Author
Road rules
NSSGA is following developments in a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rule for states, requiring interstate truck drivers to provide proof from a medical professional that they are healthy enough to drive. The kicker? States failing to comply face a 5 percent cut in their federal highway funds, with that penalty doubling if they do not come into conformance the following year. Noncompliant states would have a grace period as long as they submit a plan to adopt the new rule. The deadline is Jan. 30 for drivers’ license offices to implement this requirement for truck drivers. Federal law already requires truck drivers to get medical clearance from a doctor. The new rule requires truck drivers to submit medical approval forms to state licensing offices, which are then required to enter the information into a national database. The Associated Press reported on this new rule in recent days. Keep Reading
Safety reminders
Safety concerns with bulldozers and highwalls make up MSHA's latest safety alerts. A string of deaths in the mining industry linked to bulldozers and highwalls led MSHA to warn the community about potential dangers and to remind it about best practices. Meanwhile, a look at 2011 fatality statistics in the metal/nonmetal sector reveals 16 total deaths – 11 occurring at surface mines and five underground. The leading causes of these deaths were powered haulage (four) and machinery and slip/fall of person, with three each. The 16 deaths in metal/nonmetal are down from 23 in 2010. Keep Reading
Competitive fires
Martin Marietta Materials' takeover bid for Vulcan Materials has strengthened the competitive fire between the nation's two largest aggregate producers. And understandably so. The companies have been going at each other pretty good lately, since Martin Marietta announced its intentions on Dec. 12 to acquire Vulcan via an all-stock transaction valued at a reported $4.7 billion. Martin Marietta says a merger would work, creating a global leader in construction aggregates. Vulcan says it's a bad idea. To get a feel for where things stand between them, you only need to look at special web pages created by both companies that provide information on Martin Marietta's takeover attempt. Martin Marietta's information can be found at www.aggregatesleader.com. How about Vulcan's? www.realaggregatesleader.com. Say no more. Keep Reading
Tolls, not taxes
No more taxes, says a skeptical American public. Not that it’s much of a surprise, but a majority of Americans believe new transportation projects should be paid for with user fees instead of tax increases, according to a new national Reason-Rupe poll of 1,200 adults on cell phones and land lines. The Reason-Rupe poll finds 77 percent of Americans oppose increasing the federal gas tax, while just 19 percent favor raising the tax, which is currently 18.4 cents a gallon. The public thinks the government wastes the gas tax money it already receives. Sixty-five percent say the government spends transportation funding ineffectively, and just 23 percent say the money is spent effectively. The survey shows Americans believe new roads and highways should be paid for by the people driving on them: 58 percent of Americans say new roads and highways should be funded by tolls. Twenty-eight percent say new road capacity should be paid for by tax increases. Keep Reading
Web Exclusive: Pit & Quarry Roundtable
Pit & Quarry's annual Roundtable & Conference was held in Oak Brook, Ill., and following are the combined, edited transcripts from the two roundtable sessions. Session 1 Participants Brian Barlow, BMG/BMG Green Evan Clarke, Kleemann Darren Constantino, Pit & Quarry Tripp Hammett, Hammett Gravel Lee Heffley, Bramco-MPS Jerad Higman, Masaba Mining Equipment Mike Hinrichsen, Caterpillar Darin Matson, Rogers Group Shawn McKinney, Illinois Assn. Of Aggregate Producers Dave McLaughlin, Astec Carl Metzgar, Industry Safety Consultant Hunter Moore, Boxley Alan Parks, Memphis Stone & Gravel Andrew Philp, Weir Minerals - Linatex Geoff Simon, MDU Resources Tom White, White & Associates CONSTANTINO: As always we'll begin with a discussion about the economy, which hasn't changed much since we met in Nashville last fall (2010). We'd like to hear from you about how the economy is affecting your business and other businesses in your market area. What effect is this having on you and your customers? Is equipment financing still a concern? PARKS: Overall, we're still producing at nearly half of what we were before the… Keep Reading
Reading material
The U.S. Geological Survey now offers comprehensive data on 2010 crushed stone production in its Minerals Yearbook. The report, authored by Jason Christopher Willett, contains plenty of facts and figures, including total production (1.16 billion metric tons), total value of crushed stone ($11.2 billion) and average unit price comparisons (down slightly from 2009 but 21 percent higher than 2006). Production for consumption was the lowest since 1993, and total value the lowest since 2004, Willett writes. That's just the beginning. Have a look and see what information you can take away that just might help your operation or grow your industry knowledge. Keep Reading
Four dead in four days
Four miners killed in four days. That's the bold headline in a MSHA safety alert poster, which includes a checklist of best practices on how the mining community can avoid these tragedies. While these deaths in the last four days of October did not occur at aggregate operations, they still serve as a reminder of the dangers all miners face on a daily basis. In fact, of the four deaths that occurred at metal/nonmetal mines in the third quarter of this year, ending Sept. 30, three did happen at aggregate operations. One miner was killed at a sand and gravel operation when he accessed an elevated platform near an unguarded head pulley and became entangled in the operating conveyor system. Another miner was killed at a portable sand and gravel operation when he opened the 480-volt feeder box at the motor control center, started to remove the leads and received a fatal shock. And yet another miner was killed at a sand and gravel operation when he was changing a… Keep Reading
