A former gravel quarry site that was used as a landfill (top) has been turned into a nature reserve (bottom). (Photo: The Independent)

The Wildlife Trust and Cory Environment have teamed up to transform an old gravel quarry used as a landfill in Essex, England, into a nature reserve, The Independent reported.

The 50-year-old Mucking Landfill previously took 15 percent of London’s waste and at the start of the project was about 93 feet deep in garbage. The landfill-turned-reserve, now named Thurrock Thameside Nature Park, is near wetland and wooded areas and is now more inviting to hundreds of rare species including mammals, reptiles,  birds, insects and plants.

The transformation took about 20 years to complete and began with covering the landfill with clay to turn it into grassland. Soon after, wetlands were also created nearby. Thurrock Thameside Nature Park sits on 120 acres and will eventually expand to 845 acres.

Since the nature reserve is built on top of a landfill, the creators installed hydraulic jacks at 24 points to lift or lower the space and allow for settlement of the garbage beneath.

The reserve is now home to such wildlife as skylarks, owls, orchids, bees, lizards, mice, rabbits, spiders, butterflies and more.

U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice has ordered the city of Shelbyville, Tennessee, and Wright Paving/Custom Stone LLC to file a status report no later than June 7 on the case of a $10 million lawsuit over a proposed rock quarry, the Shelbyville Times-Gazette reported.

Mattice ordered both parties to update him on any proceedings in state court and whether the federal court should move forward with the suit.

The lawsuit has been ongoing for about two years.

About a month ago, State Appellate Judge Patricia J. Cottrell ordered Shelbyville’s Board of Zoning Appeals to consider at the earliest possible date an application Wright Paving submitted in 2004 for a property on L. Fisher Road. City officials met on April 25 to consider the application and rejected the conditional use of the industrial property for Wright Paving’s proposed rock quarry.

Housing starts dropped 16.5 percent from March’s revised rate of 1.02 million to a seasonally adjusted rate of 853,000 in April. Despite the decrease month-over-month, the start of home construction is still 13.3 percent higher than the rate of 754,000 in April 2012.

In April 2013, multi-family starts fell 37 percent from March to an annual rate of 234,000, and single-family housing starts decreased by 2.1 percent from March to an annual rate of 610,000.

However, the increased number of building permits issued suggests the housing recovery is still in full swing. In April, building permits were issued at an annual rate of 1.02 million– up 14.3 percent from March and 35.8 percent from April 2012. It is also the highest rate in which building permits have been issued since June 2008.

Housing completions dropped 14.3 percent from March to an annual rate of 689,000 in April, but are still 3.3 percent higher than the April 2012 rate.

Komatsu’s 28,836-pound WA270-7 wheel loader achieves 10-percent lower fuel consumption compared to its predecessor, the WA250-6, our sister site, Equipment World, reported.

Powered by a Tier 4 Interim SAA6D107E-2 engine, the loader delivers 149 net horsepower and features Parallel Z-bar loader linkage with an offering of both a parallel lift linkage and high tilt forces; a 10-percent increase in lift force allows for quick and easy bucket loading.

For improved precision and air management and longer component life, Komatsu has included Komatsu Variable Geometry Turbocharger and an Exhaust Gas Recirculation. Plus, the diesel particulate filter allows for a high percentage of passive regeneration.

Other machine features include SmartLoader Logic, which adjusts engine torque to meet application needs; hydrostatic drive train that increases pump capacity, improves efficiency, boosts responsiveness and eliminates brake wear; traction control for performance on soft or slippery terrain; and a variable speed control system that allows the operator to set specific speeds.

The loader’s cab features lower glass than previous models, a redesigned seat-mounted right hand console with a multi-function mono-lever, an auxiliary input, two 12-volt ports and a 7-inch high-res LCD monitor.

Komatsu has simplified maintenance of the WA270-7 with the inclusion of convenient service access, increased cooling capacity, wider cooler fin spacing, an auto-reversing fan and Komatsu’s Equipment Management Monitoring System for diagnostics and troubleshooting.

Komatsu | komatsu.com

The department sued American Industries in June 2012, seeking payment of penalties owed since 2007.

In its judgement, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut ordered the Jewett City, Connecticut, sand and gravel operation to pay $34,061, plus interest, in delinquent civil money penalties for violations of the act. American Industries was also ordered to pay a cash performance bond of $30,000–which includes payment of civil money penalties–with the department to ensure future compliance with the law.

Birds-eye concept of Bobcat’s Bismarck facility expansion

Bobcat Company has broken ground on its $20 million renovation and expansion of its Northern Plains Commerce Centre in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The project includes the expansion of an existing building and the construction of a new test track and indoor testing facility.

Concept for the new testing area at Bobcat’s expanded Bismarck facility.

The project will create  Bobcat’s Acceleration Center, which will provide a complex where professionals can use technology and modern design to advance innovation for the company. The center will also serve as a training hub for employees.

Initially, 135 employees will work in the Acceleration Center, working on tasks such as designing, testing, prototype engineering and computer simulation.

The expansion project will involve construction of a 160,000-square-foot two-story office building and a 35,000-square-foot indoor testing arena next to a 22-acre outdoor testing and track area.

Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2014.

Each year, MEC compiles its minerals statistics into a illustration, known as the coalition’s iconic “Minerals Baby.” The Minerals Baby breaks down the stats, showing how much of each specific mined mineral the average American will consume in a lifetime.

MEC calculates the annual amount based on information provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Mining Association and other sources.

The Minerals Baby is intended to emphasize the dependence that each American has on the mining industry. It is meant for use in a variety of educational presentations, ranging from K-12 classroom lessons to Congressional committee sessions.

The shareholders voted against declassifying Vulcan’s board, eliminating super majority voting and requiring an independent director to serve as board chairman.

The first two proposals received favorable votes at last year’s meeting but had no such luck this year. Despite its opposition to the two proposals last year, the board supported the changes this year, recommending approval to the shareholders.

While the majority of shareholders voted against the third proposal, preventing the board change, 36 percent supported it. Vulcan CEO Don James currently holds the board chairman position.

Though the shareholders rejected the changes to the board, they approved several other changes at the meeting. They reelected directors Douglas McGregor, Lee Styslinger III and Vincent Trosino. Shareholders also approved executive compensation and rehired Vulcan’s auditing company.

Andrew Nielson and Hannah McNally earned $2,500 scholarships from the J.H. Fletcher & Co. Mining Engineering Scholarship Fund. Pictured, left to right: Billy Goad, business development manager; Charlene Kendall; Bill Kendall, Western district sales manager; Andrew Nielson, recipient; Hannah McNally, recipient; Greg Hinshaw, CEO; and Ben Hardman, VP of domestic sales.

J.H. Fletcher & Co. has given back-to-back $100,000 donations to the SME Foundation.

The funds create the endowment for the J.H. Fletcher & Co. Mining Engineering Scholarship, which is dedicated to rising junior and senior mining engineering students with a demonstrated interest in underground mining.

Two students have received scholarships of $2,500 each from the mining engineering scholarship: Hannah McNally, who attends the University of Missouri at Rolla, and Andrew Nielson, who attends the University of Utah.

In addition to providing funds for the mining engineering scholarship, Fletcher has contributed approximately $470,000 in total funds to the J.H. Fletcher & Co. Scholarship for Engineering at Marshall University. The company has also made a note of its intentions to continue funding the scholarship.

For more information about J.H. Fletcher & Co., visit jhfletcher.com.

MSHA recommends the following best practices for drilling:

• Stop rotation 1 foot before exiting the hole.

• Ensure that mast type roof bolting machines have drill guides (hydraulic or mechanical) and deep well chucks.

• Never touch or hold onto a rotating drilling tool, wrench or bolt.

• Ensure that proper drill feed and rotation pressures are being used. Pressures should be only as high as necessary to efficiently drill the roof.

• To prevent whipping drill steels, drill rotation speed should never exceed 700 rpm (unless the manufacturer recommends a higher rate).

• Ensure that emergency shut-off switches (panic bars) are properly working.

• Properly maintain drill guides on mast feed roof bolting machines.

• Perform thorough exams of drill guides and all safety equipment on roof bolting machines.

• Ensure task training covers the use of drill guides as well as other proper drilling.

To view the full accident report, click here.