at Kennesaw Quarry,” Parivechio says. “There were 33 teachers in that group. Those teachers went back to different parts of the state, and people learned about us by word of mouth. The following year, I had 10,000 students visit the quarry. I never had to pick up the phone or advertise.”

When the children from local schools started visiting the museum and attending the education sessions, parents would sometimes come along. Before long, Vulcan was able to get the aggregate story out to just about everyone in the community. But it didn’t stop at the elementary, middle, or high school level. “We’ve always had local college groups come, but last year we had college students and their teachers visit from five states,” Parivechio says, “and we also had industry groups visit from three different countries.”

Parivechio conducts the tours, with logistical help from the plant employees and safety department. Safety is paramount and a safety briefing and review of the rules of conduct while on the property are always the first order of business. “We are advocates for our business and industry, but it is important that we incorporate information from the schools’ earth science curriculum,” Parivechio says. Students are shown different kinds of aggregate and videos depicting the production process and how the products are used.

“We try to keep the message entertaining, as well, by showing them the ‘Rockman’ video,” she adds, referring to the video set to the tune of “YMCA” which describes the production of and uses for aggregate.

“We cover a little bit of everything — just enough to make it exciting,” Parivechio says. “This may be the only time a student comes into a rock quarry, and I want it to be a positive experience. That’s why the teachers keep coming back every year. We give them a little bit of knowledge and a whole lot of fun.”

Vulcan built an overlook area large enough for a class to view the entire pit from ground level. Visitors are able to see the entire pit in action and understand every aspect of the quarry.

This past year, Vulcan put together rock boxes for teachers to take back to their classrooms. The boxes contain 10 rock samples from across the state of Georgia. Each rock is labeled, so that the aggregate learning experience can follow the children back to their schools.

In addition to school children, Kennesaw Quarry’s education program welcomes scout troops, senior citizen groups, church groups, and neighborhood groups. The quarry provides each group with educational materials, study books, worksheets, and Web links to enhance the learning experience.

The new employee training facility quickly became a museum and a classroom for educating school children and the community.

Kennesaw Quarry’s location near the TELLUS Northwest Georgia Science Center, in nearby Cartersville, and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, located in the City of Kennesaw, means that many school children will visit the quarry either before or after visiting one of the other museums. “We have very close ties with these museums, and Vulcan is a financial supporter of both,” Parivechio says.

Kennesaw Quarry’s community involvement has not gone unnoticed. “We’ve been nominated for the Kennesaw Business of the Year award,” Collier says, “and we’re working to get the Cobb County Business of the Year award, too.”

Daily operations

Kennesaw Quarry built a new processing plant three years ago at a cost of $28 million. The entire plant is now automated, so one employee in the control tower can operate everything in the processing plant. The new plant has a lot more bells and whistles than the old one and will run more tons per hour, but Collier says the real reason for installing the new plant was to uncover reserves that were located under the old plant. That’s where the mining is being done today.

Material from the pit is dumped into the primary crushing plant where it is reduced to 8 to 10 inches in size by a large Allis Chambers gyratory crusher.

“We have to take off 150 feet of overburden to get down to the good rock,” Collier says. “We’re going to take the level all the way down to 625 feet. We’re uncovering a lot of reserves.” The overburden is then dumped back into the far end of the pit for use in reclamation.

“We shoot, on average, once a week now, due to the downturn in the economy,” Collier says. “At one time, we were shooting every day or every other day.”

After the blast, aggregate is taken to the large, primary, 54-74 gyratory crusher. Large chunks of rock go in, and rock 8 to 10 inches in size comes out. A conveyor carries the crushed rock from the primary crusher to a large surge pile on the opposite side of the pit. From there, the material goes through a secondary cone crusher, and then a tertiary and quaternary crusher, as needed.

“The secondary crusher is a blue 8800 cone crusher — a high-speed crusher,” Collier says. “The one behind that is a 7-foot shorthead crusher. Once material is crushed at the secondary crusher, anything that doesn’t screen out that’s above 2 1/2 inches will go onto the belt and come back to the crusher again to be crushed even smaller.”

Once the material has been processed through the crushers and screens, it is placed in various stockpiles to await loadout. “Concrete companies want 57s and 56s to be clean,” Collier says, “so we wash them. We wash the fines out and pump them down into the bottom of the pit, which acts as our settling pond. The fines settle out on their own, so we don’t have to maintain a settling pond, which requires a couple of operators and extra equipment. We use the clean water for dust suppression in the plant.”

Kennesaw Quarry’s target market is within about 20 miles, so trucking is the transportation of choice. “We have a few customers that travel farther,” Collier says, “but the rule of thumb is we reach about 20 miles out…” Customer loadout is handled in a couple of different ways, however. A large, multi-silo tower allows truckers to drive under the desired feeder and load their trucks by pulling on a rope, but most customers prefer to drive into the plant to be loaded by a wheel loader.

“The loading is a little more accurate with the loader; the trucks don’t get overloaded or underloaded,” Collier says. “We’ve got scales on the loaders, so they can get the exact percentage that they need. We usually run three 980 loaders on the yard to keep our customers loaded. I’d say 90 percent of our customers are repeat customers, so they know right where to go to get their product and how to set up for the loader.”

Rail transport was once used at Kennesaw Quarry, but when the old plant was torn down three years ago, the rail went with it. Collier says there are times when he’d like to have it back.

The quarry’s top selling product is crusher run, which is used in highway construction. It accounts for probably 40 percent of all sales, so it is stockpiled in several locations in the plant for easy access. The second most popular product is 57s used for concrete. Two concrete companies border Kennesaw Quarry, which is very convenient for all concerned parties.

The quality control lab is essential to the operation and is consistently busy. A sample of crusher run must be taken every 1,500 tons to be tested and checked for gradation and quality. It has to meet Georgia Department of Transportation specifications. Concrete stone is sampled more often — every 500 tons. Automatic sweeps make it easier to remove the desired product from the belt for testing in the lab.

“Three years ago, we were producing 4 1/2 million tons per year,” Collier says. “This year, we expect to do a million and a half because of the downturn in the economy.”

The new plant will help Kennesaw Quarry be prepared for the economic upturn and increase in aggregate demand when it comes, which it surely will. Until then, like other aggregate producers, Vulcan will keep hoping for a quick return to better economic times. AM

EQUIPMENT LINEUP

Mobile Equipment

Atlas Copco DM30 blasthole drill

International grease truck

Rocktec Terminator RX 500 impact hammer

Cummins generator

Ford F-700 truck

Ford F-800 truck

International boom truck

Caterpillar 769C water truck

Komatsu 325 dump truck

Sterling SC800 truck

Komatsu PC-400 LC7 excavator

Ford F-750 truck

Genie manlift

Caterpillar 14G motor grader

Komatsu 210 excavator

Caterpillar 777D dump trucks (4)

Komatsu 785 dump trucks (2)

Komatsu 465 dump truck

P&H 75-ton hydraulic crane

Northwest 80D crane crawler/dragline

Caterpillar 980G wheel loaders (4)

Komatsu PC-400 LC6 excavator

Komatsu D-155AX-5 dozer

Caterpillar 992G wheel loaders (2)

Caterpillar 420D backhoe loader

Caterpillar 980H wheel loader

Processing Equipment

Allis Chambers 54-74 gyratory crusher

Sandvik H8800 crusher

Helser 7-foot short head tertiary crusher

5½-foot short head quaternary crusher

Deister 8×20 triple-deck screen

Deister 8×20 double-deck screen

Deister 8×24 triple-deck screens (4)

Deister 8×20 triple-deck wash screen

Deister 8×20 double-deck wash screen

NPK Hammer GH10 rock breaker

FMC Corp. feeders (4)

Linatex feed system

Conveyors (26)

Feeders (11)

Magnets (4)

Metal detectors (4)

Rip-rap sidekick

Flume

Separator

By Kerry Clines, Senior Editor

This selection of 70-ton and larger excavators can help increase the production level at any quarry.

These excavators feature cab improvements — more space, better visibility, increased safety, and reduced vibration — for increased workability.

Volvo Construction Equipment

The 70-ton Volvo EC700C has a Tier III-compliant engine with Volvo Advanced Combustion Technology for high torque at low revolutions. The machine boasts a hydraulic system with high breakout force, and a robust undercarriage and reinforced superstructure and boom/arm for greater endurance.

John Deere

John Deere’s 850D LC offers fast hydraulics, powerful swing torque, and generous drawbar pull. Its Powerwise III management system balances engine and hydraulic performance. The company says its generous hydraulic flow and best-in-class metering ensure powerful digging force, precise low-effort control, and multifunctional operation.

Hyundai Construction Equipment

The 181,880-pound R800LC-7A is the largest in Hyundai’s family of excavators. A lighting package — boom-mounted work lights and lighting built into the frame of the cab’s roof — make nighttime work easy. Maintenance and service is fast and easy with a centralized lube bank, wide-opening access door, and easy-to-reach filters.

Kobelco

Kobelco says its SK850LC Super ACERA provides competitive breakout, drawbar pull, and swing torque forces. The unit is designed for easy transport — it can be configured four different ways to meet various local requirements. A centrally located catwalk and walking platform provide easy access for routine maintenance checks.

Hitachi Construction Machinery

Hitachi’s EX1200-6 comes with a front-shovel bucket range of 7.7 to 8.5 cubic yards, which matches well with 65-ton class trucks. An air-ride seat and improved joystick controls provide better ergonomics. Other features include improvements to the undercarriage and upper structure.

LBX Company, LLC

The Link-Belt 700 X2 has an operating weight of 153,442 pounds with a maximum digging depth of 27 feet, 7 inches and a digging reach of 43 feet, 2 inches. The machine boasts precise and aggressive performance, as well as increased fuel efficiency.

Increased fuel efficiency, more horsepower, and improved hydraulics add up to greater production with these excavators.

Liebherr Construction Equipment

Liebherr’s R 964 C Litronic offers a 29-foot, 10-inch digging depth; 75,400-pound breakout force; an operating weight of 150,790 pounds; and a lift capacity of 25 feet over end and side. Liebherr Tool Control allows operators to easily change hydraulic tools and adjust pressure and flow rates.

Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar’s 156,043-pound 374D improvements include new buckets and a greater operating weight to boost loading and lifting capabilities, a stronger undercarriage, safety enhancements, and easier serviceability. The Cat C15 ACERT engine features electronic control, precise fuel delivery, and refined air management.

Komatsu

Komatsu says its PC800LC-8 Super Digger uses double-arm cylinders and an HD bucket cylinder to increase arm digging force by 19 percent and bucket digging force by 9 percent over a standard machine — without sacrificing working range. The machine also features the Komtrax satellite monitoring system and on-board diagnostics.

Case Construction Equipment

Case says its CX800B is ideally suited for applications requiring heavy muscle and long reach. The 178,575-pound machine features an electronically controlled, common rail, 15.7L Isuzu engine and is available in standard and mass-excavation configurations.

Coming soon to a dealer near you! This crawler excavator is being put to the test at a quarry in Georgia.

Doosan Heavy Construction Equipment

Doosan’s soon-to-be-debuted DX700LC features a six-cylinder, 463-horsepower turbo-charged Isuzu diesel engine and an operating weight of 158,953 pounds with standard boom and arm, 35.4-inch double grouser shoes, and 4.32-cubic yard bucket. Standard bucket breakout force is 78,485 pounds; arm breakout force is 78,044 pounds. Maximum digging reach is 40 feet, 10 inches at ground level; maximum digging depth is 25 feet, 4 inches. Dump height is 27 feet. Optional buckets range from 3.27 to 5.89 cubic yards.

While you were sleeping, life got a whole lot more complicated.

By Avi Meyerstein

Early one recent morning, while you were sleeping, Congress was wide awake, putting into law increased reporting requirements and exposure for large mine operators and those with large parent companies. On June 25, at 5:07 a.m. to be exact, House and Senate conferees emerged from an all-nighter with an overhaul of the U.S. financial regulatory system. Tucked inside, were a series of provisions imposing new requirements not on banks, but on mines. The new requirements became law on July 21, 2010.

The new law’s mining provisions, which start on page 2,293 of the congressional conference report, apply to any “issuer” (a company that issues securities) that (1) is required to submit reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, and (2) is a mine operator or owns one. For the first time, the law will require that such firms report in their SEC disclosures a number of detailed items relating to their mining and health and safety compliance records.

First, companies covered by the new provisions have to add to their SEC reports for the reporting period information on their total number of: Significant and Substantial (S&S) citations, Mine Act Section 104(b) withdrawal orders (for failure to abate violations) issued, unwarrantable failure citations and orders, flagrant violations, imminent danger orders, and mining-related fatalities, as well as the total dollar value of proposed MSHA assessments. SEC filings also have to list each mine that has received a written notice from MSHA that it has a pattern of S&S violations or that it has the potential to have such a pattern. In addition, companies now have to report any pending legal action before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

Second, following enactment of the financial reform bill, issuers of securities that are mine operators or own mine operators will have to file a current report with the SEC (probably Form 8-K). The report must disclose receipt of a Mine Act Section 107(a) imminent danger order, as well as receipt of any notice from MSHA of a pattern of S&S violations or the potential to have such a pattern. The SEC will treat any failure to follow these new reporting requirements as a violation of the Securities and Exchange Act and SEC regulations. The new legislation also empowers the SEC to issue any additional regulations it deems necessary to carry out the new provisions.

So, what does all of this mean for you? First, it means much greater corporate and public scrutiny of a mine operator’s MSHA dealings. Today, corporate and parent company officials, not to mention investors, likely know very little of an operator’s routine dealings with MSHA. These stakeholders don’t follow every MSHA final penalty, let alone every proposed one. They don’t hear about every S&S citation or withdrawal order. Now, they will.

One result is that the successful mining or safety manager of the future will not only have to focus on increasing safety compliance and reducing violations, but also on internal education and outreach. Investors, and even many corporate higher-ups, are sure to be unfamiliar with the ins-and-outs of MSHA enforcement and litigation. Many may know only what they see and read in the media or hear from political leaders following a mining disaster. They lack the context to understand how common a citation or S&S violation is in the industry or in your company. They won’t have a sense of the number of citations in relation to hours worked, material produced or, most importantly, inspection intensity. They may not understand the litigation process that ultimately finds many proposed penalties and citations unwarranted. They will only hear the negatives; they won’t know, unless you tell them, about positive trends or improvements in health and safety, as well as compliance, in your company.

In a sense, the new reporting requirements will highlight MSHA matters out of proportion to other issues. In the past, investors only saw reports on a small number of legal proceedings — those with potential liability so great that they were material to the company’s financial statements. That is still the rule generally — except for MSHA cases. Now, your citation and proposed assessment record from MSHA will get equal exposure to lawsuits worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars of potential liability. If you want the stakeholders in your company to understand the proper context and impact of these MSHA matters relative to other litigation, it may well be up to you to educate them.

Next, just as the provisions may make your investors and corporate higher-ups focus for the first time on mine safety and compliance at a granular level, the new law will also make you focus — probably for the first time — on dealing with a new regulator and new source of potential liability. At a minimum, your incentive has at least doubled for having record-keeping and reporting practices and systems that are well-planned and well-implemented. It has long been a very good idea to put in place the kind of sophisticated citation and safety tracking systems that leading companies have begun to adopt. Now, such systems are essential, as the new law requires accurate reporting of these events, and two separate watchdog agencies will be scrutinizing mine operators’ compliance.

In fact, the incentives to improve compliance and record-keeping have more than doubled because the new provisions ratchet up the negative effects of having any kind of safety and health compliance issues. The law now requires reports not only of true MSHA violations, but even of preliminary allegations by MSHA (in the form of citations, orders, and proposed assessments, which a judge may later strike down) and notices of potential patterns of violations. As a result, the law further increases the incentive to expand and improve internal, company-wide and mine-specific compliance, training, oversight, and auditing.

Finally, the bill did not become law in a vacuum. Around the same time, Congress began work on the “Robert C. Byrd Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010.” The House Committee on Education and Labor has passed its version of this new law, and a companion bill has been introduced in the Senate. Between these two versions, this major legislation proposes more frequent MSHA inspections, a much lower threshold for classifying a violation as S&S (requiring only that any injury be reasonably likely, not just serious ones), increased criminal penalties, expanded whistleblower protections and incentives, and greater MSHA investigative authority. Any one of these proposed changes could lead to more numerous and more serious citations and proposed assessments, which would now be reported to company leaders, the SEC, and investors.

Lord Kelvin reportedly once said, “If you can not measure it, you can not improve it.” The impetus behind the mine reporting provisions in the financial reform bill apparently was to create pressure from investors and corporate leaders to improve health and safety compliance. Indeed, when the late Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) introduced these provisions to become part of the financial reform bill, he said it would “ensure that we can all make a reasonably informed assessment of whether companies are getting too close to crossing the line on worker safety and health.” He noted that investors, as well as “the many well-intentioned corporate leaders,” should “know if a company is jeopardizing its workforce in order to maximize its profits” or jeopardizing its profits by cutting corners on safety. Only time will tell if this approach positively impacts safety. In the meantime, however, large mine operators and the public companies that own them need to adjust to a new and more complicated regulatory and reporting world, in which they are being encouraged to put an even finer point on their safety and health compliance programs and record-keeping. AM

Avi Meyerstein is an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of Patton Boggs LLP. He assists clients with public policy issues and matters involving complex civil and commercial litigation. He may be reached via telephone at 202-457-6623 or via e-mail at ameyerstein@pattonboggs.com.

Stone mining exempt from mine safety bill

By Tina Grady Barbaccia, News and Digital Editor

After another tragic coal mine explosion, the aggregates industry prepares for increased scrutiny despite its own increased safety record.

After intense lobbying to exclude surface and underground aggregates mines from the new mine safety and health legislation, the industry has dodged what the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) says are “potentially devastating provisions that were designed to prevent reoccurrences of coal mine tragedies” such as those at Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia in April and the disasters at Sago and Alameda mines in recent years.

At a full House Education and Labor Committee markup of proposed mine safety legislation on July 21, surface and underground aggregates mines were excluded from H.R. 5663. The bill was originally introduced as the “Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010,” but is now known as the “Robert C. Byrd Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010.”

This legislation is “one giant step for aggregates,” NSSGA says. The association and a coalition of other non-coal mining industries had been covering Capitol Hill in an effort to prevent being included in what the organizations considered to be “wide-ranging” legislation that would increase penalties, make inadvertent violations of the act a felony, as well as mandate stringent new reporting requirements.

The constant struggle

The entire mining industry has always struggled with a negative image. But after the tragic Sago coal mine explosion and Aracoma Coal Alma No. 1 coal mine incident, both in 2006, and Utah and Indiana coal mine incidents in 2007, legislation and federal regulations have been rampant and mining has been brought more into the public eye.

In reaction to the Sago incident, The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 passed in May of that year in an effort to further protect the safety and heath of the nation’s mine workers. However, coal mining and aggregate mining are very different, NSSGA notes, and sometimes the various types of mining aren’t differentiated and a “one-size-fits-all” mentality unintentionally creates unnecessary and unfair burdens on the regulated community. This was a major concern after the Sago incident because the construction aggregates industry is subject to the federal Mine Safety and Health Act, which has an extensive set of regulatory requirements.

The final version of the bill mostly applied to the coal industry. However, says NSSGA, the legislation codified provisions that were applicable to all mining sectors — such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) 15-minute emergency notification requirement when an incident or accident poses a reasonable risk of death; increased penalties, including a minimum $2,000 fine for Section 104 (d) (1) violation; and the increase of the civil fine for “flagrant” violations to a maximum $220,000.

Despite safety improvements in the aggregates mining sector, regulation has continued after mining tragedies regardless of the mining industry sector. In 2008, the House passed supplemental mine safety legislation (S-MINER) in response to the 2007 coal mine incidents. The aggregates industry, particularly NSSGA, vehemently opposed the legislation because it was geared toward the coal mining industry. (Go to http://www.bit.ly/NSSGApaper to see NSSGA’s Public Policy Position Paper on S-MINER. Go to www.aggman.com, click on Digital Edition, and go to the May 2010 AggBeat archive for a story about the coal incidents’ impact on the aggregates industry.)

Shortly after the Upper Big Branch Mine incident, Springfield Underground President and NSSGA Chairman Louis Griesemer said that he was concerned that Congress would pass broader legislation that would adversely impact the aggregates industry, despite the fact that it was “already seeing increases in safety and not being recognized for the good job we’re doing.” Griesemer also agreed that the legislation developed after increased violations and several coal mine incidents was too wide in scope: that the focus should be on coal mines not on aggregate operations.

“We think it’s not appropriate for our industry because we don’t think we’re the problem,” Griesemer told WY3-News in Springfield, Mo. (http://www.bit.ly/SpringfieldUndergroundKY3). “The type of material we’re extracting does not produce explosive gases like methane. The structure of limestone mines is a lot stronger and we’re not as deep as a coal mine.”

Real Needs

Knife River CEO: ‘A need for real jobs meeting

National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) Chairman Bill Schneider, president and CEO of Knife River Corp., testified July 27 before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the status of the stimulus and impacts on the aggregate industry. Schneider told the committee that, since passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, his company has been awarded nearly $200 million in stimulus projects throughout its 17-state operation, NSSGA’s eDigest & Washington Watch reports.

What’s more, Schneider said that Knife River’s current backlog is 20 percent stimulus funded. He cautioned, however, that the industry is “headed back to square one and wondering what our future holds,” according to the report. If Congress doesn’t pass a six-year highway bill soon, Schneider pointed out that construction job losses will skyrocket in an industry sector that already has an unemployment rate of more than 20 percent.

In Schneider’s testimony, he told Congress that the biggest issue right now is increasing revenue flow necessary for future funding. “With the overall condition of our economy, the biggest question is: Where will the money come from?” he asked.

“The United States already has the system in place — the Federal Highway Trust Fund,” he continued. “It needs to be restored to the strength it once had, and more money needs to be pumped into it to keep up with growing demands. It is difficult to consider raising the federal gas user fees, but many of us in the industry believe it may be our only answer at this point to fund highway projects that are in serious need. As noted in the previous research, American taxpayers would support it if it meant safe, efficient highways.

“I urge you to gather support for a long-term highway funding and multiyear authorization bill and make it a priority in Congress. Passing this bill, means you are essentially passing a jobs bill, putting thousands, perhaps millions, of Americans back to work not only in the construction industry but also in the many other supportive industries.

“Supporting a well-funded multiyear authorization bill which includes capacity expansion also benefits millions of Americans who depend on safe driving surfaces. There is a need for real jobs meeting real needs to provide American taxpayers real value.”

MSHA publishes excavator guidance

On July 13, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) published a new bulletin, Program Information Bulletin No. P10-09, regarding safety measures to be taken while operating excavators.

MSHA notes that it is “particularly concerned with preventing excavator accidents by implementing proper protective measures.” It suggests a minimum bench width of 25 feet, noting a work area examination is necessary to determine if this width is sufficient.

Other guidance includes the following: equipping excavators with appropriate length booms, dippers, and other related attachments to ensure the excavator and its operator remain as far from the high wall base as possible during scaling operations; and utilizing rock deflectors or similar attachments to protect the excavator from falling material. Finally, MSHA suggests that operators contact their OEMs regarding the availability of ROPs and FOPs structures for retrofitting existing equipment.

To view the bulletin, go to

www.msha.gov/regs/complian/PIB/2010/pib10-09.asp.

Aggregates Manager, Randall Reilly, honored with AZBEE Awards

The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) has honored Randall-Reilly Publishing Company’s Aggregates Manager with two awards for this year’s Azbee Awards of Excellence. Randall-Reilly publications won a combined 16 awards, including six awards for Better Roads, four awards for Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ), and two each for Overdrive and Truckers News.

Aggregates Manager received two regional awards, one silver and one bronze, honoring both editorial and design work. In 2009, Aggregates Manager won four regional awards. The Azbee Awards of Excellence is a peer-judged contest that honors the top b2b publications in various categories.

Therese Dunphy, editor-in-chief of Aggregates Manager, says the magazine has been consistently recognized by ASBPE and other organizations, showing that hard work has paid off. “Thirteen will be a lucky number for the magazine,” Dunphy says. “During the last five years, the magazine’s editors, columnists, and graphic designers have won more than a dozen awards from such prestigious groups as the American Society of Business Publication Editors and the American Business Media. It’s an honor to garner such consistent recognition. We strive to highlight critical industry trends in an engaging and informative manner. We sincerely appreciate the recognition of that effort.”

Joe Donald, publisher of Aggregates Manager and Better Roads, says of the accomplishments: “We are proud and honored to be recognized by ASBPE. We look forward to continuing to work hard to serve our industries.”

Alabama

Baker’s Sand and Gravel deposited about 400 tons of sand around Fountain Circle in Huntsville as part of the preparations of the Rocket City Beach Bash, sponsored by the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum. Al.com reports that the sand was spread over a 200-yard section of Fountain Circle for a party that included beach-style activities, concessions, and music.

Arizona

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued warnings to seven Phoenix-area sand and gravel firms stating that they need to control dust or they could be barred from bidding on federal road projects or face fines. According to The Arizona Republic, the EPA sent violation notices to companies in July after conducting several inspections and has offered to talk about the violations before determining penalties. John Brock, an EPA enforcement officer, said the inspections took place after the agency adopted a Maricopa County environmental rule (Rule 316) for cement, asphalt, sand, and gravel operations as a federally enforceable regulation. The rule was adopted by the county in 1993 and has been revised three times since then. Brock told the newspaper that, based on his experience, it is unlikely that the EPA will declare any of the companies ineligible for federal highway projects as a penalty. Steve Trussell, executive director of the Arizona Rock Products Association, told the newspaper that state operators take the violations very seriously and have been meeting to discuss enforcement and compliance issues.

California

The Redlands City Council was expected to approve a plan that involves two cities, the mining activities of two companies, and approximately 1,200 square feet in the Santa Ana River Wash. Redlands Daily Facts reports that the council was expected to vote on six different conditional use permits that would allow Robertson’s Ready Mix and Cemex Construction Materials to expand their mining operations in the Santa Ana River Wash. Although part of the land is in Highland, the city ceded its authority in the project to Redlands. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the project and its conditional use permits in June, and one of the commissioners lauded the project as a collaborative effort between businesses and public agencies. The project limits mining to 6 million tons of aggregate per year, to be used by both cement companies.

Illinois

A member of the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) was visited by an MSHA field office supervisor shortly after hosting an open house at its operation. IAAP reports that, during the courtesy visit, the mine plant manager learned that MSHA believes that all visitors should have the necessary training and equipment, regardless of how many visitors there are. The field office supervisor also noted that producers in other states had allowed open house visitors to ride in haul trucks and operate the controls of excavators, which had only one seat belt for a single operator. The supervisor indicated that these are safety violations. Mining companies are to commit to training any visitor — regardless of the number of visitors — and each person entering an underground mine must have a light and self-rescuer, they were advised.

Indiana

Gail Phillips, the president of the recently formed citizens group, Terre Town Community Association, told TribStar.com that she believes city officials have been less than forthcoming about several proposed community changes, including a proposed sand and gravel operation. She noted that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Office of Air Quality has granted a permit to ST Construction to operate a sand and gravel pit several blocks away from a local elementary school. Phillips said that issues such as air and water quality, as well as traffic, are high on the group’s list of concerns, but it is most greatly disturbed by the lack of answers from the city and the participation of residents in the permit approval process.

Massachusetts

Selectmen extended the Westminster Business Park’s sand and gravel removal permit so workers could finish the first phase of a construction project on the proposed 250-acre industrial lot. The Sentinel & Enterprise reports that the extension to the previous five-year earth removal permit expires June 15, 2011, and will allow developers to remove the remaining 50,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel to finish that portion of the project. The original permit, issued July 11, 2005, allowed excavation of 999,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel. After a question from a community member about whether the project was in compliance with its permit, the town’s engineering consultant confirmed that it was in compliance.

Minnesota

The Vergas City Council discussed concerns about a local gravel pit at its Aug. 2 meeting, according to the Frazee-Vergas Forum. After the council had received complaints about the site’s early work hours and dust, the city attorney determined that it could limit the work hours of the business and require it to control dust. A representative from the company thanked the council for working with the company and noted that it had changed its hours of operation and was watering the area to control dust.

New Mexico

Ambiguous rules and neighbor complaints led to an informal agreement between a local businessman and the mayor. Taos News reports that business owners operating near Gill Vigil’s asphalt and gravel business complained to the city council in an effort to have open-air piles of aggregates removed and dust mitigated. Vigil agreed to move material piles to the back of the lot and reduce their size within 30 days. The mayor noted that the city had determined that the business was in compliance in terms of zoning and would approach the matter as a nuisance issue.

Oregon

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking public comments on its proposal to raise fees for its work on certifying that activities requiring licenses and permits comply with water quality standards. The fees would apply to most projects that remove material from, or place material into, navigable state waters, including sand and gravel operations and dredging for navigation channels. DEQ is proposing the fee “to ensure sufficient revenues and staff to implement the 401 certification program, including reducing the time for certification review and increasing technical assistance.” The increased fees would be based on projected program costs rather than volume of material removed or filled. The deadline for comments is Sept. 10. Comments can be e-mailed to mason.palmer@deq.state.or.us.

Oregon

Kim Freeburn, owner of KD Sand & Gravel, Inc., recently diversified the business by adding U-Haul trucks and trailer rentals to the trucking, sand, and gravel company, the Statesman Journal reports. “I added U-Haul products and services because they would provide supplemental income,” Freeburn said of the change to the business, which was founded in 1949 by her grandfather and great uncle.

Texas

Infrastructure investment is expected to drop steeply throughout the state, with the exception of the Dallas area, the Dallas Morning News reports. The Texas Transportation Commission released a two-year spending plan that includes about $4.8 billion in contracts for 2011, but only about half that amount during 2012 as the federal stimulus funds disappear and the impact of the disappointing gas receipts is felt. In the state’s 15 transportation districts, only the Dallas district is expected to maintain stable funding. That is due, in large part, to the North Texas Tollway Authority, which paid $3.2 billion in upfront cash after winning the Sam Rayburn Tollway contract in 2007. During the next two years, an estimated $730 million of that money will be spent in the Dallas area.

Washington

The Washington State Department of Ecology updated its Sand and Gravel General Permit, which regulates water discharges from sand and gravel operations, quarries, and similar mining operations. It also covers concrete batch plants and hot-mix asphalt operations, as well as stockyards. Approximately 900 sites are covered by the permit, which takes effect Oct. 1. It is posted online at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/sand/index.html

Wisconsin

According to The Leader-Telegram, the Chippewa Falls City Council voted 4-2 to sell a 3.2-acre parcel to EOG Resources for its sand processing operations. The land sold for $56,000, or $17,500 per acre. The council rejected the sale of the parcel last year when the offer was $8,000. A representative for the aggregates operator told the council that the land will be used for rail cars, which will decrease the frequency of rail blockages on city streets. By putting the land back on a taxable basis, the sale also offers additional municipal revenue, he noted. The company became the chief investor in the sand plant in May, when it acquired its interests from Canadian Sand & Proppants.

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