National Stone, Sand & Gravel (NSSGA) member Louis Griesemer, from Missouri-based Springfield Underground, called on the House Small Business Committee to take action on regulations that cause delays and harm small operations, NSSGA reports.
According to NSSGA, Griesemer told the committee that many federal permit requirements work at cross purposes. For example, federal air permits require the use of water for dust mitigation. However, the Federal Aviation Administration doesn’t want Springfield Underground to store water in ponds because the quarry is close to an airport and migratory birds could impact air traffic.
In order to balance out issues like this, Griesemer asked that the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Act be applied to proposed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) rules. He also requested for federal agencies to meet deadlines to determine if certain regulations apply to a site, as well as for permit approvals, NSSGA adds.
“I want to be clear that I am not against regulation, nor is NSSGA,” Griesemer says. “We have found that we can accomplish more by working together, rather than having just a command-and-control relationship.”
Griesemer also serves as the co-chair of the MSHA-NSSGA Alliance.
