Not long after a miner who maintained a dust collector machine at a cement facility in San Bernardino County, Calif., contacted the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) about safety hazards, he was suspended and then terminated in April 2014. MSHA filed a motion for temporary reinstatement of the miner, and the mine operator, Riverside Cement Co., agreed to temporary…
Read MoreMonth: January 2015
Off-Highway Diesel Prices
The national estimated average price-per-gallon for off-highway diesel fuel as of Jan. 27 is $2.589. That is significantly lower than the previous comparison price-per-gallon of $2.903.
Read MoreDouble-Digit Spike for December New Home Sales
Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11.6 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000 units, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Read MoreAGG1 Preview: Terex MPS Screen Plant
Terex Minerals Processing Systems (Terex MPS), which will be located at booth 1487, has expanded its CR Series portable plant line with the addition of the Terex Cedarapids CRS620S screen plant. The plant features the next generation, patent-pending LJ-TSV screen. The new screen increases production and handles applications not possible with traditional horizontal screens because it combines the legendary El-Jay…
Read MoreConstruction Starts Rose 7 Percent in 2014
For 2014 as a whole, total construction starts climbed 7 percent to $575.3 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. This continues the pattern of moderate expansion for total construction starts reported during the previous two years – 2012, up 10 percent; and 2013, up 9 percent.
Read MoreState of the Infrastructure
Jan. 21, 2015 – In his State of the Union address, President Obama once again called for investment in infrastructure. “21st century businesses need 21st century infrastructure – modern ports, stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet,” he said. “Democrats and Republicans used to agree on this. So let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline. Let’s pass a…
Read MoreField Test: Magnum Precision Ultra Lite II Work Boot
Aggregates producers all over the country wake up every morning and lace up their work boots before heading to the quarry. It’s a ritual and a tradition. When you are tromping around a quarry all day, operating a machine or crawling around screening towers, you better have maximum comfort. I agreed to field test a pair of Magnum Precision Ultra…
Read MorePOV Violates Due Process, ALJ Rules; Denies Motion for Emergency Stay
ALJ William Moran dismissed a Pattern of Violations charge against Patriot Coal’s Brody Mining on Nov. 1, stating that the POV charge is a violation of due process. The Judge called the POV process “patently unfair, almost rigged,” and said that companies do not know what evidence to present for their defense.
Read MoreThe Power of Knowledge
Many parts of the Southwest are designated as open range. My community in southeast New Mexico is one of those areas. In open range areas, cattle are not segregated from some infrequently traveled state and county roads.
Read MoreWildlife Habitat Council Honors Aggregates Producers
Vulcan Materials Co. has been awarded the prestigious Conservation Education Award at the Wildlife Habitat Council’s (WHC) 26th Annual Symposium, Celebrating Corporate Conservation. Vulcan was recognized for its outstanding national legacy in the pursuit of excellence in wildlife habitat conservation education and outreach.
Read More