The National Mining Association (NMA), the U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), honored outstanding achievements in mine safety, environmental stewardship and technology. The awards ceremonies took place on Sept. 27, in Washington, D.C.
NMA’s Sentinels of Safety Award recognizes coal and mineral mining operations in 10 categories for recording the most hours in a calendar year without a single lost-time injury. A minimum of 4,000 hours is required for award consideration. The award categories reflect the safety accomplishments of both small and large mines.
Twenty American mining operations – six coal mines and 14 mineral/metal mines – were honored with the award recognizing performance in 2017.
“Safety is the prism through which our industry views every issue. Whether a company is opening a new mine, has a longstanding operation, or is incorporating new technologies, today’s mining industry leaders are always exploring ways to keep miners safe today, and improve for tomorrow,” said Hal Quinn, NMA president and CEO. “Through these awards, we acknowledge outstanding accomplishments in safety and hope that these companies’ achievements can serve as a model for others in industry.”
Initiated in 1925 by then Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover, a former mining engineer, the Sentinels of Safety Award program remains the nation’s most prestigious recognition of mine safety and has helped foster a strong safety commitment on the part of U.S. mines.
Recipients include the following:
Large Group:
Underground Coal: Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 – Signal Peak Energy LLC.
Quarry: Drake Quarry – Drake Cement LLC.
Underground Metal: Exodus – Newmont USA Limited (NMA member).
Open Pit: Genesis – Newmont USA Limited (NMA member).
Metal/Nonmetal Mill: Grand Saline Operations – Morton Salt (NMA member).
Coal Processing Facility: Kayenta Mine – Peabody Western Coal Co. (NMA member).
Underground Nonmetal: Kerford Limestone – Kerford Limestone Co.
Surface Coal: Kosse Strip – Luminant (NMA member).
Dredge: Samsund LLC – Samsund LLC.
Bank or Pit: Santosh DBA – CalPortland Co.
Small Group:
Underground Metal: Buckhorn Mine – Crown Resources Corp. (NMA Member).
Underground Nonmetal: Burning Springs Mine – Martin Marietta Materials Inc.
Metal/ Nonmetal Mill: Columbus Quarry LLC – Columbus Quarry LLC.
Underground Coal: Cooper Ridge Deep Mine – Kopper Glo Mining LLC.
Bank or Pit: CR5 – Oldcastle SW Group Inc.
Dredge: Danz – Peoria Concrete Construction Co..
Coal Processing Facility: Holden No 22 Preparation Plant – Arch Coal Inc. (NMA member).
Open Pit: Materion Natural Resources – Materion Natural Resources (NMA member).
Quarry: SBM Materials – SBM Materials.
Surface Coal: Solomon Run – Elk Resources Inc.