Oregon

Despite daily fines, a Lane County gravel mining operation continues to mine its site in Dexter, an unincorporated area southeast of Eugene. The Eugene Register-Guard reports that the county has begun fining the owners $330 a day for working without land-use approvals. The developers say the county lacks authority to regulate the mine because it is in an unincorporated part of the county, and mining takes place more than 200 feet inside the property line. County officials contend that another requirement in county code says that mining operations require a review that allows neighbors to weigh in on the proposal’s compatibility with the neighborhood. While approval from the county would be likely, officials say that it could also include restrictions on hours of operation, noise, and truck traffic.

New York

A lawyer working on behalf of neighbors of Sand Land Corp.’s 50-acre pit in Bridgehampton filed a formal appeal with the Southampton Town Zoning Appeals Board regarding the operation. Last June, the town’s chief building inspector ruled that the site was “pre-existing non-conforming” based on the fact that the business existed prior to 1957 when zoning laws were enacted. According to The Sag Harbor Express, the appeal contends that mining was not taking place at that time and was not an existing use. The zoning board members have requested more information on the matter and are expected to resume discussion on the topic at an upcoming meeting.

North Dakota

MDU Resources Group, Inc. has appointed Bill Schneider to the new position of executive vice president of Bakken development. He will coordinate business development and marketing activities of all MDU Resource companies in the Bakken area and report directly to Terry Hildestad, president and CEO of MDU Resources. “The Bakken area is undergoing unbelievably fast development. We can help counties and cities in the Bakken area meet their infrastructure needs,” Hildestad said in a written release. “I’m pleased that Bill has agreed to lead this effort. He is a proven senior executive who can help us maximize our market opportunities.” Schneider has been president and CEO of Knife River Corp. since 2005. John Harp has been named as the new CEO of Knife River Corp. He also will continue in the position of CEO of MDU Construction Services Group Inc. Dave Barney will serve as president of Knife River while Jeff Thiede will serve as president of MDU Construction Services Group.

North Dakota

MDU Resources Group, Inc. has appointed Bill Schneider to the new position of executive vice president of Bakken development. He will coordinate business development and marketing activities of all MDU Resource companies in the Bakken area and report directly to Terry Hildestad, president and CEO of MDU Resources. “The Bakken area is undergoing unbelievably fast development. We can help counties and cities in the Bakken area meet their infrastructure needs,” Hildestad said in a written release. “I’m pleased that Bill has agreed to lead this effort. He is a proven senior executive who can help us maximize our market opportunities.” Schneider has been president and CEO of Knife River Corp. since 2005. John Harp has been named as the new CEO of Knife River Corp. He also will continue in the position of CEO of MDU Construction Services Group Inc. Dave Barney will serve as president of Knife River while Jeff Thiede will serve as president of MDU Construction Services Group.

Province News

Officials in Ontario’s Prince Edward County found no buried herbicides after a scientific and technical examination of the Hallowell Pickering Sand and Gravel Pit. According to countylive.ca, the examination was based on a tip that 20 pails of herbicides were buried there more than 25 years ago. “We are relieved that the thorough examination of the soil and the ground water shows no evidence of any pails or chemicals,” said Mayor Peter Mertens. “We will continue to monitor the ground water.”

Province News

A dynamite blast at Mid Island Aggregates in Shawnigan, British Columbia, left three miners injured. The Times Colonist reports a female miner tried to shield herself from the baseball-sized flyrock when one of the rocks hit her right arm, severing it at the elbow. Another man was struck in the head and suffered head injuries. A witness said that, if he had not been wearing his hard hat, he may have been killed. A third miner experienced more minor injuries. Work Safe BC investigators and inspectors from the Department of Mines were gathering evidence from the scene, but a Shawnigan Lake RCMP spokesman said that the incident didn’t appear to involve criminal negligence.