The Webinar is currently scheduled to last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Attendees are asked to arrive approximately 5 minutes ahead of time so the meeting can begin promptly at 2 p.m.

The fee to join the Webinar is $29 per person for IMA-NA members, and $49 per person for non-members. Click here to register for the event.

There is a possibility that the Senate could act on a six-month extension this week if it disposes of legislation extending unemployment compensation and if the health care reform bill is not yet ready for consideration. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) could choose to move the Senate bill through the cloture process. This could involve as many as three cloture votes to overcome objections to the extension. The 60 votes do not seem to be the problem, time constraints appear to be the controlling issue. If the process takes too long, it could get bumped by health care reform.

The Senate extension differs from the House three-month extension in several ways:
• The House bill provides one-fourth of FY ’09 contract authority levels for Highway Trust Fund programs through Dec. 31; the Senate amendment would provide 7/12ths of the FY ’09 contract authority levels through April 30.
• The Senate amendment would address the SAFETEA-LU rescission by adding an extra $8.7 billion in contract authority for FY ’10 only to restore amounts rescinded on Sept.30. The House bill includes no such provision.
• The House bill would restore prorated amounts of FY ’09 funding level by state in the major earmarked SAFETEA-LU accounts as formula money for those states, except for the Projects of National and Regional Significance  and Corridor programs, which the House bill would turn into discretionary programs. The Senate proposal treats all of the earmarked accounts equally, as formula money. 
• The Senate amendment would extend the budget firewalls by a pro-rated amount based on the duration of the bill, like the House. 

According to the NSSGA, for Congress to act before the end of the year on a multi-year authorization is possible, but very unlikely, therefore, the association and its coalition partners support the Senate six-month extension proposal. 

There is increasing talk on the Hill of “front- loading” a six-year bill, the newsletter reports. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) talked about the importance of acting on a surface transportation reauthorization last week and mentioned front-loading the first two years of a six-year bill.  This implies funding two years  out of general funds and the last four years from the Highway Trust Fund, deferring decisions on how to pay for it until later.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) floated a similar idea in a meeting with stakeholders last week.  His idea is to create a Federal Infrastructure Financing Bank under the purview of the U.S. Department of Treasury. The Treasury would capitalize the bank by acquiring a sufficient amount of bank stock, the proceeds of which would finance two years of the transportation authorization. The idea has no immediate funding source, but it would require that, no later than July 1, 2011, the president submit to Congress legislation to provide permanent financing for transportation and other infrastructure projects sufficient to repay the Treasury. The initial funding would come from the General Fund, which means the budget firewalls would go away.

Even House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) is talking about front-loading a bill with the intent to create as many jobs as possible between now and the 2010 elections and at the same time getting as many policy changes as possible enacted in his six-year bill, delaying the tough financing decisions until after the elections. Initial funding could come from general fund appropriations or general fund bailouts of the Highway Trust Fund. 

According to the NSSGA, what seems most likely is that the Senate and House, hopefully sooner rather than later, will agree to a six-month extension and then discuss the idea of a front-loaded six year bill after the first of next year.

• Overview of Federal Industrial Stormwater requirements;
• Review of the Federal Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) applicability and requirements;
• Common environmental compliance issues with the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP); 
• Examples of best management practices;
• Addressing the myths associated with stormwater compliance; and 
• Addressing questions on your MSGP and SWPPP.

Speakers will include: Peter Bahor, environmental protection specialist, U.S. EPA HQ, Washington D.C.; Murray Lantner, environmental engineer, U.S. EPA Region 2, New York, New York; Juan Ibarra, environmental scientist, U.S. EPA Region 6, Dallas, Texas; and Julie Congdon, stormwater compliance assistance coordinator, U.S. EPA Region 10, Seattle, Washington.

To register for this webinar click here. 

The EPA has also created a ready-mix and aggregates-industry-specific compliance assistance Web page with additional information to help the industry understand its permitting responsibilities.  Click here to go to the site.

Knife River Corporation’s North Central Region hosted a tour for Chairman Oberstar and Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel, on an Interstate 35 project in Chisago County. Visible to the guests were dangerous potholes and crumbling surfaces, which Knife River crews were repairing.

“Several stretches of Minnesota’s roadways are in serious condition and our state mirrors a nation facing a transportation crisis,” said North Central Region President Tim Crennen. “As the author of The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009, Chairman Oberstar understands the current situation and is proposing a solution that our industry needs to stand behind, and help find a U.S. Senator to champion the legislation in that chamber.”

Chairman Oberstar met with several of Knife River’s front-line employees and listened to their concerns about highway funding and construction jobs.

“Everyone is concerned about the economy and we know how important it is that the reauthorization bill passes, not only for jobs, but to maintain the safety and quality of our highways,” said Shelly Lunzer, an estimating assistant for the company.

Knife River’s I-35 job was made possible through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“We are accepting applications for the first time in two years after a hiring freeze, and have filled some open positions due to jobs like the I-35 project that were fast-tracked through ARRA,” Crennen said. “Our employees are very aware that due to ARRA funding we were able to secure much-needed work.”

Topics include improved safety, drilling, blasting, fines and boulder management, load and haul, fleet management, crushing and screening, the quarrying process, quarry management, and unit operation efficiency. Although Sandvik assembled the 10-instructor team, focus will not be on Sandvik products, but on the processes within the quarry that drive productivity and improve efficiency.

For more information, or to register for the event, go to www.quarryacademy.com.

Mike Davis, deputy assistant secretary for Operations of MSHA, accepted NSSGA’s invitation to address and visit with “Aggregates in Action” fly-in attendees at 4 p.m. on Sept. 22 in Washington, D.C. The NSSGA is urging members and state association executives to attend the fly-in and the special meeting with Davis so that aggregates industry voices can be heard.

In the photograph, (left to right), Bill Canary, Executive Director, Alabama Business Council; Governor Bob Riley; Mike Kirkland, Vulcan Materials Co., North Alabama Sales Manager; Mike Bailey, President, Alabama Technology Network.

“The worldwide recession has greatly reduced construction equipment orders. As a result, manufacturing capacity across the company is greater than needed to meet foreseeable market demand,” said Tom Riordan, Terex President and Chief Operating Officer. “The decision to move manufacturing from Cedar Rapids was not an easy one because we know this action affects team members and their families. Over the last several months, the plant has instituted temporary shutdowns, reduced positions, and placed team members on indefinite layoff.  These actions were not sufficient given market conditions and our need to ensure that manufacturing operations are as efficient as possible.”

Approximately 170 team members are affected by this decision. For union-represented team members, all terms of labor contracts will be honored, and for other team members, severance pay and outplacement assistance will be provided.  Approximately 50 positions will remain in Cedar Rapids.

The Terex Cedarapids plant makes a variety of mobile crushing and screening equipment, as well as asphalt pavers. Manufacturing operations will be moved to existing Terex facilities in Durand, Mich.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and other locations in North America to be determined. All moves should be complete by mid-year 2010.

Upcoming shows include:

• Bossier City, La. — Aug. 25
• Raleigh, N.C. — Aug. 2 
•  Albany, N.Y. — Sept. 19
• Charlotte, N.C. — Sept. 22
• College Station, Tex. — Oct. 2

Taking his cue from the American Flag, franchise owner Paul Bullock (West Monroe, LA) has painted an Aerial Lift red, white and blue. Each time the Stars and Stripes Boom is rented, 50 percent of the revenues will be donated to Operation Gratitude and to the NE and NW Louisiana War Veterans Home to help support our troops — active and retired.

“It was the right thing to do — the smart thing to do,” Bullock said. “It’s absolutely working out well, but our goal was not to increase revenue, our goal was to support the troops and the veterans. It does bring us recognition for doing a good thing, but it was just a way to get our customers involved. When they rent the boom they’re supporting the troops, too.”

Other participating locations:

• Rochester, N.Y. — pink boom for breast cancer research;
• Springfield, Mo. — pink boom for breast cancer research;
• Ferndale, Wash.: — pink boom for breast cancer research; and
• Atlanta, Ga. — pink excavator for breast cancer research;

Coming soon:

• Little Rock, Ark. — boom to support the Arkansas food bank;
• Charlotte, N.C. — excavator for March of Dimes; and
• Mobile, Ala. — excavator and boom for Autism.