Granite has been named the 2023 Sustainability Champion by the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA) Sustainability Council for its work on the Joint Venture Cicero Ogden Intermodal Civil Improvements Project with K-Five Construction. The project, recognized for its innovative and sustainable practices, achieved an 11,000 cu. yd. reduction in excavation and recycled 23,000 tons of aggregate base material…
Read MoreCategory: Key Issues
MSHA’s November Impact Inspections: 184 Violations at 14 Mines
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections at 14 mines in 10 states in November 2023, issuing 184 violations and one safeguard. The agency began impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 29 miners. To date, MSHA’s impact inspections in 2023 have identified 2,491…
Read MoreMSHA Announces Mobile Equipment Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule from its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to help protect miners from accidents, injuries and fatalities related to surface mobile equipment. The rule requires mine operators to have written safety programs for surface mobile equipment — excluding belt conveyors — at surface mines and underground mines’ surface areas. The programs…
Read MorePermitting: Rhode Island
A Rhode Island Superior Court judge ruled this week that Material Sand & Stone must go before the town Zoning Board to apply for a permit and variance for its ongoing mining operations. Associate Justice Daniel Procaccini ruled in favor of the town in Pound Hill Realty v. the Town of North Smithfield, marking the latest chapter in a land…
Read MorePermitting Update: Pennsylvania
Neiswonger Construction Inc., which operates the Maggie Lynn limestone quarry in Washington County, is hoping to start extracting the rock underneath it. The company is proposing to build an underground mine that would stretch for 337 acres in Deemston Borough, roughly the area of Schenley Park. It might take 30 years to extract all that rock, cranking out 250,000 tons…
Read MoreUSDOT Awards $645 Million for Rural Transportation Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has awarded $645.3 million from the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (Rural) to help communities around the United States complete transportation projects that will increase mobility, improve safety, and generate regional economic growth in rural areas. Rural roads face a disproportionally high rate of fatalities, and a significant proportion of…
Read MoreCarmeuse Announces New Sustainable Linked Loans
Carmeuse has unveiled its plans to transform its long-term loans portfolio, aligning it with the company’s ambitious sustainability goals. The move involves converting its main bank financing facilities into sustainability linked loans. These new loans will incorporate three Carmeuse’s specific Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to foster sustainable practices across the company. By linking financing to…
Read MorePesky Pigeons: A Solution for Behavior and Control
By Mark S. Kuhar Did you ever go out to the plant and find a line of pigeons sitting on the conveyor? That’s never good. Before you’re tempted to get out the shotgun, consider a long-term plan for controlling the population. Effective pest control relies heavily on pest behavior to get the job done. For example, when baiting a pest,…
Read MoreUnsafe Acts By MSHA Inspectors?
What Happens When An MSHA Inspector Engages In An Unsafe Act, Violates A Standard Or Refuses To Comply With The Rules? – And Other Questions. By Brian Hendrix Is an MSHA inspector required to sign-in and sign-out like every other visitor to a mine? Is an MSHA inspector required to comply with MSHA regulations requiring personal protective equipment? Is an…
Read MoreThe Limits of AI Technology
The Most Important Aspects Of Human Interaction Cannot Be Automated. By Thomas J. Roach Artificial Intelligence depersonalizes communication, and therein lies its greatest limitation. Automation is a mechanical or electronic technology that removes the human footprint from a process that produces goods or services. Ancient Greeks employed water wheels to grind grain. During the Industrial Revolution, steam and internal combustion…
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