Pit & Quarry articles from September 2002

Pit & Quarry archives from September 2002

Martin Marietta Materials and Vulcan Materials each report second-quarter earnings. (Top News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Martin Marietta Materials and Vulcan Materials each report second-quarter earnings. Martin Marietta's earnings from operations for the second quarter 2002 were $81.9 million, compared with $64.5 million in 2001. Vulcan Materials Co. announced...

MSHA. (Top News).(Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure of Underground Metal and Nonmetal Miners regulation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * MSHA stays portions of its regulation on Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure of Underground Metal and Nonmetal Miners. Provisions of the stay reflect a settlement agreement approved by the agency and its industry and labor litigants. Under the...

Astec Industries Inc. enters into a strategic alliance with Case Construction Equipment. (Top News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Astec Industries Inc. enters into a strategic alliance with Case Construction Equipment for the manufacture, marketing and sale of trenchers, horizontal directional drills. Astec is also acquiring a 300,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art...

Detroit Diesel Corp. (Top News).(diesel engine emissions standards)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Detroit Diesel Corp. issues a statement saying its Series 60 diesel engine will be ready for the October 1 "pull ahead" emissions standards.

Washington wire. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(Senate moves forward on highway funding)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Just one day after the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee moved by voice vote to restore highway funding for FY 2003 to the $31.8 billion funding level of FY 2002, the full Senate Appropriations Committee reaffirmed the $31.8...

Essential economics. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(construction starts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Monthly Construction Contract Value Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, in Millions June 2002 May 2002 % Change Nonresidential Building $160,231 $154,050 +4 Residential Building ...

Construction put in place for April 2002. (Other Economic News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Construction put in place for April 2002 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted rate of $871.9 billion, the same as the month previous, and the same as last year, says the U.S. Census Bureau.

Portland cement consumption declined 5 percent in May, according to the Portland Cement Association. (Other Economic News).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Portland cement consumption declined 5 percent in May, according to the Portland Cement Association. Cement consumption has now declined for three months in a row. Year-to-date consumption is down 1.5 percent.

Stock watch. (Out in front: this month's critical trends and topics).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... STOCK WATCH (AT PRESS TIME) THIS MONTH LAST MONTH Centex Construction Prod. d 39.75 33.92 Florida Rock Industries d 34.95 33.20 Hanson Plc f 31.80 ...

Saving lives. (Mark My Words).(rescue of coal miners in Pennsylvania)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The dramatic rescue of nine coal miners trapped underground in Pennsylvania once again brought mining to the forefront of the national dialogue. The nation learned a few important things from the incident. When it first happened, the accident...

Highway, bridge construction up 23 percent in June. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).
September 1, 2002... The value of new construction starts advanced 4 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $512.9 billion, according to the Dodge Division of McGraw-Hill Construction. While residential building held steady, nonresidential building...

Mineta names Capka to serve as FHWA deputy administrator. (Stockpile: the latest producer news).(J. Richard Capka; Norman Y. Mineta; Federal Highway Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced the appointment of J. Richard Capka to serve as deputy administrator for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). "Rick's experience in overseeing a major infrastructure project...

Blasting seismograph. (Product Highlight).(GeoSonics/Vibra-Tech SSU 3000LCP Plus)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The GeoSonics/Vibra-Tech SSU 3000LCP Plus seismograph combines convenience with durability. Its features include a full-sized keyboard for easy data entry, an 80-character LCD for immediate display of results and a large thermal printer that...

MSHA stays key provisions of diesel rule. (MSHA News).(Mine Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... MSHA has stayed portions of its regulation on Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) Exposure of Underground Metal and Nonmetal Miners (30 CFR Part 57). Provisions of the stay reflect a settlement agreement approved just three days earlier by the...

Review Commission chairman resigns. (MSHA News).(Theodore F. Verheggen, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Theodore F. Verheggen, chairman of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, has resigned to take a position with Dow Chemical. In other personnel news, John Correll has been named deputy assistant secretary at MSHA, a career...

MSHA celebrates opening of new headquarters. (MSHA News).(Mine Safety and Health Administration)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... MSHA celebrated the opening of its new offices at 1100 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Va., with a dedication and open house before a standing-room-only crowd. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Solicitor of Labor Eugene Scalia and MSHA head Dave...

NSSGA names winners of student competition. (Associations in Action).(National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) has named the winners of the 2002 Annual Student Landscape Architecture Competition. Three students at North Dakota State University--Dollie Becklund, Cynthia Sondreal and Dustin...

Pennsylvania. (Northeast).(Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission voting)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Board of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) voted to TIP the scales in favor of major highway and public transit investments in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania when it recently adopted a Transportation Improvement...

West Virginia. (Northeast).(permit for quarry denied Waco Oil and Gas)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... State regulators have denied a permit for a proposed 76-acre sandstone quarry in Pocahontas County, agreeing with residents that it would be an eyesore in a scenic area that's popular with tourists. Waco Oil and Gas of Glenville, which operates...

Indiana. (North Central).(Indiana Mineral Aggregates Association's lobbying efforts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Indiana Mineral Aggregates Association travels to Washington, D.C., every summer to visit their Congressional delegation. Bruce Mason, the IMAA's executive director, invited the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers, along with the...

Illinois. (North Central).(school children visit Vulcan Materials)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... It took the 14 pupils in Aurora University's Young Scholars summer school program about 15 minutes to mine the raisins and chocolate chips from the cookies that teacher Jan Licandro gave them. Before tackling their cookies, the pupils in third...

Iowa. (North Central).(Iowa Limestone Producers Association's geological exhibit )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Iowa Limestone Producers Association recently donated several samples of Iowa's "Hidden Treasures" to the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. A display at the center presented a time line of Iowa's geological history and included samples of...

Ohio. (North Central).(request for asphalt plant denied)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Burton Township Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously denied a request to build an asphalt plant in a 10-acre quarry off Old Rider Road within the township. Some residents called the vote a community victory. The decision will be appealed to...

Wisconsin. (North Central).(scholarships; includes other news)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * The board of directors of the Aggregate Producers of Wisconsin (APW) has approved the establishment of a $1,000 scholarship program for members of the APW. This opportunity is for college-bound students planning a degree in the study of...

Florida. (Southeast).(limestone mining in the Everglades)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Armed with bulldozers, explosives and political clout, the limestone industry has embarked on a 50-year mining project on the eastern edge of the Everglades. This year, the miners won permission from the Army Corps of Engineers to destroy 5,409...

Kentucky. (Southeast).(Kentucky Crushed Stone Association scholarships)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * The Kentucky Crushed Stone Association Scholarship Committee, co-chaired by Lori Harper, Rogers Group Inc., and Tom Nugent, Nugent' Sand Co., recently announced the 2002 Scholarship Award recipients. The total allocation of $20,000 will be...

South Carolina. (Southeast).(Vulcan Materials)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... * Rockwell Automation was presented with a 2001 Silver Level Supplier Award by Vulcan Materials. The presentation was made in Atlanta at an annual banquet, with the awards presented by Vulcan division presidents. Rockwell Automation achieved...

Colorado. (Rocky Mountain).(Colorado Rock Products Association's annual meeting)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Colorado Rock Products Association recently held its 2002 Annual Summer Sports Outing at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The association has established an educational scholarship fund for junior or senior students...

Nebraska. (Rocky Mountain).(Weeping Water, 'Limestone Capital of Nebraska')(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The "Limestone Capital of Nebraska" doesn't need a billboard to proclaim the fact. The white dust on the road into town does that fine. Worries about that dust have federal and state officials pressing Weeping Water's mining and processing...

California. (West).(sand and gravel quarries in the news)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... San Benito County supervisors have settled a legal battle over the use of the Paicines Quarry. The dispute started in 1999 when the county Planning Commission upheld a stop-work order against the sand and gravel quarry, owned by Tina Bertuccio,...

Washington. (West).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Northwest Mining Association will be holding its 108th Annual Meeting, Exposition & Short Courses December 2-6. The event will be held at the Doubletree Hotel City Center in Spokane, Wash.

Aggregates industry executive report: with a soft second quarter behind them, aggregates producers look forward to making the second half of 2002 count. (Special Report).
September 1, 2002... The U.S. aggregates industry entered the second half of the year straining to keep pace with last year. While first-quarter national production data indicated slight production gains, gloomy second-quarter reports from major producers are an...

Senate appropriations committee moves to fully restore highway funding. (National affairs: key issues).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Just one day after the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee moved by voice vote to restore highway funding for FY 2003 to the $31.8 billion funding level of FY 2002, the full Senate Appropriations Committee reaffirmed the $31.8...

House transportation leaders pleased with $4.4 billion highway funding restoration. (National affairs: key issues).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Leaders of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expressed support for a provision of the Supplemental Appropriations conference agreement that restores $4.4 billion in federal highway aid. The bill, H.R. 4775,...

Transportation officials outline changes needed to ensure viable highway trust fund. (National affairs: key issues).(House Highways and Transit Subcommittee hearing)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Transportation officials and stakeholders at a congressional hearing outlined their suggestions for ensuring adequate long-term funding for the Highway Trust Fund, including addressing the inequitable tax rates that apply for certain alternate...

Mineta announces $56.3 million for states in highway discretionary funds. (National affairs: key issues).(Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced $56.3 million in Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) discretionary funds for infrastructure projects in 43 states and Puerto Rico. "President Bush and I recognize the importance of...

Capuano named to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. (National affairs: key issues).(Mike Capuano)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) is the most recent addition to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Capuano is serving his second term as a member of Congress. According to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, he is...

Everything equals nothing. (Safety: key issues).(critique of article: Maintenance Tips & Techniques)(Column)
September 1, 2002... In the long line of articles to help aggregate producers, Pit & Quarry published "Maintenance Tips & Techniques" in February 2002. The general heading of the section was "Maintenance." None of this is the least surprising, but there is an...

Gross negligence. (Law: key issues).(fatal construction accident; R&R Consructors)
September 1, 2002... At first everything seemed routine. Gregorio Torres, an employee of R&R Constructors, drove a truck to an R&R construction site in Texas. The truck was delivering a 1,000-lb. fuel tank. On arrival, Torres asked the R&R construction foreman,...

Cement plant covered by Mine Act. (Legal highlights: key issues).(Watkins Engineers & Constructors case)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission upheld MSHA's jurisdiction over a cement plant where a contractor's employee was seriously injured in a fall. In its July 23 ruling, FMSHRC upheld the secretary of labor's long-standing...

Judge dismisses discrimination complaint. (Legal highlights: key issues).(Vessell Mineral Products case)
September 1, 2002... Review Commission Judge Jacqueline R. Bulluck dismissed a discrimination complaint filed by MSHA on behalf of kiln worker Tracy Allen Sansoucie against Vessell Mineral Products of Terre, Mo., for lack of evidence. MSHA claimed Sansoucie...