Pit & Quarry articles from June 2004

Pit & Quarry archives from June 2004

Congress passes another short-term extension of TEA-21.(National Affairs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Republican congressional leaders agreed on a two-month extension of TEA-21 and it was passed by the full Congress. The extension ends on June 30. Authority under TEA-21 had previously been extended twice since the law expired on Sept. 30, 2003....

Labor department issues new overtime regulations.(National Affairs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... On April 20, the U.S. Department of Labor released its changes to Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations, revising the salary and duties tests used to determine who is entitled to overtime under the law. The new rules hike the minimum...

New York.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A motion passed by the Oneonta Town Board to look into placing a moratorium on mining might affect a proposed gravel mine on state route 205. Councilmen passed the motion, sending it on to town attorney Joseph Meagher for legal advice. Duncan...

Pennsylvania.(Northeast)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is challenging a series of state decisions that it claims allow commercial sand and gravel dredging operations to harm rare and endangered freshwater mussel and fish breeding areas in the Allegheny...

Georgia.(Southeast)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Lafarge S.A. has completed its acquisition of The Concrete Co., a family owned operation founded in 1951 by Charlie Frank Williams. The Concrete Co. since has grown to 500 employees with operations across Georgia and Alabama and into Florida....

West Virginia.(Southeast)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Federal mine safety officials are strengthening internal controls in response to a 2003 congressional report that says lax enforcement was endangering miners, says a Labor Department official. "We're rolling out a new program to hold ourselves...

Minnesota.(North Central)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Within 20 years, Minnesota's seven-county metropolitan area will run out of aggregate because of urban sprawl and commercial development. That is when coarse tailings, a waste product produced at Iron Range taconite plants, could become a...

Wisconsin.(town vs county cases)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Officials from the Town of Saukville and Ozaukee County have tentatively settled a long-running dispute over the county's gravel and asphalt operation in the town of Port Washington. The town filed suit against the county in September 2002,...

Arizona.(South Central)(employment generation projects )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Leaders of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community have a tough choice to make--jobs or the environment. The community is debating whether it wants to help restore the Salt River bed's lost habitat or continue mining the area for sand and...

Missouri.(South Central)(judge rules Lake Lotawana's annexation of land surrounding a local quarry is valid)(legality of recyclable asphalt storage in St. Louis County questioned)
June 1, 2004... Lake Lotawana's annexation of land surrounding a local quarry is valid, but further disputes between neighbors and the quarry owner are outside the court's scope, a judge ruled. Judge Charles D. Curless dismissed a claim that gave the court...

New Mexico.(South Central)(San Pedro limestone quarry opposed)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Development of a new limestone quarry near the San Pedro community in the East Mountains has met stiff resistance from some local residents. Danita Burns, public affairs specialist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), says a public meeting...

Colorado.(Mountain)(Garfield County sand and gravel pit inspected)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A year-old sand and gravel pit near Rifle graded well in an annual review conducted by Garfield County Commissioners. Commissioners expressed satisfaction that the Mamm Creek Sand and Gravel operation is meeting the conditions of the special...

Nebraska.(Mountain)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Hall County now has two problematic sand and gravel proposals on the table. The board of supervisors already was wrestling with how to deal with a controversial operation run by Werner Construction located north of Guenther Road and west of...

California.(Pacific)(Monterey County)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Air-quality specialists in Monterey County say they believe a rock quarry formally approved by the board of supervisors will create significant pollution problems in the Salinas Valley. But the supervisors felt that the problems would be offset...

Oregon.(Pacific)(The Tre Arrow Defense Fund)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A group of Portland activists is passing the hat for former congressional candidate and accused ecoterrorist Tre Arrow, who was nabbed by Canadian police officers. The Tre Arrow Defense Fund, formerly the Speaking Truth to Power Defense Fund,...

Washington.(Pacific)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A Kootenai County hearing examiner recommended denial of a request for a 125-acre rock quarry south of Coeur d'Alene because it could damage the Mica watershed and harm the rural character of the area. Forrest Godde, of Yearington, Nev., is...

U.S. Supreme Court strikes down emissions standards proposal.(National Affairs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... In a victory for the transportation construction industry, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled April 28 that state and local governments cannot impose their own air-quality emissions standards for certain equipment, truck and automobile fleets. ...

From the road.(Out in front: critical trends and topics from Pit & Quarry)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... More than 400,000 people from 171 countries attended Germany's Bauma + Mining show, the world's largest exhibition of mining and construction equipment. More than 2,800 exhibitors were on hand, occupying 500,000 sq. meters of exhibit space. Pit...

Essential economics.(Out in front: critical trends and topics from Pit & Quarry)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions Mar. 2004 Feb. 2004 % Change Nonresidential Building $148,652 $143,491 +4 Residential Building ...

Stock watch.(Out in front: critical trends and topics from Pit & Quarry)(Illustration)
June 1, 2004... STOCK WATCH (AT PRESS TIME) THIS MONTH LAST MONTH Cemex SA f 28.25 28.89 Eagle Materials d 62.265 55.65 Florida Rock Industries ...

Vulcan Materials.(Top News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Vulcan Materials announced that sales for its Construction Materials division increased 10 percent to a record $431.9 million in the first quarter of the year.

Martin Marietta Materials.(Top News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Martin Marietta Materials announced Net sales for its Aggregates division in the first quarter were $281.3 million, an 11 percent increase over 2003.

Oglebay Norton Co.(Top News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Oglebay Norton Co. says that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has approved a $305 million second Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) credit facility that will provide the company postpetition and exit financing.

TEA-21.(Top News)
June 1, 2004... * Congressional leaders agreed on a two-month extension of TEA-21 and it was passed by the full Congress. For more producer news, see the Stockpile section on page 8 For Breaking News, visit our Web site at www.pitandquarry.com.

Survey says.(Out in front: critical trends and topics from Pit & Quarry)
June 1, 2004... LAST MONTH'S QUESTION Do you support a gas-tax increase to fund highway construction? No 56% Yes 44% Visit us online @ pitandquarry.com to participate in this month's survey.

Pass a one-year bill.(Mark My Words)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The reauthorization of TEA-21 has turned into a typical Washington political debacle. And we wonder why so many people hate politics. On paper, this ought to be a no-brainer. 1) Our national infrastructure is failing and there is plenty of data...

Dust collector.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... An updated Big Round Filter (BRF) from Farr Air Pollution Control is designed to outlast and outperform other baghouse dust collectors by combining heavy-duty construction with a redesigned cleaning mechanism and other high performance...

Apron feeder.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Kolberg-Pioneer Inc.'s RT Series track-mounted apron feeder is designed for extreme operating conditions, and the low-profile design allows the machine to operate and maneuver in underground mining applications. Particularly suited to wet,...

High output batteries.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Caterpillar line of maintenance-free Premium High Output (PHO) batteries is now available with cold cranking amp (CCA) capability for a variety of construction/mining equipment and electric power generation. The new, higher CCA capability...

Vulcan announces strong first quarter results.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Vulcan Materials Co. announced that first quarter earnings from continuing operations before the cumulative effect of accounting change were $0.15 per diluted share compared to last year's $0.02 per share. The company recorded net earnings of...

Martin Marietta's sales up 12 percent for quarter.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Martin Marietta Materials Inc. reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31. The first-quarter net loss was $6.5 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared with 2003 first-quarter net loss of $14.0 million, or $0.29 per...

Goodyear.(Manufacturer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Goodyear unveiled its hydraulic hose lineup, in Chandler, Ariz., at the annual meeting of the Association for Hose and Accessories Distribution. Goodyear announced in October 2003 that it would become a hydraulic hose, fitting and crimper...

Michelin Earthmover Group.(Manufacturer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * The Michelin Earthmover Group is launching a new training program to raise the awareness of tire safety issues at mines and quarries in North America. The program is designed to explain safety best practices to managers, maintenance...

Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire LLC and Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. have jointly announced an across-the-board price increase of up to 5 percent on the companies' tire products sold in the replacement and original equipment markets in all channels.(Manufacturer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire LLC and Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. have jointly announced an across-the-board price increase of up to 5 percent on the companies' tire products sold in the replacement and original equipment...

Deere & Co.(Manufacturer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Deere & Co. ranks sixth in the annual listing of the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" for 2004, which was announced by the Minneapolis-based Business Ethics magazine. The ranking is Deere's highest ever on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list.

Komatsu Ltd., parent company of Komatsu America Corp.(Manufaturer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Komatsu Ltd., parent company of Komatsu America Corp., has announced a strategic alliance with Topcon Corp. to outfit Komatsu's earthmoving equipment with Topcon's state-of-the-art automated machine control systems.

Ingersoll-Rand Co. Ltd.(Manufacturer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Ingersoll-Rand Co. Ltd. announced that the company's board of directors elected Barbara L. Brasier vice president and treasurer. She reports directly to Timothy R. McLevish, senior vice president and CFO.

Court approves loan, exit financing for Oglebay Norton.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Oglebay Norton Co. says that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington has approved a $305 million second Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) credit facility that will provide the company postpetition and exit...

Texas Industries Inc.(Producer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Texas Industries Inc. announced the promotion of Mel G. Brekhus to the position of president and CEO. Formerly the executive vice president and COO, cement, aggregates and concrete (CAC), Brekhus has 32 years of experience in the construction...

Vulcan Materials Co.(Producer briefs)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Vulcan Materials Co. announced that Nick Lewis received the 2004 Blasting Excellence Award from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Lewis is manager of drilling and blasting services with Vulcan's Midwest Division. The...

NSSGA Executive Committee, Young Leaders Council hold meetings.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Gathering April 21-22 at association headquarters for its spring meeting, the Executive Committee of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association's (NSSGA) board of directors took several key actions on behalf of the membership, including: ...

Rogers Group acquires quarries in Tennessee, Kentucky.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Rogers Group has acquired the assets of three quarries in Tennessee and one in Kentucky. The Tennessee sites were purchased from Martin Marietta Materials, according to Vice President of Development Scott Alexander. The acquired operations are...

Lights, camera, action.(A Closer Look)(Sahara Sand Co.)
June 1, 2004... An important sequence in the upcoming movie, "The Manchurian Candidate" was filmed at a sand mine in Eagleswood Township, N.J. The mine is owned and operated by the Sahara Sand Co., and the two-week film shoot was preceded by more than a month...

Metso wows distributors at Brazilian facility.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)
June 1, 2004... Industry distributors who attended a two-day seminar at a Metso Minerals production complex in Brazil came back with renewed respect for the quality control programs in place at the ISO 9000-certified manufacturer. "I was very impressed...

Events.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... June 13-15, 2004 NSSGA Dredging Seminar Columbus, Ohio 800-342-1415 www.nssga.org July 11-13, 2004 NSSGA Wetlands Training Course Golden, Colo. 800-342-1415 www.nssga.org October 10-12, 2004 NSSGA Automation Conference & Expo Chicago...

Your reserves: what are they worth? Landowners choose to multiply aggregate price, operating income or a royalty rate by tons to arrive at a value for their reserves. In doing so, they probably overstate the value of their land.(Special Report)
June 1, 2004... According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) definitions, a reserve is a mineral deposit that can be economically and legally mined at the time of the reserve determination. Proven (measured) reserves are "reserves for...

SfinX: Volvo looks ahead.(SfinX Project, Volvo Construction Equipment, Perspectives Design, excavators)
June 1, 2004... Code named the "SfinX Project," Volvo Construction Equipment and Perspectives Design have come up with a glimpse of how excavators may evolve over the next two decades. The result is more revolution than evolution. "Productive, smart and...

Sealed ball bearings: an option to tapered roller.(Conveyor Talk)
June 1, 2004... Up to 30 percent of all idler bearing failures are the result of marginal lubrication. But with hundreds, if not thousands of idlers within an operation, maintenance costs become a nagging hot button. So, many producers specify factory-sealed,...

Mine scaler.(TechWatch: cutting-edge solutions)(Paul Wever Construction Equipment)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The PWCE Mine Scaler conversion package from Paul Wever Construction Equipment (PWCE) is available in two boom arrangements, as well as custom conversions for special scaling needs. The PWCE Mine Scaler can be integrated on a wheeled excavator...

Equipment monitoring.(Software solutions)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Portable human-machine interface (HMI) system users can reduce total cost of ownership through faster setup and changeover times now that Rockwell Automation has added the option of preloading RSView Machine Edition (ME) 3.1 HMI software from...

Conveyor design.(Software solutions)(Gorman Business Services)(mConveyor)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Version 3 of mConveyor, a belt conveyor design program for Windows from Gorman Business Services, includes a new help file and provides an automatic calculation of fully skirted conveyors. It still features high usability speed obtained by...

Keeping up with the Joneses: from the belt sample to the stockpile, automation delivers high-quality, high-capacity production.(Material Handling)(Automated Belt Sampler)
June 1, 2004... A recent survey from CIT Equipment Finance suggests that nearly half of today's producers list profit margins as their number-one concern. Producers must fine-tune every facet of their operations to seek new, potential areas of savings, while...

Get the load out: a quarry in the 'Show Me' state showcases its quicker service and production capabilities through RFID.(Truck Tracking)(Conco Companies)
June 1, 2004... An automated truck tracking and loading system being rolled-out by the Conco Companies of Springfield, Mo., will provide the crushed stone operation with a key marketing tool, as customers will be able to get in and out of the yard quicker than...

Growing up.(Concrete Company of Springfield Inc., ready mixed concrete )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Founded in 1947 as the Concrete Co. of Springfield by Ralph Reed and his stepson, Tom Baird, the enterprise started as a family owned ready-mix operation with four trucks and seven employees. Reed and Baird believed--correctly--that Springfield...

Just (don't) add water: Hanson Aggregates' Tyrone Quarry installed an air separator, which it says helped improve the quality of manufactured bituminous sand and aglime.(Air Classifying)
June 1, 2004... How do you eliminate large amounts of unwanted fines in manufactured sand for bituminous products? Many aggregates producers face this problem. The availability of water for washing, and the environmental issues that accompany settling ponds,...

Bauma: one big show: more than 400,000 attendees visit 2,800 exhibitors at Bauma + Mining 2004.
June 1, 2004... From March 29 to April 4, more than 400,000 people flocked to the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany, for the Bauma + Mining 2004 trade fair. Visitors from 157 countries were in attendance, including Sean Carr, publisher of Pit &...

Articulated dump truck.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... John Deere's 250D, 300D, 350D and 400D articulated dump trucks (ADTs) increase productivity through numerous design improvements that deliver a higher horsepower-to-weight ratio. Other enhancements increase operator comfort and fuel efficiency...

Hydraulic power unit.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)
June 1, 2004... The pressure-compensated hydraulic power unit from Roberts Electric increases control and versatility of high torque conveyors, pumps, winches, grinders and crushers. It automatically delivers exactly the amount of oil needed to operate the...

Pinch valve.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The original, bidirectional Type A Pinch Valve from Red Valve Co. Inc. features a full-port opening and straight-through flow path to eliminate turbulence when open. The simple, two-piece body acts as a built-in pneumatic actuator. Fabricated...

Single-stage pump.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The latest addition to the Godwin Dri-Prime pump range--the HL130M--is a single stage pumpset capable of heads to 600 ft. This 6-in. x 4-in. unit pumps maximum flows to 1,300 gpm and passes solids up to 1 3/8 in. in diameter. Applications...

Belt conveyor scales.(Product Highlight)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Schenck offers two lines of belt conveyor scales--the BX Series and the BEMP. The BX Series includes two models, the BX-2 and BX-4, which are heavy-duty, two-idler and four-idler scales, respectively. The BEMP includes both a singleidler and...

Web server module.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... To give users convenient access to plant-floor information, Rockwell Automation's Allen-Bradley 1756-EWEB module for ControlLogix controllers supports EtherNet/IP communications and offers a suite of Web capabilities that enable users to view...

Washing and classifying.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... GreyStone offers what it says is the largest, skid-mounted, low-head sand classification and washing system in the United States. GreyStone engineers designed the unit with the 12-ft. x 48-ft. classifying tank recessed between the twin 60-in....

Screen.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)
June 1, 2004... TCI Manufacturing's Portable Truck Frame Dual Frequency Screen comes mounted on a portable frame with two, 30-in. reversible side discharge conveyors for oversize and midsize products, and a 36-in. fines discharge conveyor onboard. The plant...

Vibration monitor.(Product Highlight)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Instantel Inc.'s latest addition to its Series III line is the Minimate Blaster vibration and overpressure monitor. The company says the monitor is quick and easy to setup and operate, because it contains a simple set of functions that are...

Forgetting at 5 ft.(Mine Safety and Health Administration, Great Western Electric Co., definition of skilled miner)
June 1, 2004... Understanding the connection between the physical world of work and the abstractions of laws, regulations and judicial decisions that try to rule over it can be a challenge. Laws written by legislators and regulations written by bureaucrats are...

Whistleblower protection.(work limit cases of truck drivers)
June 1, 2004... The Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) contains a "whistleblower" protection provision. If a company has truck drivers who are driving longer than legally permitted, any employee is entitled to report such violations and is legally...

Crushed-stone producer pays MSHA reduced penalty in fatality case.(Mine Safety and Health Administration)
June 1, 2004... MSHA agreed to reduce its proposed $7,000 civil penalty to $5,000 in a case arising from a fatal machinery accident at a Michigan crushed stone operation. Chief ALJ Robert J. Lesnick approved the settlement agreement between Stoneco Inc. and...

Lack of fall protection nets supervisor $500 fine.(Legal Highlights)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Administrative Law Judge Jacqueline R. Bulluck approved a settlement reducing MSHA's proposed penalty for a violation of the safety line standard from $1,500 to $500. MSHA cited C.S. Mundy...

Senators push for highway bill reauthorization.(Economics)
June 1, 2004... The summer construction season is well under way, but still there is no multiyear transportation package. Although highway and bridge work have been funded to varying levels by stopgap measures, a large number of projects nationwide have been...

March construction climbs 3 percent.(Economics)
June 1, 2004... New construction starts in March increased 3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $537.2 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. Gains were reported for nonbuilding construction and...

Cement shortages threaten construction market.(Supply chain: news from affiliated industries)
June 1, 2004... A surge in construction activity coupled with limited shipping availability for imported cement is squeezing cement supplies in some areas of the United States, particularly in Florida, according to a report from the Portland Cement Association...

Environmental awards honor top cement plants.(Supply chain: news from affiliated industries)(Cement Americas magazine)
June 1, 2004... Six cement plants received special recognition by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine for continuous environmental improvement at PCA's Spring Board Meeting in Vancouver, B.C. The Third Annual Cement Industry...

Titan Mid-Atlantic.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Jon R. (Randy) Thompson was promoted to president of Titan Mid-Atlantic. A cement and aggregate industry veteran of more than 20 years, he succeeds John Summerbell, who joined Roanoke Cement in 1996 and was named president after the company's...

Buildology.(Materials Inc)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Buildology, a construction and landscape materials manufacturer, supplier and installer for contractors and do-it-your-selfers, has merged with Materials Inc., an architectural precast concrete manufacturer. The new company will operate under...

Associated Asphalt Inc.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * John W. (Bill) Kirk III was named 2004 chairman of the Asphalt Institute board of directors. He is the president and CEO of Virginia-based Associated Asphalt Inc.

Looking to buy? Contact these advertisers for your equipment and services needs.(Directory)(Illustration)
June 1, 2004... Looking to buy? CONTACT THESE ADVERTISERS FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES NEEDS Associations/Shows/Auctions Messe-Munchen +49-89-949-2 www.baumamining.de MINExpo 202-463-2611 ...

Coming in July.
June 1, 2004... 2004 Pit & Quarry Buyer & Supplier Guide --Yellow Pages --Supplier Listings --Brand Name Index